Gregory the Greats Decisions and Contemplations

Gregory the Great on Action and Contemplation
Introduction
The first monk to become a pope was St. Gregory (+604) and all through his reign, he longed after the monastic lifestyle. Majorly due to his power and inspiration, Benedictine monasticism was transformed into "the conquering army of the Roman Church"[footnoteRef:1] according to Cayre. When it was needed, Gregory ordained monks as priests and even apostolic duties. In terms of spirituality, his lectures on the contemplative and active lifestyle, the levels of spiritual advancement and on contemplation are very significant. Much more than other Fathers of the Church, St. Gregory focused a large part of his writing on pastoral issues and particularly guidelines for pastors, the basic obligations for candidates aiming to become priests and the basic functions of an apostle as regards preaching. This paper specifically tackles the themes of action and contemplation and the ways these two works together and how they affect the job of monks and nuns based on the account of Gregory the great. [1: Fulbert Cayré, Manual of patrology and history of theology. (Vol. 2. Society of St. John the Evangelist, Desclée & Co., 1940).]
Contemplation and action
Within the initial five months Gregory reigned, he carried out two tasks which caused him to choose a position on this issue. The first was an assessment of his personal life while the second was the authoring of a book which turned out to be "the most widely read single text in the history of pastoral care" for thousands of succeeding years: the Rule of Pastoral Care. These two actions helped Gregory create a significant blend of the contemplative and active lives. The biblical reading which he referenced was the story of Leah and Rachel. The attractive Rachel represented the contemplative life (Gregory’s real first love) however she was bringing forth. However Leah, rather than Rachel, turned out to be the mother of a large number of the children. Another way to look at it is; Rachel represented “spirit” while Leah represented “flesh”. Christians often wrongly believe Paul’s writings say that the spirit was better and higher than the body/flesh, which is explained in spiritual terms as material or worldly things, however, Gregory quickly moved past this. He understood, instead, that "one moves not only through the flesh to reach the spirit; one must return back again to the carnal to become truly spiritual." Following the progression of the Bible story, “Jacob starts from Leah, achieves Rachel and then goes back to Leah – activity comes before contemplation, however contemplation has to be shown as a form of service to a person’s neighbors."[footnoteRef:2] [2: CHRIS ARMSTRONG, Spirituality for Busy People. Christian history, 2008. http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/november/spirituality-for-busy-people.html]
Gregory then came to a conclusion that two life modes are not really mutually exclusive which was the idea being taught by the church. Each one form helps the other form continuously forever: the active life is equipped by the contemplative life and it keeps us grounded and continuously showing love to neighbors. It equally prevents us from becoming spiritually proud and irrelevant. Even though all of us, living on Earth, have to experience the active life (reoriented by Leah), we might look forward to the contemplative life (represented by Rachel)[footnoteRef:3]. If anyone has any form of doubts about this, he/she only needs to examine the life of the great example of the agreement between contemplation and service: Christ, in the flesh. [3: Ibid]
Out of these two lives, the active form is important for salvation according to St. Gregory, as it is impossible to save any man who doesn’t have good works; however, the theological qualities are essential for accomplishment. Thus, Gregory’s differentiation of the active life as that of the moral qualities and the contemplative life as that of the theological qualities needs to be accepted based on the fact that for the latter form, the theological qualities are much more obviously seen. Out of both lives, according to St. Gregory, "the contemplative life is greater in merit than the active . . . . Although the active life is good, the contemplative is better."[footnoteRef:4] [4: Jordan Aumann, “Chapter 4: MONASTICISM IN THE WEST” in Christian spirituality in the Catholic tradition. (Ignatius Press, 1985) 64.]
Implications to nuns and monks
Despite the vagueness of the terms applied in designating the different categories of Christians – monks, laity, nuns and priests – the differences stated by St. Isidore of Seville and St. Gregory the Great were still followed. Both life states remained in line with its personal identity and gradually, each one developed a proper and relevant spirituality. Therefore, two categories of the laity existed: the more devoted Christians and the ordinary faithful. The ordinary faithful, whose kind of Christian life was categorized by Bede[footnoteRef:5] as vita popularis, got a basic command as regards the roles of Christians before their baptism; they received a special marriage preparation procedure, which emphasized the purpose and non-breakability of marriage and the function of fidelity; all other forms of religious developments were received from the normal clergy preaching. However, their understanding of faith was generally basic and several of them happened to be very attracted to the phenomena of magic, preternatural or occult and superstition. [5: Ibid, at 65]
As the life of a Christian should follow that of Christ, the contemplative lifestyle is achievable for every man in whatever condition or state. Even Christ, according to St. Gregory, gave instances of both active and contemplative lives within his personal being, “"he gave his faithful ones an example not to neglect the care of their neighbors through love of contemplation, nor again to abandon contemplative pursuits by being too immoderately engaged in the care of their neighbors."[footnoteRef:6] Inasmuch as St. Gregory understood the problems involved in properly balancing both forms of activity, he admonished preachers to continue rendering services to others due to their dedication to contemplation. He also enjoined them not to abandon contemplation due to their association with the apostolic duties. [6: Ibid, at 64]

