Today the Saintly Sixteen continues as Gregory the Great faces Philip, Deacon and Evangelist. Who will emerge the greatest of these two? That's for you to determine over the next 24 hours.
Yesterday, in a tight battle, Elizabeth of Hungry took down Mechthild of Magdeburg 53% to 43% to advance to the Elate Eight.
And in case you missed yesterday's stellar edition of Monday Madness, you can watch it here.
Vote now!
Gregory the Great
It is all too common for those with great authority to fall short of the profound trust given to them. In fraught centuries following Christianity’s legalization as the religion of the Roman Empire, when power would could be exchanged just as transactionally as in any age, it is a testament to the character of Gregory the Great that he held with dignity the trust given to him as Bishop of Rome.
Gregory’s Book of Pastoral Rule is among Gregory’s most lasting works. A guide for the clergy entrusted with spiritual care of the faithful, it remains one of the anchoring texts on pastoral ministry, even centuries later. “The care of feeding is a testimony of love,” Gregory writes, so clergy must “meditate diligently and every day on the precepts of the Word.” When doing so, they are cautioned against egotism and self-centeredness: “No one does more harm in the Church,” Gregory writes, “than he who has the title or rank of holiness and acts perversely” he writes. To do so is to damage their own soul: “Those who do not speak the words of God with humility must be advised that when they apply medicine to the sick, they must first inspect the poison of their own infection, or else by attempting to heal others, they kill themselves.”
Gregory is also remembered for sending Augustine of Canterbury to evangelize in England. One commonly held tale, recounted by the Venerable Bede, says that Gregory first encountered English boys at a slave market near Rome. “They are not Angles,” is reputed to have remarked “Non Angli, sed angeli” - “they are not Angles, but angels… and they ought to be co-heirs with the angels in heaven.” Indeed, it wasn’t simply the Angles for whom Gregory showed great care – a defining feature of his papacy was intervention on behalf of the poor and outcast: “I have frequently charged you,” he writes in one letter, “to act as my representative… to relieve the poor in their distress.”
As with all the saints, Gregory’s center was in Holy Scripture, which tells the story of Jesus and the love of God. In finding himself in that story, Gregory remarks that “Holy Scripture presents a kind of mirror to the eyes of the mind, so that our inner face may be seen in it. There we learn our own ugliness, and there our own beauty.” The beauty of a transformed life for himself and for others was the beating heart of Gregory’s ministry, and the reason we remember him well today.
Philip, Deacon and Evangelist
The book of Acts tells us that the gospel will be proclaimed “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Philip, deacon and evangelist, leads this worldwide spread of the good news.
As the church is growing in Jerusalem, the evangelistic work of the Apostles comes under threat. They need people “of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3) to help distribute food to widows. Philip is nominated, along with six others, and the apostles commission him and the others to care for some of the most vulnerable in their community.
A couple chapters later, when Acts begins to describe the spread of the gospel outside of Judea, it is not the apostles who take the first brave step into Samaria, but it is Philip. He comes to Samaria with bold proclamation and signs–casting out demons and healing those who are paralyzed (see Acts 8:5-8). His message is received with “great joy” (Acts 8:8), even by the notorious magician, Simon Magus. Simon becomes one of Philip’s closest companions, continually filled with awe at the miracles that take place (Acts 8:13).
Once his work is fulfilled in Samaria, an angel directs him to go south to the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza. Philip, faithful evangelist that he is, obeys immediately and encounters an Ethiopian eunuch who is also a powerful official in the court of the queen of Ethiopia (modern day Sudan). This proclamation now begins to reach “the ends of the earth” (well before Peter’s famous encounter with Cornelius).
The eunuch is not only from the margins geographically. In spite of his powerful position, he is also marginalized from the religious community–according to Deuteronomy, eunuchs were not allowed full participation in the people of God (but see also Isaiah 56:3-5). You can imagine the eunuch’s interest in the passage from Isaiah about another marginalized man who had been treated unjustly (see Acts 8:32-33). Philip, in his wisdom, explains the good news about Jesus, and the eunuch asks to be baptized immediately. Philip obliges and as the eunuch rises out of the water, Philip is whisked away.
