Gospel in Art: Saint Gregory the Great, Pope, Doctor

The Mass of Saint Gregory the Great, by Adriaen Ysenbrandt, 1520, oil on panel © The Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 3 September 2025
Matthew 16:13-19

At that time: When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'

Reflection on the painting

Today we celebrate the feast of one of the great Fathers and Doctors of the Church: Saint Gregory the Great. A Benedictine monk, he became the first monk to ascend to the papacy, serving as pope (the 64th Bishop of Rome) from 3 September 590 until his death on 12 March 604. He was born into a wealthy and noble family. His father, Gordianus, was a senator and held high office in the city, and his mother, Silvia, is also honoured as a saint. From this patrician background Gregory received an excellent education, especially in law and administration, preparing him for a career in public service. By his early thirties he had already risen to become Prefect of Rome, the highest civil position in the city.

Yet despite his success, Gregory felt drawn to a life of prayer and simplicity. After his father's death, he gradually turned away from political ambitions. He converted his family's estates in Rome into monasteries, one of which was dedicated to Saint Andrew on the Caelian Hill, where he himself became a monk. This radical choice, of a senator's son turning into a humble Benedictine monk, shaped his spirituality and impacted people around Him.

Gregory is remembered as the "Father of Christian Worship" because of his reforms to the Roman liturgy, which shaped the life of the Church for centuries. Many of us know his name most readily through Gregorian chant, the style of sacred music associated with him, though historians debate how directly he influenced its composition. For this reason he is honoured as the patron saint of musicians, singers, teachers, and students.

The painting we are looking at today was painted around 1510 by Adriaen Ysenbrandt, a master of the Bruges painters' and saddle-makers' guild. It shows Saint Gregory the Great at Mass. Tradition tells us that while celebrating the Eucharist, Gregory was troubled by the presence of a man in the congregation who doubted the Real Presence of Christ. Gregory prayed for a sign to strengthen the man's faith. At the next Mass, his prayer was answered: above the altar Christ appeared as the Man of Sorrows, bearing the wounds of His Passion and surrounded by the instruments of His suffering. In Ysenbrandt's painting, Gregory is depicted as the first to recognise the vision. He kneels in awe, hands raised in a gesture mirroring Christ's own, while those gathered around him remain unaware of the miracle unfolding. Soon they will also notice the miracle unfolding before them.

Saint Gregory the Great - pray for us.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-16-13-19-2025-3/