What is an interesting story about Pope Gregory?

Answer 1

Some legendary stories about St. Gregory

• St. Gregory and the Miraculous Mass: While saying mass one day, Pope Gregory became aware of a disbeliever and began to pray for a sign that would leave no doubt about the real presence of Christ in the Mass. Showing his stigmata and surrounded by instruments of his Passion, Christ materialized before the Pope. Gregory sees the vision first, gazing intently above as he spreads his hands in amazement.
• Visitation of the Archangel Michael: The bronze angel that one can see on top of Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome is linked to an ancient legend according to which, in 590, during a terrible plague in Rome, Pope St. Gregory led a procession with a miraculous image of the Madonna. Many of the sick, pressed by their faith, left their apartments so as to follow the religious event. As the procession arrived before Hadrian’s mausoleum – as Castel Sant’Angelo was then known – Pope Gregory had a vision of the archangel Michael putting his sword back in its sheath. The vision was immediately said to mean that the plague was over. And so it was. The statue of the angel was later raised on the top of the castle.
• Why we say "God bless you" to people when they sneeze: The custom of saying "God bless you" when someone has sneezed goes back to the days of Saint Gregory and the Roman plague. The dread disease always ended in a spasm of sneezing or yawning, and the holy Pontiff ordered that "God bless you" should be said to those who sneeze, and the blessing of the Sign of the Cross should be put on the mouths of those who yawned.
• St. Gregory and the Anglo-Saxons: Gregory, before he became pope, saw some Anglo-Saxon slaves for sale while passing through the Roman Forum. He asked about the race of the remarkable blond men and was told they were "Anglos." "Good", said the abbot, "they have the faces of angels, and should be coheirs with the angels in heaven. From what province do they come?" "From Deira." "Deira. Yea, they shall be saved from God's ire and called to the mercy of Christ. How is the king of that country named?" "Aella." "Then must Allelulia be sung in Aella's land." From that time, Gregory was determined to personally undertake the conversion of Britain and it is said, that this event later inspired him to send missionaries to England.
• The Dinner Guest: Jesus, to reward the charity of the pope's invitation of twelve poor men to dinner each day, joined them dressed as a pilgrim, revealing his divine identity during the dinner in the act of uncovering a dish.
• St. Gregory and the Holy Spirit: When Pope St. Gregory was dictating his homilies on Ezechiel, a curtain was drawn between his secretary and himself. As, the pope remained silent for long periods at a time, the servant made a hole in the curtain and, looking through, saw a dove seated upon Gregory's head with its beak between his lips. When the dove withdrew its beak the holy pontiff spoke and the secretary took down his words; but when he became silent the servant again applied his eye to the hole and saw the dove had replaced its beak between his lips.
• St. Gregory's Craving for Cherries: A strange thing happened one April 25, St. Mark's day: Pope Gregory the Great, frugal by nature and by vocation, was suddenly overwhelmed by a craving for cherries. History recounts that servants and gardeners were at a loss as the cherry trees, which grew in numbers along the hills of Trastevere, were only just in blossom. Fortunately, one gardener who was wandering the gardens in despair was visited by St. Mark in a cloud of fire. The saint asked him why he was in such a state. As soon as he heard the answer, he uttered a special blessing on a tree, and in a flash it was covered in fragrant, red fruit. As the story handed down through the centuries in Roman dialect recounts, the Pope wasted no time in wolfing down a bellyful. Since then, on St. Mark's feast day, the Pope usually enjoys a nice bowlful of cherries, out of not so much greed as devotion to the saint.
• The Regina Caeli: A lovely legend suggests that St. Gregory the Great heard the first three lines chanted by angels on Easter morning in Rome while walking barefoot in a procession. He was so inspired, the story goes, that he was moved to add the fourth line, “Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.”

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