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 III attacked the veneration of holy images. Because Leo III 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 III. 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 III 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
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Pope St. Gregory the third, I was simply smiling when reading about your life and the calm, collected way you stood for what is true, right and just. You are our example of how to think, speak and act in tricky circumstances. Please give us complete trust in God. Give us patience and wisdom. Through you we have the wonderful images, icons, and statues adorning our Catholic Churches.....a glimpse of Heaven I would say...so edifying...helps us to pray. Amen.
Pope St. Gregory the third, I was simply smiling when reading about your life and the calm, collected way you stood for what is true, right and just. You are our example of how to think, speak and act in tricky circumstances. Please give us complete trust in God. Give us patience and wisdom. Through you we have the wonderful images, icons, and statues adorning our Catholic Churches.....a glimpse of Heaven I would say...so edifying...helps us to pray. Amen.
very interesting
Dear Pope St. Gregory III, As the supreme pontiff and Vicar of Jesus Christ, You knew very well when to dig in your heels and take a stand for the Church. Please pray for us to gain clarity of thought, word and deed, so as to seek God's will in all that we do.
I am interested in BIble and higiography because I want to know what the faith is, how people have dealt with God. Bible and higiography give me hints how I should live everyday. Therefore I am learning Bible and higiography in this site everyday. But St. Paul says it is the most important to believe in God by faith through love, especially through Jesus Christ.
i read the same damn article on another website! :( None learned.
this is great! in college, I had to do a report about pope gregory 111. All of the other sources I read were very overwhelming, but this source is great. Thanks a millon!
There are so many times that my prayers were not granted as I had wished, but I reallized in the end that God did what is best for me. Now, everytime when I;m in doubt and not sure of what I should do I always ask the Lord make things right for me.
This message is very important in my life, as my family is going through so many changes that it is hard to stand still and let God work through us and for us. Thank you for the wisdom!
This is by far the best article I've read regarding a saint on this site.
Very helpful! it could have been more helpful if it stated when he was ordained a saint! tnx Renald
Great example to us all!