A portion of a sermon from St. Gregory the Great...
"...I shall now, Brethren, relate to you something which has happened recently, and if from your heart you look upon yourselves as sinners, you will then love yet more the omnipotent mercy of God. In this very year, in my monastery, which is situated close to the church of the blessed martyrs John and Paul, a certain brother, turned to repentance, entered the monastery, was devoutly accepted, and became himself yet more devoutly changed in life. His brother followed him into the monastery: in the flesh, not in the spirit. For though detesting the monastic dress, and the monastic life, he remained in the monastery as a guest; and he was unable to discontinue living there, though he shunned the life of the monks, because he had neither occupation nor the means to live.
His evil conduct was a burthen to all; yet all endured him with patience out of love for his brother. And though he knew not what followed after this present life, yet, arrogant and uncertain, he scoffed if anyone wished to instruct him in this. And so, flippant in speech, restless in movement, empty in mind, disorderly in dress, dissipated in behaviour, he lived on in the monastery, but in the dispositions of the world.
During the month of July last, he was stricken down in that epidemic of the pestilence that you remember; and as he was approaching his end he was urged to put his soul in order. The power of life now remained only in his heart and in his tongue, his extremities were already dead. The brethren stood by him, helping him in his end by their prayers, as far as God permitted. Suddenly, beholding the demon coming to take possession of him, he began to cry out in a loud voice, "Look, I am delivered over to the dragon to be devoured; but he cannot devour me because of your presence. Why do you delay me? Go away that he may finish me!"
And when the brethren exhorted him to sign himself with the sign of the Cross, he answered as well as he was able: "I want to bless myself but I cannot, because I am held fast by the dragon: my throat is held in his jaws, and the foam of his mouth has smeared my face. Look! My arms are imprisoned by him who has my head in his jaws!"
While he was saying this, trembling, pale, and dying, the brethren began ever more earnestly to pray for him, to help by their intercession this man here tormented by the presence of an evil spirit. Then of a sudden he was delivered, and began to cry out aloud, "thanks be to God. See, he has gone, he has fled: the dragon who already had me in his grip, has fled before your prayers." There and then he vowed to serve God, and to become a monk; but from that moment until now he lies oppressed by fever and weakened by pain. He was truly snatched from death, yet not fully restored to life. For he is afflicted by tedious infirmities, and tormented with grievous weakness: the severe fire of purification burning away the hardness of his heart; for it has pleased divine Providence that prolonged illness shall cleanse him of even more prolonged habits of evil-doing.
Who would have believed that this man would have been preserved and converted? Who can fathom the so great depths of the mercy of God? An evil-living young man sees in death the evil spirit he has served in life [...] What tongue can speak of the bowels of the divine mercy? What soul is not awed at the richness of the divine kindness?"
"Unto thee, O my Helper, will I sing, for thou art God my defence; My God My mercy" (Ps. lviii. 18)
CALL TO ACTION: "Let us keep before our minds the evil we have done: and let us think of the great kindness with which we are suffered in patience; and let us consider what are the deep sources of the mercy of God, that not alone forgives our offences, but having forgiven our sins, promises an eternal kingdom to those that repent of evil-doing. And from the depths of every heart let us cry out, let us all together cry: My God my mercy."
Source: Quotes above from "The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers" (St. Gregory the Great's Sermon for Septuagesima Sunday -- on the Gospel, Volume I, page 383-385; Henry Regnery Company (copyright 1955); Imprimatur: Cornelius Ep. Corcagiensis; Nihil Obstat: Jacobus Canonicus Bastible, Censor Deputatus
Photo by Luis Feliciano