We last hear of Philip in Acts 21 when Paul has decided to return to Jerusalem. On his way he stays with Philip in Caesarea. Here we are introduced to Philip’s virgin daughters, who also have the gift of prophecy. These daughters are mentioned often in early Christian literature. Eusebius, the church historian, recounts how they spent time with Papias (an important bridge between the apostolic and post-apostolic church) and told him about the miraculous acts of God that they witnessed.
Philip was truly a deacon and evangelist – serving those on the margins and most in need and proclaiming the gospel near and far with wisdom and power.
70 comments on “Gregory the Great vs. Philip, Deacon and Evangelist”
I honor of the Deacons, my vote goes to Philip
OK, I am really disappointed and puzzled. Elizabeth beat Mechthild, when what seems like 90% of the comments were in passionate support of Mechthild -- including her endorsement by the author of Elizabeth's write-up? Does anyone even read the comments besides those of us who like to do a bit more reading and read others' thoughts and share our 2 cents? If you don't, you're missing out on one of the most thought-provoking and entertaining features of Lent Madness!
I did not receive the email today, and it is not in spam either. Odd, because today it "get out the vote" day in parts of Florida.
Cheers for the high quality blogs this year, as well as for the great work of the expanded SEC! You get a halo, and you get a halo; and you get a halo...
I havent recieved my email to vote today. IS this some sort of April Fool's Day
When you don't have a post, you can always click on the list of recent posts at the upper right. They are identified by date there, so you can find a new one or review an earlier round as you contemplate your choice each day.
It is get-out-the-vote day in Wisconsin and Florida! I think there was massive voter fraud yesterday in Lent Madness, but I have no proof, just alternative facts & feelings. Today was an eenie meenie minnie moe vote as neither of the candidates had been my first choice. The deacon won my vote. I still have some dogs in this race, but honestly, most of my favs are already out. I agree about reading the comments. I am deeply inspired by what many have written regarding their choices.
I am trying to reply to poet potter priest but can. Don know why. At any rate I voted yesterday for Elizabeth of Hungary. I did not comment and noted with some disappointment that most of the comments were about Mechthild. I assumed she would win. I was surprised this morning to find she had indeed won. I agree it is great to read the comments but sometimes I really don’t have much to add. This morning I am voting for Philip who was, as the Deacon is, the doer, the one who got things done, while Gregory seems to be the one that got others motivated to do. Also an important aspect of ministry, but sometimes you just have to get in there and work.
Both are very much worthy of advancing to the next step. Both were known to call and minister to the "other" - the marginalized.
“No one does more harm in the Church,” Gregory writes, “than he who has the title or rank of holiness and acts perversely”
However, Gregory addresses a pet peeve of mine. He exhorts Christians, especially those in authority, to not use their position to take advantage of others and to drive people away from the church. His book, Book of Pastoral Rule, sets the standard for how clergy, and us, need to be the humble face of Christ to the world.
I know too many people who have been driven away from Christ's love and the church by their actions. It saddens me.
I voted for Gregory today for the wise use of power, and compassion for the unpriviledged.
I read the comments every day, usually several times over the course of the day to get the newer ones as well. I wish the Reply function could be fixed; the back-and-forth of comments has always been one of the real pleasures of Lent Madness until this year. But I seldom read the comments before voting, preferring to make my own selection first.
Today I sat down with an attitude of "I don't even have to read the write-ups today" as I was sure I would vote for Philip. I'm glad I did go ahead and read them, however, as the quotes David Sibley chose today completely changed my mind and I ended up voting for Gregory!
How about if next year the word "virgin" is banned from the writeups. As if that could have been the only characteristic that adequately described Philip's daughters! Since the SEC decreed right from the start that Mary (mother of Christ) was not eligible, presumably because few people would dare to vote for her opponent, we really don't need that particular noun/adjective to portray people.
I did not get an email for today's bracket selection. I too was surprised at yesterday's winner.
