Saturday, March 11 : Saint Gregory the Great

But when man is dead, and stripped, and consisted, where, I pray, is he? There is no man without sin, save Him Who came not into this world by sin; and whereas all we are tied fast in the bonds of guilt, we die by the mere loss of righteousness. Of the robe of innocence given us aforetime in Paradise, we are stripped naked, and we are yet further consumed by the subsequent dissolution of the flesh. Thus man being a sinner dies in guilt, is stripped bare of righteousness, is consumed in punishment. This nakedness of his erring son the Father vouchsafed to cover, who said, on his returning to him, Bring forth quickly the first robe. Luke 15:22. For ‘the first robe’ is the robe of innocence, which man being created aright received, but being persuaded wrongly by the serpent forfeited. Against this same nakedness it is said, Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked. Rev. 16:15. For we ‘keep our garments,’ when we keep the precepts of innocency in our hearts, that whereas guilt strips us naked to the Judge, penance should cover us returning to the innocence we had forfeited.
Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team