Near the end of the New Testament, we find that St. Paul had a lot of advice for the young bishop Titus on how to lead God’s people. But the key to all of his advice seems to be grace. St. Paul reminds his “son in the Lord” that God’s grace has appeared, it has saved us, and it teaches us how to live our lives for Him (Titus 2,11-12).
Today is the Feast of Pope St. Leo the Great, who served the Lord and the Church from AD 440 to 461. By all appearances, St. Leo responded well to St. Paul’s exhortations and to the grace of God; he took to heart what it means to serve the Lord with our lives.
First, St. Leo was a peacemaker. He is well-known for having stood up to Attila the Hun in 452 and for convincing him not to attack Rome. But he was a peacemaker throughout his whole life, he sought to keep the Church together in what St. Paul called “the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4,3) Second, another great virtue of St. Leo was his gift as a unifier. One of the most important ways he kept people united was by his gift for teaching and preaching. Careful to “say what is consistent with sound doctrine” (Titus 2,1), St. Leo tried to bring believers together by clearly explaining the Church’s understanding of who Jesus is, what it means that He came among us, and the role of St. Peter and his successors in leading and serving. He taught about the sacraments and refuted heresies that threatened believers’ faith. He was determined to not let divisions tear the Church apart.
We don’t have to be a pope or a learned theologian to follow St. Leo’s example. Even while confronting the worldwide pandemic and enduring all the present difficulties in our lives, we can dedicate ourselves to bringing peace and reconciliation to the people in our lives. We can work to bring unity to our parish, too, by speaking the truths of our faith with love. By relying on God’s grace, we can become models of good deeds for the people around us.
St. Leo, pray for us.
This article is adapted from “The Word Among Us.” Copies are available at the parish office or for information on how to subscribe: https://wau.org/subscribe/
