The Holy Spirit gives us the grace we need to live - and even thrive - in the face of challenges. We are to keep our eyes on Christ, and stay firm in Him.
The life and papacy of Saint Leo the Great is a magnificent sign of hope and grace for the whole Church. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI called Saint Leo one of the most important popes in history.
There is good reason to call him “Great”. Saint Leo was born around the year 400 in Italy, when the Roman Empire was in steep decline.
Civil authority and structures were weakening, and social chaos was brewing. It was then that the Holy Spirit placed in the chair of Saint Peter, Leo: a wise and holy leader.
The Church itself was being wracked by heresies, which Saint Leo confronted with sound teachings. Because of the weakness of civil structures, Leo often had to assume more temporal power to take care of the people.
I am sure that Leo relied on Saint Paul’s Letter to Titus as he shepherded the people of God!
It was his famous meeting with Atilla the Hun, who was about to ravage Rome and central Italy, that ultimately saved the city from destruction and massive loss of life. In fact, it would be the light of the Christian faith and Christian way of life that would guide Europe through a period that history calls “the Dark Ages” - and Pope Leo set the stage.
Remembering Saint Leo the Great, we can appreciate that for the last 2,000 years, the light of Christ has guided us - giving us a solid foundation to pray for, and to find, peace and joy.
- Father Jim's inspirational homily was recorded live this morning during Mass at the Father Peyton Center. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.)
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