St. Gregory didn’t, for once; forget the truth that the principle of charity exists is in two folds and thus the contemplative action that promotes fellowship with God shouldn’t ever be totally excluded from the apostolate which gives service to a person’s neighbor. In fact, the active life prepares one for the other form; the contemplative life, and in the same vein; it is also affected by the contemplative life. The Christian therefore needs to be "able to pass to the contemplative life and yet not abandon the active life .... And he who arrives at contemplation does not abandon the activity of good works whereby he is able to be of use to others."[footnoteRef:7] Even though just a few people actually reach contemplation, it is available to everyone naturally. [7: Ibid]

The experience of contemplation isn’t reserved for the highest while the lowest are snubbed, rather, most times, the highest and the most humble, those who are no longer in this world and sometimes the married ones, receive it. Thus, if truly, there isn’t any form of life within the faithful ones which doesn’t have full access to the contemplation grace, then anybody that protects his/her heart might enjoy the contemplation light, so that nobody can feel proud of this grace like it is extraordinary[footnoteRef:8]. It isn’t just the eminent and high persons within the Holy Church who possess the contemplation grace, but rather, most times, certain members who through pure desire are already climbing the heights but occupy low positions in reality, get this gift. [8: Roberta Gilchrist, Contemplation and Action: the other monasticism. (Leicester: Leicester University Press, 1995).]

St. Gregory believes man and God are the two different terms which are brought together by the salvation of man via Christ and through the Holy Spirit. Man can negotiate the road to God that ends at contemplative prayer with the help of God’s grace and his own severe practices. On this “way of salvation”, Christ serves as the Redeemer, Mediator, Intercessor and Model and thus, St. Gregory admonishes every Christian to study Christ’s mysteries, as regards both his divinity and his humanity, his pain and torment and his glory. However, the function of the salvation of man is made perfect via the Holy Spirit, whom was sent by Christ after his ascension to the Father. The Spirit works within man via his seven-phased gifts and he is the standard excellent gift. Whenever the Holy Spirit influences the soul via its gifts during which man is successfully taken out of fear and into wisdom, the soul gets equipped to enjoy fellowship with God via contemplation.
Leclercq[footnoteRef:9] enumerates specific factors which add to the togetherness of a Christian life all through this period. First, the monasticism and the Roman Church upheld a united Christian heritage which could be provided to ethnicities which have no solid traditional culture that needs to be jettisoned and replaced with Christianity. Secondly, the literary basis which drove this massive evangelization was less varied and abundant in comparison to other times. There were writings of a peculiar form, with admonishments on asceticism, the habit of prayer and Christian qualities, however, a large percent of them carried the sign of the lessons by St. Gregory the Great. Even both Bede the Venerable and St. Isidore of Seville, the two major and popular authors living within this period were very grateful to St. Gregory the Great[footnoteRef:10]. [9: Jean Leclercq, François Vandenbroucke, and Louis Bouyer. The spirituality of the Middle Ages. (Desclee Company, 1968).] [10: Aumann, “MONASTICISM IN THE WEST” 65]

As regards prayer and ascetical practices, we have to take into consideration these new happenings during this period. The harsh asceticism adopted by the ancient hermits and monks, which was particularly preserved by the monks, eventually got replaced by the asceticism of manual labor and service to neighbors. The visceral practices of mercy were proposed by the church’s bishops as appropriate indications of asceticism and Christian love. Despite this, the people who committed themselves to these practices still remained greatly motivated by the dread of the final judgment and the spirit of penance. Their prayer life during this time still remained joint and liturgical[footnoteRef:11]. For every category of Christians, their spiritual life got empowered by the reading of Scripture, the Mass, homilies, the sermons and teachings of the Fathers of the Church and the Divine Office. [11: Ibid]




References
ARMSTRONG, CHRIS. Spirituality for Busy People. Christian history, 2008. http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/november/spirituality-for-busy-people.html (accessed 29 September 2017).
Aumann, Jordan. “Chapter 4: MONASTICISM IN THE WEST” in Christian spirituality in the Catholic tradition. Ignatius Press, 1985.
Cayré, Fulbert. Manual of patrology and history of theology. Vol. 2. Society of St. John the Evangelist, Desclée & Co., 1940.
Gilchrist, Roberta. Contemplation and Action: the other monasticism. Leicester: Leicester University Press, 1995.
Leclercq, Jean, François Vandenbroucke, and Louis Bouyer. The spirituality of the Middle Ages. Desclee Company, 1968.