The performance of our ministry

Treasures of Our Faith with Deacon Richard Vehige

On Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the beginning of the letter of the apostle Paul to Timothy (5:11-21) entitled “The final exhortation”. Our treasure, which follows, is from a homily on the Gospels by Saint Gregory the Great, pope.

Saint Gregory the Great was born at Rome around the year 540. He rose through various public offices to the prefecture which he renounced. He entered the monastic life and, once ordained deacon, he discharged the duties of the legate at Constantinople. On September 3, 590 he was elevated to the Chair of Saint Peter and he proved to be a true shepherd by carrying out his office, helping the poor, spreading and strengthening the faith. He died on March 12, 604.

Pope Gregory wrote extensively on moral and theological subjects. During his lifetime, he penned over 800 letters and authored accounts of the lives of the saints and other religious works. Using simple words to preach to the nobles and common people of Rome, Gregory employed metaphors, analogies, stories, and images to answer basic questions of faith and morals. He is known for instituting the first recorded large-scale mission of Rome, the Gregorian mission, to convert the then largely pagan Anglo-Saxons to Christianity,

The First Letter of Paul to Timothy insists on the need to shun unorthodox teachings and dangerous speculations and reiterates the qualities expected of bishops and deacons. Paul encouraged Timothy and offered strength to help him carry on after Paul’s impending death. Paul was aware that his time was short, and he desired to see Timothy, whom Paul figuratively called “my dearly beloved son”.