Today's Saint (March 12): Gregory the Great
As Pope, Gregory is best known for the conversion of England and for enriching and codifying liturgical worship and music.
He is also one of the Doctors of the Church.
Born the son of a Roman senator in 540, he used his personal wealth to begin six Benedictine monasteries in Sicily and one in Rome.
His ascetic practices helped him remain focused on Christ.
"Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: he hath great delight in his commandments." (The day's tract, page E 37, The People's Anglican Missal).
The accompanying picture is by the Italian artist Carlo Saranceni (c. 1610), and is in the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in Rome, Italy.
Books Worth Considering
The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
The 33 Doctors Of The Church
Saints & Sinners: A History of the Popes; 3rd Edition
The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (Oxford Paperback Reference)