PODCAzT 85: Gregory the Great on the Good Shepherd

In this brief PODCAzT I drill into an excerpt from a sermon by St. Pope Gregory I, “the Great” (+604).

What we hear from Gregory’s sermon is found in today’s Office of Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours for this 4th Sunday of Easter, nicknamed Good Shepherd Sunday.  In the older, traditional Roman calendar, the second Sunday after Easter, that is a week after the Octave, is Good Shepherd Sunday, because of the Gospel on that day from John 10.  In the newer, traditional calendar, Good Shepherd Sunday is the 4th Sunday of Easter, three weeks after Easter.

Gregory’s s. 14 was preached on the Second Sunday after Easter in the Constantinian Basilica of St. Peter on the Vatican Hill.  The same Gospel had been read in the ancient Roman order of Mass formularies since his time.

Tinker, tinker.

The Successor of Peter teaches us on this Good Shepherd Sunday to stir ourselves… to rekindle our faith and our longing.  We must be determined to reach our destination.

The core message of the Good news is that Christ won for us citizenship as sons and daughters of God in the Kingdom of Heaven.  But we can lose that gift by our lack of determination and action based on conviction and Faith.


http://www.wdtprs.com/podcazt/09_05_03.mp3

John 10, 11-18:

Jesus said:
“I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father.”

084 09-04-30 St. Pius V and Quo primum
083 09-04-19 St. Augustine on the challenge of remaining faithful
082 09-03-19 St. Joseph: a hymn dissected & sermon of Bernardine of Siena

On Gregory the Great:

046 07-10-08 Gregory the Great on when pastors should SPEAK UP; priests and getting your way
032 07-05-28 Gregory the Great on Job; rubrics; sacred music

 

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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7 Comments

  1. Alina ofs says:

    Thank you so much for your podcasts! There an enlightment for me!

  2. Paul Knight says:

    Thak you, Father. I always look forward to your podcasts.

  3. Cassandra says:

    Fr. Zuhlsdorf,

    I was listening to your podcast 32 where you mentioned the new Compendio di liturgia pratica speaking about how women can only be allowed to sing under “grave circumstances.” I found it rather shocking that you didn’t know why that is since you made a point of how sacred music is so important to you as part of your conversion. Your comments (and tone) suggested you thought this was merely misogynist thinking on the part of the Church. [I think you might not know much about what I know about the topic. Nor is this an entry about PODCAzT 32. With that in mind, I will edit out the rest of the comment so as to close this as a rabbit hole always needs to be closed. o{]:¬) ]

  4. Cassandra says:

    Fr. Zuhlsdorf,

    Well, that’s really cheap. You were the one who put a link to #32 in this post and then a comment on that is out of topic? Geez! That was from 2007. I’m supposed to post there?!

    [I think you might not know much about what I know about the topic.]

    Fair enough. All I have to go on is what you actually said and how. Thus my comment “suggested you thought” is also quite fair. If you’d care to elaborate, I’m all rabbit ears.

    You do, however, in justice to the Church owe some correction to how you commented in #32, although it wouldn’t have to be here. I at least provided magisterial backup for my comments (edited out by you).

  5. Cassandra says:

    Fr. Zuhldorf,

    I guess I would add that my comments weren’t really out of topic! This is about the Good Shepherd who doesn’t run away from the wolves like the hireling. Women assuming liturgical offices is all about shepherds of the Church not protecting the flock from liturgical abuses because of fear of personal criticism. (Attack from the she-wolves).

    So……are you running or staying to defend the flock? [Fatuity. I don’t have time for this. Goodbye.]

  6. Immaculatae says:

    Thank you,Father Z, for another great podcast.

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