Brothers and sisters: Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God . . . . (1 Cor 3:18-19)
The honorific “great” is seldom given to popes. What may seem “great” in one particular moment of time, may not appear that “great” in another. As Saint Paul admonishes the Community at Corinth: “the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God.” Only with the passing of CENTURIES does the church get a truer picture of what greatness means (and therefore, no "santo subido" nor "magno subido.") In the VI century, the parents of Gregory died and left him the family home in Rome. He turned it into a monastery for himself. Every day he would go out on the streets of Rome and bring in twelve poor people, sit them at his table, and feed them. So when the pope died, the people of Rome acclaimed Gregory. They asked him what he wanted to do as pope, and Gregory said that he wanted to be the “servant of the servants of God” (servus servorum Dei). To this day, it is the most treasured title of the Bishop of Rome. And now, after the passing of many centuries, Saint Gregory is truly “great.”
