{"id":3376,"date":"2021-11-13T23:53:38","date_gmt":"2021-11-13T23:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christthekingsudbury.com\/?p=3376"},"modified":"2021-11-13T23:54:40","modified_gmt":"2021-11-13T23:54:40","slug":"saint-leo-the-great","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christthekingsudbury.com\/?p=3376","title":{"rendered":"SAINT LEO THE GREAT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Only 3 Popes have had \u201cthe Great<\/a>\u201d appended to their names: Pope St. Leo I (reigned 440\u201361), Pope St. Gregory I (590\u2013604), and Pope St. Nicholas I (858\u201367). Some are predicting that it is just a matter of time before John Paul II will be referred to as St. John Paul the Great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Leo the Great. Leo was pope for 21 years \u2013 from 440 to 461. Leo is considered \u201cgreat\u201d or \u201coutstanding\u201d for 2 reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1st<\/sup> reason is that Leo was a courageous leader who is well known for his peacekeeping efforts. When Attila the Hun attacked Rome, Leo persuaded him not to plunder and destroy the city. Three years later, when the Vandals attacked Rome, Leo was not so successful. However, Leo did manage to save the city from being burnt and thus, prevented much suffering and death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the midst of the adversity caused by these barbarian invaders, Leo worked hard to strengthen the church. He met all challenges with great fidelity and self-sacrifice. For example, Leo worked alongside the people to rebuild Rome and its churches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2nd<\/sup> reason for which Saint Leo is considered \u201cGreat\u201d or \u201coutstanding\u201d is that he fought tirelessly against the heresies of his day. A major heresy of the day was the one put forth by Nestorius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nestorius was a priest who taught that Jesus was really 2 separate persons. At times, he was only human. At other times, he was only divine. For example, only the divine Jesus performed miracles. On the other hand, only the human Jesus was in Mary\u2019s womb. The problem is that, if this is true, then Jesus was not God incarnate while in the womb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To counteract Nestorianism, Leo convened the Council of Chalcedon in 451. During the Council, Leo expressed with great clarity that Jesus Christ is 1 person with 2 distinct natures: human and divine. The Council\u2019s attendees enthusiastically accepted Leo\u2019s teaching that Jesus Christ is at the same time fully human and fully divine. The Council summarized the mystery of the Incarnation in this way: Jesus is true God and true man. This teaching will always be considered one of the non-negotiables of our Christian faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s where a connection can be made with today\u2019s Gospel. In this passage, we see clearly that there is only 1 Jesus, but that he is 100% human and 100% divine at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, let\u2019s consider the humanity of Jesus. At the time of Jesus, leprosy was an incurable and terminal disease. There was no medical treatment. A diagnosis of leprosy was a death sentence. Furthermore, a leper was treated with contempt and expelled from society as an outcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 10 lepers in today\u2019s Gospel are in a desperate and hopeless situation. They are overwhelmed by the horror of their disease. They see Jesus and, standing at a distance, plead for his help, \u201cJesus, Master, have mercy on us\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus identifies with their situation and truly understands what they are going through. He views them as fellow human beings who are experiencing great suffering. Rather than treating them as ugly and repulsive individuals to be avoided in disgust, Jesus responds with extravagant tenderness and mercy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that Christ hears our prayers as he heard the pleas of the 10 lepers. Likewise with us, Jesus, in the fullness of his humanity, will understand where we are coming from. He will be attentive to our needs. Jesus will respond to our pains and wounds with great personal care, sensitivity and compassion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s consider the divinity of Jesus. An extraordinary, powerful and unimaginable event occurs: all 10 lepers are healed. An astounding consequence of this healing is that the lepers could return to their homes, families and neighborhoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we are faced with desperate and hopeless situations, we have to follow the example of these 10 lepers. When troubles come, let us go to God and, with great trust, great hope and great confidence, ask for his help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christ has divine power over our afflictions \u2013 whether they are on the outside or the inside. Jesus is stronger than any brokenness, weakness or sin. The call is to have the courage to rely on God\u2019s divine power in all things and allow his strength to take possession of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a few moments, the same Jesus that the 10 lepers met will be here on this altar. When we receive holy Communion, that same Jesus, true God and true man, is only too familiar with the frailties of our human condition and all the burdens that we carry because of our humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the reason, he is only too willing to come to us with the fullness of his divine and healing power to be at work in our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deacon Roland Muzzatti<\/p>\n\n\n\n

