Saint of the Day December 10, 2002
Pope Saint Gregory III
He was just standing there, not doing anything
special. As a Syrian priest he must have felt a little
out of place among the Roman people mourning that day
for the dead Pope. As a good preacher, he must have
wanted to speak to the funeral procession about
Christ's promise of resurrection. As a learned man, he
must have wondered who would follow the holy Saint
Gregory II as Pope and where he would take the Church.
As a holy man, he must have been praying for Gregory
II and for all the people around him to find their
place after death in God's arms. But he was just one
of the crowd.
Not to God. And not to the people who recognized the
well-known holy man in their midst. Right in the
middle of the funeral procession they singled him out.
They swept him away and clamored for him to be named
the next bishop of Rome. Then suddenly, unexpectedly,
without his even lifting a finger, his whole life
changed and he could no longer just stand there and do
nothing.
After he was proclaimed Pope Gregory III, Emperor Leo
II attacked the veneration of holy images. Because Leo
II thought the honor paid to Jesus, Mary, and the
saints by keeping statues and icons was idolatry, he
condemned them and wanted them destroyed. Gregory III
didn't just stand there but immediately sent a letter
to Leo II. He couldn't get the letter through because
the priest-messenger was afraid to deliver it. So
instead, Gregory called a synod that approved strong
measures against anyone who would try to destroy
images of Jesus, Mary, or the saints.
Gregory took his stand and Leo II apparently thought
the only way to move him was through physical force.
So Leo sent ships to kidnap Gregory and bring him to
Constantinople. Many people in Rome must have tried to
get Gregory to move -- but he just stood there. And
once again God intervened. A storm destroyed Leo's
ships. The only thing Leo could do was capture some of
the papal lands.
So Leo got a few acres of land and we kept our
wonderful reminders of the love of God, the protection
of Jesus, the prayers of Mary, and the examples of the
saints. All because Gregory knew when to take a stand
-- and when to stand there and let God work.
Gregory III was Pope from 731-741.
In His Footsteps: Where in your life do you need to
take a stand? Take a stand: The next time you here
someone say something that indicates religious,
racial, gender, or any other kind of prejudice, take a
stand and make it clear that such prejudice is not
tolerated by God or God's people.
Prayer: Saint Gregory III, it's hard to stand still
and wait for God to do his work. Sometimes I doubt
God's providence. I'm afraid that God's plan won't
work out unless I push it along. Help me, when I'm
confused, to stop, pray, and wait for God. Amen
====================
love n prayers,
Joseachayan / Jeddah
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