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
Tit 2:1-8,11-14
Lk 17:7-10
“Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?’”
The Gospel passage for today reminded me of my mother’s strong emphasis on expressing gratitude, particularly when one had received a favour or to one’s elders. My memories of her constant grumbling about how a relative had not properly acknowledged her gift (or even greeting) are probably part of the reasons why I hasten to say ‘thank you’ and feel extremely guilty whenever I forget to, lest the other party thinks I have taken their goodwill for granted.
Jesus’ words to the apostles may come across as slightly harsh in today’s context, and may also have contributed to the ‘old-school’ mentality of viewing our Lord as a strict taskmaster who has to be obeyed and served (which I still find myself holding onto sometimes). But when I go through them now, I reflect on whether I take our Lord for granted; how often I approach Him with multiple intercessions and requests, which, however well-intentioned they may be, presume that I know best and hope that God fulfils my will instead of asking that I surrender to His will and plans. I also guiltily wonder whether I thanked God properly for the (many) times He agreed to what I pleaded for, or simply acknowledged His grace and generosity before moving on to my next worry.
Seen in this light, maybe today’s passage can give me a gentle reminder about my role as a disciple and refresh my outlook on what we are ‘commanded’ to do, which I regarded as activities such as devotional prayer, ensuring we receive the Sacraments regularly (e.g. through mass or confession), and at least some attempt at charity. They may sometimes feel tedious, especially when I don’t feel like doing them but push ahead to check them off my list, or they may sometimes lead me to take a rather transactional approach and conclude that my duty for the day is ‘done’.
But when I recall that Jesus is my Saviour and leader, that I am an undeserving recipient of His grace and mercy, and that He continues to accompany and assist me every day (even though He is our Lord), I realise that these commands can be ways to be with Him beyond just obligations. I am also reminded of a priest’s comment that our Lord always appreciates our prayers, even the ones where we’re battling distractions. Hopefully, this renews my intentions to pray regularly and sincerely; after all, as my mum said, we should always say ‘thank you’, especially to our good and gracious God!
(Today’s OXYGEN by Jaclyn Lam)
Prayer: Lord, forgive us for the times we took You, Your presences and Your blessings for granted. Help us to stay open and vigilant for your presence.
Thanksgiving: We thank you for the gift of the Sacraments. Help us to understand and appreciate them.
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