Forty Gospel Conversations

“Forty Discourses on the Gospels” delivered by St. Gregory the Great (Dvoeslovo) during Sunday and holiday services in 590-591. Subsequently, the conversations were edited and published by the author. The work is evidence of the existence at that time in Rome of an established harmonious system of gospel readings. The conversations are a collection of spiritual instructions and interpretations of the Gospel texts. St. Gregory explains key themes, revealing their deep spiritual meaning and applicability to the life of a Christian. He tries to clarify the inconsistencies in the text that inevitably arise when two different evangelists narrate the same episode. The saint combines theological wisdom with simplicity and clarity of presentation, making the Gospel accessible to all believers. His conversations touch on the topics of repentance, mercy, humility, struggle with passions, acquisition of virtues, etc. Several sermons are devoted to the Second Coming of Christ, the Last Judgment and the need to prepare for eternity. For example, in Conversation 1 (on Luke 21:25-32), the saint examines the words of Christ about signs before the end of times (confusion of nations, horror, the powers of heaven will be shaken). He explains that these events should not frighten Christians, but encourage them to spiritual wakefulness, repentance and firm faith. Particular attention is paid to the role of pastors in instructing their flock. In Discourse 14 (on John 10:11-16) St. Gregory examines the parable of the Good Shepherd. He draws a parallel with the responsibilities of the clergy: the pastor must be an example of patience, love and selflessness. The saint also speaks of the unity of the flock of Christ, into which all nations are called to enter. *The title of the work in Latin is Homiliae in Evangelia. To Secundinus, Bishop of Tauromenites To the most venerable and most holy brother, Bishop Secundinus, Gregory, servant of the servants of God. Between the celebrations of the Liturgy, I explained forty readings from the Gospel, from among those that on certain days, according to custom, are read in our Church. The explanation of some of them was read to the people ahead by the scribe, and the explanation of others before the people I spoke myself; and in the latter case it is written as I said. But some brethren, flaming with zeal for the sacred word, conveyed to others what I said, before I had time to carefully correct what was said as I intended. I would call these brothers in some respects similar to hungry people who impatiently want to eat food before it is completely cooked. The same place of Scripture: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4.1), although before I explained it with some doubt, however, later I corrected the doubt with a precise explanation. I took care to write these very conversations in the order in which they were said, in two books, so that the first twenty, which were written from my words, and the last, the same number, which were said by me, were divided into separate books. Regarding the fact that I offered something else before, while the Evangelist wrote it after, and something else was offered after, while the Evangelist wrote it before, your brotherly love should not worry at all, because the conversations, as they were said by me at different times, were copied in this order into books by those who wrote from my words. So, if your brotherly love, always attentive to the sacred readings, found the above-mentioned passage from the Gospel interpreted doubtfully, or these same conversations were arranged differently from what I said above, then know that these are uncorrected conversations, and correct them according to those that I took care to forward to you through the present messenger, and do not in any way allow them to remain uncorrected. The authentic ones (my conversations) are kept in the book depository of our Holy Church so that those who live far from your brotherly love can find them here and can be convinced of the corrections I have made. You might be interested in: