Memorial of Pope Saint Leo the Great
God has implanted within our human hearts a capacity to recognize truth, rooted in our creation in His image. Through baptism, grace elevates this dignity as we are grafted into the Body of Christ. In this communion, the faithful share in the “sensus fidei”, the supernatural instinct by which, through the grace of the Holy Spirit and communion with the Church, we recognize the truth in the voice of our Good Shepherd.
Saint Paul instructed Titus to “say what is consistent with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1), because it is recognized and well received by a people formed by God’s grace. Through our baptismal dignity, we share in the life of Christ and are called to remain attentive to His word as we grow in relationship with Him and His Church.
Today is the feast day of Pope Saint Leo the Great. He faithfully articulated this apostolic faith when the Christological controversy threatened the truth of the Incarnation. In his Tome, Leo affirmed the Church’s teaching concerning Christ, who is fully God and fully man. When the bishops at the Council of Chalcedon heard his words, they proclaimed, “Peter has spoken through Leo!” Their recognition reflected the faith handed down by the Apostles, a truth the Church continues to profess.
God’s truth speaks to us every day, and recognizing His voice asks something of us. Saint Paul explains it plainly: we are to “reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age” (Titus 2:12). Recognizing God’s voice requires an active, faithful relationship with God and His Church. In that relationship, truth resonates, and it empowers us as a people “eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14). May we, as His beloved ones, continue to recognize His voice, trust His truth, and live our faith.
Let us pray:
“O God, who never allow the gates of hell to prevail against your Church, firmly founded on the apostolic rock, grant her, we pray, that through the intercession of Pope Saint Leo, she may stand firm in your truth and know the protection of lasting peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Collect of Today’s Mass)
