We are blessed to be presently under the church leadership of Pope Leo XIV. These days he is visiting three countries in South America, bringing the good news of Christ to the people, and uniting with them as they advocate for social justice and human rights.
Thirteen Popes before him have also chosen the name Leo during their papal tenure. Why is this name so popular among the Pontiffs and what has it come to symbolize? The answer lies in the life of the saint we celebrate today . He was the first Pope Leo, keeping his own birth name, which was the custom of the time, when he was elected in 440 A.D. Because of his many notable accomplishments, he has become known in history as Pope Leo the Great.
He worked tirelessly as Peter’s successor and was one of the best administrative popes of the early church. Not only did he work diligently at countering the heresies of the day, but he clearly defended the Church’s teaching on the two natures of Christ. He also was a strong peacemaker in his persistent work to offset the many barbarian attacks on Rome. Most importantly, he displayed great pastoral care for all the people. He could grasp their needs and interests with love and compassion.
Because of his many gifts and the effective way he led the Church, the name ‘Leo’ came to represent strength, courage, peacemaker, and a profound commitment not only to church reform, but to pastoral care and social teaching for all God’s people.
Pope Leo the Great and our Pope Leo are true examples of servants of Christ. Like the servants in our gospel today, they’ve lived their lives with the attitude Christ expects: “we have done what we were obliged to do.” Following Christ is about believing and serving, and it involves faith, evangelizing and overcoming obstacles. It is nothing less than love in action. Much is demanded of us, then. We are always being challenged by our baptismal call as to how we can best serve others at any given moment.
Inspired by Pope Leo the Great and our own Pope Leo’s examples of faith in action, may we reflect today about our own call to selfless servanthood, wherever that calls us, and with whomever we find ourselves.
