Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that each and every one of us are called to be truly and genuinely faithful to the Lord in all things, in embracing the fullness of God’s wisdom and guidance, through the Holy Spirit that He has sent upon us. And through this Wisdom we have received important guidance and strength to carry out our activities and our works with faith, to do what God has called us to do and to fulfil everything that He has entrusted to us, to lead others towards Himself through our good examples and by being inspiration for everyone around us.

In our first reading today as mentioned, we heard from the Book of Wisdom how God’s Wisdom has come to dwell in us through His Spirit, and how this Wisdom has guided us through this journey in life, showing us the path going forward and how we ought to navigate the various twists and challenges in life. If we allow God to show us the path going forward, then surely we will be able to find the right path through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the Wisdom which He has imparted to us through the same Spirit which inspires us and moves us gently along in life towards what God wants us to be, and where He wants us to contribute as members of His Church.

We are reminded that as Christians we should not easily allow ourselves to be swayed and misled by the temptations, pressures and the coercions of worldly desires and ambitions, attachments and all the other negative things surrounding us. We must not let ourselves be led by the currents of this world, but instead through our firm faith in God, we ought to have that very strong anchor in faith, in doing whatever is needed to resist the many temptations and pressures from all around us to conform to the ways and manners of this world. But we really need to put our full faith in the Lord, in trusting His Wisdom and guidance at all times and circumstances.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus telling His disciples about the dangers of those who have not truly been faithful and had been hypocritical in their faith, all those who have caused scandal for the Lord and the faithful by their actions and way of life, which is wicked and unworthy, which lead to others falling into sin as well. God does not look kindly upon those who have lived their lives in such a manner and hence, He reminded His disciples that they all ought to live their lives with genuine faith and dedication, committing themselves and each moments of their lives with true sincerity in their faith in the Lord at all times.

It is an important reminder to all of us as Christians that we should not take lightly our responsibility to live our lives in each and every moments ever more courageously and with great dedication as genuine Christians. We should continue to live wholeheartedly at all times and in all circumstances showing what our faith truly is all about, and how we can be better Christians, better disciples and followers of the Lord, by showing this faith through real and concrete actions in our daily lives. We should not be ignorant of those whom God had placed in our lives and in our paths for us to care for, especially more so those who are precious and dear to us, as they are indeed our responsibilities as good and faithful Christians, to love as God has loved us.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Leo the Great, one of the great leaders of the Church and a renowned Pope, whose contributions and deeds were so great that he was indeed one of the very few Popes known with the epithet, ‘the Great’. Pope St. Leo the Great was one of the longest reigning Popes in the Church, reigning over the whole Church over a period of over two decades, during an important and tumultuous time both for Christendom and in the secular world. His efforts, works and deeds had inspired many and helped many people to remain firmly faithful to the Lord despite the many trials and challenges facing them at that time. Pope St. Leo the Great helped to lead the Church through those difficult times, and his leadership, actions and numerous writings, which made him to be honoured as a Doctor of the Church, should inspire us all to be ever more faithful to God as well.

Pope St. Leo the Great led the Church through a divisive time in Christendom, as there were numerous heresies and disagreements which had not been completely resolved and settled by the preceding Ecumenical Councils, such as the ones at Nicaea, Constantinople and Ephesus. Pope St. Leo the Great wrote extensively and sent his ambassadors and legates to the Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon in the Year of Our Lord 450, ten years into the reign of Pope St. Leo the Great, condemning the heresies of monophysitism that were rampant in the eastern parts of the Roman Empire. Then, in the secular side, Pope St. Leo the Great was also well-renowned for having led the Church and the city of Rome through two difficult time periods, first was when the King of the Huns, Attila, came to the city, and the Pope came to see him personally, and managed to make the Hunnic king to turn away back to his lands, sparing Rome from destruction. He was less successful with the Vandals that came few years afterwards and sacked Rome, but he managed to reduce the extent of the destructions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from the life and contributions of Pope St. Leo the Great, as well as from the words of the Sacred Scriptures earlier, we are reminded that we are called to be genuine, faithful and loving Christians at all times and circumstances. We should not be merely outwardly faithful or pious but lacking in genuine and deep understanding of the faith or genuine love for God. Let us all continue to walk in faith at all times, inspiring one another to become ever better disciples and followers of the Lord by doing our best to do so in our own lives. May God bless us always in all of our endeavours and good works. Amen.