Not in my email today, is this a cruel April Fools joke? Found it through your website so I could vote
I join others in being surprised by yesterday’s results. I appreciate the work of both candidates today. But the story of Philip’s interaction with the Ethiopian eunuch feels important in today’s times. Who is welcome in our faith communities? How do we ensure that those “at the margins” know that God’s love extends far and wide and deep even when earthly civil rights are under siege.
I have not received my email with the ballot to vote in Lent Madness. This same thing happened a little over a week ago. I live in Washington state. Can someone look into why I am not receiving the email?
Thanks.
We also didn’t receive our morning Lent Madness email! But we just decided it was April 1, and April Fools joke, and “googled” Lent Madness. You have to be resourceful in today’s world of “fake news”. I have always appreciated all of you who bother to post a comment as I’ve learned so much from your opinions and perspectives. That said, Gregory won my vote with David Sibley’s first sentence in his writing about those in authority. We are living that untrustworthiness today…
Can't vote for Gregory when he smeared Mary Magdalene's good name.
I didn’t know about Gregory’s "Book of Pastoral Rule"—thank you, David Sibley and Lent Madness! Though I’ve been a Gregory fan ever since I came across his letter to Abbot Mellitus and, by extension, Augustine, as the Abbot was about to set out to join Augustine in England on missionary work.
Gregory advises Mellitus and Augustine that the Brits’ pagan temples and festivals should not be torn down and abolished but gently repurposed. “If [the people] are not deprived of all exterior joys, they will more easily taste the interior ones. For surely it is impossible to efface all at once everything from their strong minds, just as, when one wishes to reach the top of a mountain, he must climb by stages and step by step, not by leaps and bounds....” This shows both respect for the indigenous culture and a compassionate and wise understanding of human nature. (Would that these standards had more commonly persisted....) It’s one reason I cherish the Xmas customs that have pagan roots!
My vote this morning went to Gregory. Mainly because of his Book of Pastoral Rule (dicta much needed in this age of lust for power/greed/Christian Nationalism/marginalization/disregard for human rights), and also because he sent Augustine to Canterbury to bring the gospel to the sixth century English...and that's where the Anglican/Episcopalian Church has its roots. Go Gregory!
Another day of not receiving the email. Of course I can find the post online but I like to know that all is well with my record of participation.
No Lent Madness email today, so I voted via the website. The decisions just get harder. I, too, am surprised at yesterday's results.
For those who don't get your email, just go to Lent Madness and read it there. That's what I do if if I don't get my e-mail.
I too failed to receive a Lent Madness e-mail this morning. Just thought you should know.
I haven't received today's email either - haven't checked my home email yet, though. (FYI - I don't vote on that one because it would kind of be like cheating - voting here for the church (I'm the secretary) and home as me - so I just vote on the link from church.
Second time no emails. Strange.
Both Davids are compelling competitors today, but I gave the nod to David Sibley and voted for Gregory the Great. And if the little white balls ever stop rotating, my vote will be recorded! I have always found the story of the Angles/ angels pun charming even as I recoil at the thought of slave markets. Today’s slave markets are kept out of sight: foreign prisons in Guantanamo and El Salvador where we put brown-ish people with tattoos of their favorite soccer team and not little white English boys, although they are next. I like the reminder to people in power to act justly and not seek fascism-porn photo opps of themselves in front of cages with half-naked men while they mock with botoxed, fillered balloon faces and arms festooned with $50,000 gold Rolexes. Shameful. Empire never knows how to behave. Gregory had words: “Have some dignity “ and “don’t be perverse.” If only empire listened to the saints.
No email today. What gives???
Inspiring though Gregory's words are, I struggle to get past the damage he has done to Mary Magdalene's reputation. I happily cast my vote for Philip, for the Ethiopian eunuch, and for the people of Gaza, thankful that Pope Francis speaks to the Christian community in Gaza almost everyday..
In a tough choice, I voted for Gregory who, not seeking power had it thrust upon him, and yet from that position of power acted justly and compassionately. Would that all those in power today followed his example!