Nov 10 – Memorial for St. Leo the Great, pope, doctor
St. Leo (c.400 – 461) was born of Italian nobility. He was a strong student, especially in scripture and theology. As a priest, he was an eloquent writer and homilist.
He was pope from 440-461 during the time of the invasion of Attila the Hun. When Attila marched on Rome, Leo went out to meet him and pleaded for leave. As Leo spoke, Attila saw the vision of a man in priestly robes, carrying a bare sword, and threatening to kill the invader if he did not obey Pope Leo. As Leo had a great devotion to St. Peter, it is generally believed that the first pope was the visionary opponent to the Huns. When Genseric invaded Rome, Leo’s sanctity and eloquence saved the city again.
Pope Leo called the Council of Chalcedon to condemn the heresies of the day, which were Nestorianism (Christ as a human person joined to the divine person of God’s Son), Monophysitism (Christ’s human nature ceases to exist when the divine person of God’s Son assumed it), Manichaeism (Gnostic system resting on a dualistic concept of the world’s structure), and Pelaianism (no supernatural grace is needed for one to choose good).
He built churches and wrote letters and sermons encouraging and teaching the flock, many of which survive today. It is for these writings that Leo was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1574.
“Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife.” – Pope St. Leo the Great
- Patron Saint Index
Wis 1:1-7
Lk 17:1-6
“And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I am sorry,’ you must forgive him.”
Honestly…do people ever change? I’ve met people who say sorry but keep doing the same thing, and some who don’t even bother to say sorry. Saying sorry is an act of humility. It makes you stop and think about what you did, the consequences of your actions.
Several months ago, someone hurt me. He asked wrong and insensitive questions about a really vulnerable and traumatising memory I’d shared. I told him I was hurt. He said, “I’m sorry.” I said I forgave him, but I didn’t really understand what forgiveness entailed.
Social media tells us to leave people who wrong us. One acquaintance even told me I should leave him, because he wasn’t respecting me. So I left.
At first, I felt free. Delighted even. But the happiness didn’t last. My brain kept reminding me — he had always helped me to remove obstacles blocking the path of my wheelchair, and even protected me from bullies and passing cars. Once, during a downpour, he passed me a bigger umbrella than the one in my hand.
Eventually, I was going through another difficult time, and so, I showed up at his place unannounced. He was visibly shocked to see me again. Over the next few weeks, I saw that he really meant his apology. He had changed. His words weren’t insensitive.
Forgiveness… does it mean the risk of giving someone a second chance to hurt us?
I think forgiveness is realising we’re all flawed. Some people take a short time to work on themselves. Some people may even take what seems like forever. Forgiveness is about seeing that each and every one of us is a beloved child of God. We are all humans. We all make mistakes. Loving means accepting the whole package — strengths, talents, personalities, quirks, and flaws.
At the end of the day, forgiveness is the light at the end of the tunnel; the little light of hope flickering amid the darkness of desolation, hoping against all odds that one day, through the grace of God, the person who hurt us so deeply will change for the better.
Here’s a caveat, though — forgiveness doesn’t mean staying with abusive or toxic people. Hopefully, we receive God’s strength and courage to leave those people physically. To forgive someone is to ask God to free our hearts from anger, hurt, and resentment. It’s letting go. That’s what forgiveness truly is.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Brenda Khoo)
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to forgive as You forgave on the cross. Teach me to see the goodness in others, even when they hurt me. Give me Your courage to let go of anger and Your grace to trust in Your mercy. Amen.
Thanksgiving: Thank You, God, for reminding me that we are all Your children, flawed yet loved. Thank You for the little light of hope that lets me see that people can change for the better, and for the freedom to release my hurt into Your hands. Amen.
OXYGEN 
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