in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit amen peace be with you and with your spirit welcome welcome to mass here at st patrick's cathedral those within this magnificent church and those who unite with us at home on radio and television that we might offer this holy sacrifice of the mass the more worldly we call to mind our sins and ask for the mercy of jesus may almighty god have mercy on us forgive the saar sins and bring us to life everlasting amen great we pray with the spirit of wisdom those to whom you have given authority to govern that the flourishing of the holy flock may become the eternal joy of the shepherds through our lord jesus christ your son who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the holy spirit one god forever and ever amen a reading from the st letter of st paul to the thessalonians concerning times and seasons brothers and sisters you have no need for anything to be written to you for you yourselves know very well that the day of the lord will come like a thief at night when people are saying peace and security then sudden disaster comes upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman and they will not escape but you brothers and sisters are not in darkness for that day to overtake you like a thief for all of you are children of the light and children of the day we are not of the night or of darkness therefore let us not sleep as the rest do but let us stay alert and sober for god did not just in us for wrath but to gain salvation through our lord jesus christ who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him therefore encourage one another and build one another up as indeed you do the word of the living i believe that i shall see the bounty of the lord in the land of the living wait for the lord with courage be stout hearted and wait for the lord i believe that i shall see the good things of the lord in the land of lord be with you and with your spirit reading from the holy gospel according to the lord you lord jesus went down to capernaum the town of galilee he taught them on the sabbath and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority in the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon and he cried out in a loud voice what have you to do with us  nazareth have you come to destroy us i know who you are the holy one of god jesus rebuked him and said be quiet come out of him in the demon through the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm they were all amazed in situ one another what is their bows his words with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out in news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region the gospel of the boy priest to lord jesus christ earlier this morning  not a very good leader i was better off being a monk i make some bad decisions i'm not a good example for my people i find myself not praying enough i find myself not leading the kind of life that i know jesus wants me to i'm worried i'm worried that i'm just not the good shepherd that the church needs now this is strange because it comes from the man whom we call saint gregory the great it comes from a man who is a doctor of the church it comes from a man who was a saint he comes from a man whom some historians consider one of the greatest pontiffs in the history of the church and yet he meant it he meant it i thought of that because we who have leadership in the church today like st gregory find ourselves often saying that we're very much aware of our flaws our sins are mistakes if we weren't aware of it all we have to do is turn on the radio or the t v or look at the newspaper and we will be reminded c you're aware of it you're where the mistakes the flaws the sins of men who are supposed to be shepherds in the church but at the end of that reading saint puts a greater the great simply says well all i can do is count on the mercy and grace of jesus christ to supply what i lack why don't we all say that and mean that early church grant our supplication we pray oh lord that this sacrifice we present in celebration of pope st gregory the great may be for our good since through its offering you have loosed the offenses of all the salvation always and everywhere to give you thanks lard heavenly father almighty internal god through christ our lord for his on this feast of hope saying craig or the great you big your church tree joyce so to you strengthen her by the example of his holy life teach her by his words of preaching and keep her safe in answer to his prayers so with the company of angels and saints in heaven we sing the hymn of your praises without end therefore as we celebrate this memorial of his death and resurrection we offer you lord the bread of life from the chalice of salvation giving thanks it you've held us worthy to be in your presence and ministered to you humbly we pray graciously grant peace in our days that by the help of your mercy we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress as we await the lesson hope and the coming of our savior jesus christ for the yours now and forever large jesus christ who said to your apostles peace i leave you my peace i give you a look not on our sins but on the face of your church and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will to live in reign forever and ever amen the peace of the lord be with you always and with your spirit to offer a sign of christ let us pray through christ the teacher will lord instruct solace you feed with christ the living bread that on this piece day of pope's a great read a great they may learn your