Pope St. Leo the Great

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor.

St. Leo was born in Rome of Italian nobility and was ordained Pope in 440. Leo reigned as pope for twenty-one years. He was a true pastor and father of souls. He labored strenuously to safeguard the integrity of the faith and vigorously defended the unity of the Church.

When Attilla marched on Rome, Leo went out to meet him and pleaded for him to turn back. As Leo spoke, Attila saw the vision of a man in Priestly robes, carrying a bare sword, and threatening to kill him if he did not obey Pope Leo. As Leo had a great devotion to Saint Peter, it is generally believed the first Pope was the visionary opponent to the Huns.

When Genseric invaded Rome, Leo's sanctity and eloquence saved the city again. Besides saving Rome, Leo earned the title “Great” because of his personal sanctity, the majesty of his bearing, his profound sermons, his desire for Church unity, and his building up of the Petrine office. He died in 461. St. Leo is well known as an eloquent writer -- he wrote many letters and homilies encouraging and teaching his flock, many of which survive today; it is for these writings that Leo was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1574.

Quotes from St. Leo the Great

"Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife."

"Short and fleeting are the joys of this world's pleasures which endeavors to turn aside from the path of life those who are called to eternity. The faithful and religious spirit, therefore, must desire the things which are heavenly, and being eager for the Divine promises, lift itself to the love of the incorruptible Good and the hope of the true Light."

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Comments

  1. Derek Rotty11/12/10, 10:15 AM

    Jean,

    Thanks for your blog! I love the quote from St. Catherine that serves as your tag line. I borrowed a quote from St. Leo that you had listed, because I run a website specifically devoted to spreading the message of virtuous living. The address is www.lifeofvirtue.com. Let's keep fanning the flame to spread the fire of God's love!

    ReplyDelete

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