COLLECT: “O GOD, WHO CARE FOR YOUR PEOPLE WITH GENTLENESS AND RULE THEM IN LOVE, THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF POPE SAINT GREGORY, ENDOW, WE PRAY, WITH A SPIRIT OF WISDOM THOSE TO WHOM YOU HAVE GIVEN AUTHORITY TO GOVERN, THAT THE FLOURISHING OF A HOLY FLOCK MAY BECOME AN ETERNAL JOY OF THE SHEPHERDS. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
1Cor 3:18-23; Ps 23:1-6 and Lk 5:1-11.
Saint Gregory was Prefect of Rome when he renounced the world and entered a monastery at the age of 35. He was ordained a deacon and was sent on a papal mission to Constantinople. He later became Pope in 590. He cared for the poor and refugees during the Barbarian attacks on Rome, made contact with the Barbarians and sent missionaries to England. St. Gregory wrote extensively, especially commentaries on Scripture. Also, his liturgies, collected in the Gregorian Sacramentary and chant were very influential. He left a Pastoral Rule as a legacy, which is one of the best guides for pastors (Parish Priests). He is the patron saint of singers, scholars and teachers.
“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God…” (Cf. 1Cor 3:19). Saint Paul writes this to the Corinthian Christians who were boasting about the wisdom of their leaders and teachers, and maybe, about their own wisdom. St. Paul is not condemning the pursuit of knowledge in this world; rather, he is sounding a warning as well as cautioning not to glory in the wisdom of this age. God’s way of thinking and doing things is far above our way. He knows all the futile thoughts and actions of the “wise” in this world. He knows each of us, true and true (Cf. Ps 139).
It is evidently clear from the portion of the Gospel of Luke we are reflecting on that God knows all our “wise” but futile thoughts and actions or plans in this world. Peter was a very experienced fisherman; he had good knowledge about fishing and how to use his wisdom and maybe certain techniques to catch fish. Yet he and his companions were in the lake, worked hard all night, but caught not even a single fish.
From the interaction between Peter and Jesus, Peter spoke from human wisdom and experience. But, once again, “the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God”. Eventually, when Peter obeyed Jesus (in a sense, he allowed and accepted God’s wisdom, which some of us sometimes see as foolishness), their nets were filled with a great number of fish, and they were tearing. At this very moment, their frustration gave way to joy and happiness. They became successful.
There are a lot of people in this world who think that they are very wise. They think that they are knowledgeable in this world and they can manipulate and manoeuvre in their own ways to be successful in whatever they are doing. Some people go the occultist ways and means. Others go the fetish ways and means.
Some of us use the ‘makyo’ and physical ways and means. Yet, others use dishonest ways and means, as well as deception, confidence tricks and what have you, to get our way through whatever we are doing. These ways and means we use are not hidden from God. In fact, there is a song in Dagaare that goes: “Puoro kye faara taa, ye mang puoro kye kuuro taa, ye mang puoro kye zuuro taa, Naangmen segre a zaa” (Lit. “Praying while robbing each other, you are praying while you kill each other, you are praying while stealing each other, God is writing down all of them”).
We employ all these ways and means to succeed in our plans and designs, but honestly, these do not help us. We get more frustrated, disturbed and worried when we indulge in such ways and means. Our plans will always prove futile and unsuccessful, rendering us very frustrated in life. Even at the moment we think that we are making headway through our own wisdom and knowledge as we execute our own plans and designs, a time will come when everything will come to an end or everything will come to nothing, ‘for take the breath of man and all his plans will come to nothing’. Ps 32/33:10 throws more light into this.
Today’s readings are urging each one of us to hold our breath and critically evaluate our lives and actions alongside the ways and means we use to execute our plans and designs. We can pretend before fellow human beings but not before God. Let us take note of that. As we begin a new month today, the month of September, let us pray for God’s Wisdom and Knowledge to guide and direct us in all we say and do. May Saint Gregory the Great intercede for us. Stay blessed, and happy feast to all who bear the name Gregory.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, THURSDAY, ON THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT: ‘THE BAPTISM OF JESUS, THE WEDDING AT CANA, THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM, THE TRANSFIGURATION, AND THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST’. (WE PRAY FOR OPENNESS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, PRAY TO JESUS THROUGH MARY, FOR REPENTANCE AND TRUST IN GOD, THE DESIRE FOR HOLINESS, AND WE PRAY FOR THE SPIRIT OF ADORATION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “THROUGH CHRIST THE TEACHER, O LORD, INSTRUCT THOSE YOU FEED WITH CHRIST, THE LIVING BREAD, THAT ON THE FEAST DAY OF SAINT GREGORY THEY MAY LEARN THE TRUTH AND EXPRESS IT IN WORKS OF CHARITY. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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