November 10, 2021<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Only 3 Popes have had \u201cthe Great\u201d appended to their names: Pope St. Leo I (reigned 440\u201361), Pope St. Gregory I (590\u2013604), and Pope St. Nicholas I (858\u201367). Some are predicting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"\n

Today\u2019s Readings reinforce the themes of last Sunday\u2019s liturgy: the 2 great commandments: love of God and love of neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1st<\/sup> commandment of love of God is the subject of today\u2019s Gospel. First of all, it needs to pointed out that when Jesus talks about hating parents, spouses, siblings and children, he is not to be taken literally. God would never ask that we literally abandon our families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, as the writers of the web site Sacred Space point out, \u201cIt is rather a dramatic way of saying that anyone who puts any person, even those closest to them, before total commitment to Christ and his mission is not ready to be a disciple.  There can be no compromise here; it is all or nothing\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This commandment challenges us to make our relationship with God the number 1 priority in our lives. Our whole existence is to be focused on loving God. We are called to commit ourselves to God with our whole being: thoughts, emotions, strengths, weaknesses \u2013 everything that makes us who we are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The invitation of this Gospel is to love God the most and the best. There ought not to be one person, thing or circumstance that we love more than or better than God. If we ever have to choose between God and any other person, thing or circumstance, being a disciple means that we have to let go of that person, thing or circumstance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Bishop Robert Barron explains: \u201cGod must be loved first and last. Everything else in our lives has to find its meaning in relation to him\u201d. Each of us is encouraged to ask these questions: Is there anyone or anything in my life that I am clinging to that is preventing me from giving myself completely and unconditionally to God? What must I let go of in order to become a better disciple of the Lord?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2nd<\/sup> commandment of love of neighbor is the subject of the 1st<\/sup> Reading. St. Paul says: \u201cLove your neighbor as yourself\u201d. There are 2 parts to this commandment. Let\u2019s begin with the 2nd<\/sup> part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLove your neighbor as yourself\u201d. We are called to love ourselves. Love of self is not about being vain or conceited; it\u2019s not about being standoffish and viewing one\u2019s self as superior to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, what does it mean for me to love myself? The answer is to start at the beginning. God made me. He created me. I have been formed by his hands. I am a deliberate and conscious act of God\u2019s will. I am not a mistake or an accident. I owe my existence to a decision made by God. God loves me perfectly. There is no wrong in his loving. It is impossible for God to make any improvements in the way he loves me. That\u2019s how precious I am to God. Therefore, I have dignity, worth and value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I ought to have a positive self-image. Healthy self-esteem and mental health and well-being are part of God\u2019s plan for me. My love of self is based on this reality. But God loves every other person with the same love that he has for me. Each of us is a child of the same Father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1st<\/sup> part of the 2nd<\/sup> commandment is \u201cLove your neighbor as yourself\u201d. The call of the Gospel is for me to love every person I meet as I love myself. The bottom line is that we are commanded to be as passionate about willing and seeking the good of others as we are about willing and seeking our own good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The love of God and neighbor are deeply connected to one another. When God is #1 in our lives, we realize that God is present in every person. The heart of the spiritual life is that, in serving others, we serve God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. Francis de Sales was a bishop who lived from 1567 to 1622. One of his famous sayings was: \u201cShow me the person you love the least. That\u2019s how much you love God!\u201d If we fail to show compassion, kindness and concern towards someone else, we are failing to love God. If we say that we love God, but hate other people, we\u2019re wasting our time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a man asked the English Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins what he must do in order to believe in God, Hopkins replied, \"Give alms.\" By responding with concrete acts of love to the needs of the suffering, the vulnerable and the marginalized, we enter more fully into a love relationship with God. The face of the person to whom we respond is the face of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As our Eucharist continues, let us pray to God that these 2 commandments may become the foundation of our lives. May they influence all we think, all we say and, more importantly, all we do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deacon Roland Muzzatti<\/p>\n\n\n\n

November 3, 2021<\/p>\n","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homilies","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christthekingsudbury.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christthekingsudbury.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christthekingsudbury.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christthekingsudbury.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christthekingsudbury.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3376"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christthekingsudbury.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3377,"href":"https:\/\/christthekingsudbury.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3376\/revisions\/3377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christthekingsudbury.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christthekingsudbury.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christthekingsudbury.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}