It’s the Feast of St. Gregory the Wonderworker, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: “Our Lady of Fatima and the Souls in Purgatory”, today’s news from the Church: “New York Subscribes to Wokism”, a preview of the Sermon: “Essential Truths about Purgatory”, and today’s thought from the Archbishop.
Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org
Sources Used Today:
- “Our Lady of Fatima and the Souls in Purgatory” – sspx.org
- “New York Subscribes to Wokism” (FSSPX.news)
- “Essential Truths about Purgatory” (SSPX Sermons)
- The Spiritual Life – Archbishop Lefebvre (Angelus Press)
Saint Gregory the Wonderworker — also known as Gregory Thaumaturgus — lived in the third century, a time when the Church was still young and often persecuted, yet alive with the fire of the Gospel. Born into a wealthy pagan family in Pontus, in what is now Turkey, Gregory seemed destined for a career in law or philosophy. But God had other plans. While studying in Caesarea, he encountered the brilliance and holiness of Origen, the great Christian teacher. Gregory intended only to observe the Christians out of curiosity, but Origen’s teaching opened his heart. By the end of his studies, he asked for baptism and offered his whole life to Christ.
When he returned home, he found that he had been chosen as bishop of his small and skeptical community. Reluctant at first, he allowed himself to be ordained, trusting God to provide what he lacked. From that moment, extraordinary signs seemed to follow him. Stories of his miracles spread widely even during his lifetime. He drove a demon from a pagan temple, causing the structure to fall into disuse and eventually become a Christian church. He stilled a rising river that threatened to sweep away workers. He prayed during a drought and brought rain. Once, when two brothers were fighting over a lake on their property, Gregory prayed and the lake dried up, quietly resolving the dispute.
But the greatest miracle was not these signs. It was the transformation of his diocese. When Gregory became bishop, tradition says there were only seventeen Christians in the entire region. When he died around 270, there were said to be only seventeen pagans left. His preaching, gentleness, and tireless charity won hearts more effectively than any dramatic wonder. He was known for visiting the sick, comforting the poor, and treating enemies with patience. His theological writings, though few, show a man deeply in love with the mystery of the Trinity. One ancient tradition says the Blessed Virgin appeared to him in a vision and explained the faith, a sign of the purity of his devotion.
His feast on November 17 was celebrated in the East with hymns that praised him as a second Moses, a shepherd who led his people out of spiritual wilderness. Gregory’s life reminds us that miracles are not spectacles meant to impress, but signs pointing to a God who acts through humble servants.
Saint Gregory the Wonderworker, pray for us!
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The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood.
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