1 Chronicles 25:1a,6-8
David and the officers of the army also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbals. They were all under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the order of the king. They and their kindred, who were trained in singing to the LORD, all of whom were skillful, numbered two hundred eighty-eight. And they cast lots for their duties, small and great, teacher and pupil alike.
Mark 10:42-45 (NRSV)
Jesus called his disciples and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
Blog Reflection
Today's commemoration of St. Gregory the Great is one that I cannot so easily dismiss. Even during Lent by which we have the option of omitting commemoration of Saints, because the Lenten weekday takes precedence. Being an Oblate of St. Benedict, and Gregory's contribution to Benedict's legacy by writing about him in Book II of the Dialogues, and being a musician who loves Gregorian Chant, I have to stop and write about him today.
My admiration of the Saint has nothing to do with how much I might disagree with his work that led to the idea of the Papacy being one of supreme authority in the Universal Church. A Saint is someone who has their share of vices, even while they may excel at virtue. Each individual in the Churches' history added as much woe as they did wisdom and hope. St. Gregory the Great is no exception.
If you have attended Mass and/or a celebration of the Holy Eucharist recently and prayed the Lord's Prayer after the Eucharistic Prayer, you have celebrated an accomplishment of St. Gregory the Great. Attention to the worship and music in the Church was one of Gregory's many passions and projects. If you have ever listened to any Psalm chanted in plain chant, it was Gregory the Great who put those chants and Psalms into an order to be used and referred to.
Gregory the Great also had a passion for Monastic Life. He was inspired by St. Benedict, and from his model began his own Monastic community. He sent his Prior St. Augustine to Canterbury to become the first Archbishop of Canterbury to spread the Gospel to the English people. It was the work of St. Augustine of Canterbury that gave so much life to the Church of England and the Anglican Communion to which the Benedictines made so many contributions to our worship, music and architecture.
The contributions and accomplishments of St. Gregory the Great would not be spelled out as well, if we did not mention his passion for the poor, disadvantaged and the marginalized. We have to be careful here, because in his short comings, he definitely did not contribute well to the history of the Church and their relationship to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Yet, his devotion to the Gospel to be a "servant of the servants of God" should speak to the Church of today about the importance of pursuing justice, inclusion and equality for LGBT and other persons marginalized in both the Church and society.
What might it mean to be a "servant of the servants of God" for us?
Jesus in today's Gospel reading from Mark tells us that to be considered a leader is to be a servant to others. Leadership and/or being in a place where what we say and do has such an important impact on others, gains its momentum by being a servant first and foremost. It comes from seeing a need and our readiness to serve that need so others can join us in speaking to it. Being a servant of the servants of God, recognizes that all of us are human with the potential to be wrong, while at the same time seeing the potential for something good to come out of even the worst of situations. That will happen, as we are willing to bend down and wash the feet of anyone who comes to us. Even someone with whom we disagree. That is no small order. That kind of thing takes a lot of humility.
Jesus is the example and model of humility. Jesus was not just some Joe Schmoe who happened to be a really good person. He was a great person. Jesus was God's perfect revelation of Self. God who had come among us as one like us in all things, but did not sin. Affected by our humanity with all it's prejudices such as the episode with the Canaanite Woman in Matthew 15: 21-28. Yet, even in that moment, Jesus does not "regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,,," (see Philippians 2: 6-7). Jesus seeks not what is his own will, nor what is ultimately best for himself, but what is the will of God and the good of the individual before him. At the Cross, Jesus regarded all of us as more important than even his own body and blood, by pouring himself out, from that amazing love that comes from God for all humankind. God redeems us through God's total giving of Self in the Person of Jesus Christ, in his Passion, Death and Resurrection.
This Lent we are challenged to be servants for the servants of God. We are given a model by St. Gregory the Great, and the ultimate example through Jesus Christ. As we make room for God within the silence of our hearts, it is crucial that we also make space there for the marginalized and destitute of society and the Church. We must challenge our leaders to seek not what is best for themselves in terms of free flowing political cash, or getting their name in front of someone else's. But, because the good of people who are different from them and us, needs to come to the fore front and be given the opportunity to uphold and move forward the dignity of all human beings.
How might we be called to be the servants of the servants of God?
Prayers
Almighty and merciful God, you raised up Gregory of Rome to be a servant of the servants of God, and inspired him to send missionaries to preach the Gospel to the English people: Preserve in your Church the catholic and apostolic faith they taught, that your people, being fruitful in every good work, may receive the crown of glory that never fades away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for St. Gregory the Great. Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, p. 269).
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have
made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and
make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily
lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission
and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen. (Collect for Ash Wednesday, Book of Common Prayer, p. 217).
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you
all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us
to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,
and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those
who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow
into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for
our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Poor and Neglected, Book of Common Prayer, p. 826).
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