Memorial
of St. Leo the Great.
Bible
Study: Wisdom 2, 23 to 3, 9. And Luke 17, 7 to 10.
The fear
of death is the greatest of fears any human being can have. The fact that no
one can live forever is a mystery no one has ever been able to solve. Death has
often being described as an insult, it shows no respect for anyone and it
levels both the high and low alike. No one likes to hear or talk about it but
the more we seem to avoid it at all costs, the more its reality continues to
sweep us off our feet.
There is only one solution to death, that is, there is only way we can
overpower death such that even when it comes, we are not taken unawares and we
continue to live. The solution according to our first reading today from the
book of Wisdom is LIVING A LIFE OF VIRTUE. It says “The souls of the virtuous
are in the hands of God, no torment will ever touch them… they are at peace.
Holiness of life should not be considered as a luxury. It should be our
main aspiration in life because at the end, if we strive to be virtuous every day,
whenever death comes, we are thrown off balance. Instead of death preparing for
us, we are now the ones preparing for death, the fear of death itself is no
longer there as we know peace awaits us at the other side of eternity.
Jesus tells us in the Gospel passage this morning that we are nothing
but mere servants. We should not expect to be rewarded for every single good
that we do or get discouraged when it seems our efforts are not appreciated by
others. At times, living a virtuous life seems very unrewarding and painful
especially in a world where many prefer evil to good. But we are simply
servants. By complaining, we only end up discouraging ourselves and making
things even more difficult for ourselves. Whatever we suffer as a result of our
attempts to live a holy life should be considered as Crosses of which Jesus
commanded us to carry if we must follow him.
St. Leo the Great whose memorial we celebrate today represents an
example of one who overcame death by living a virtuous life. Every year, on
this day, millions of Catholics all over the world continue to remember his
name. Countless churches have been named after him for his heroic life and the
story of his life will continue to be told for generations to come. The essence
of life is not to live forever but to leave an everlasting legacy behind. As a
Pope, St. Leo restored discipline to the church during a very critical period
of its history. He worked hard to crush certain heresies that were leading the
faith of believers astray and through his intercession and pleading with
relevant authorities prevented a total destruction of the city of Rome in the
year 461. Not every pope was given the title “Great” but St. Leo was one of
such well deserved popes.
Let us
Pray:
Lord
Jesus, teach me to conquer my fear of death by living a life of holiness and
may I never become discouraged along this path. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.
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