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Gospel: Luke 17:7-10
Jesus said to the Apostles:
“Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him,
‘Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished’?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Pope Leo XIV is the 265th pope. Of all the popes in history, only three of them have been officially recognized as “great.” It is the rarest title bestowed upon a person in the Church.
There’s Pope Saint Gregory the Great, Pope Saint Nicholas the Great, and Pope Saint Leo the Great, whose feast day we celebrate today. (Some have recently argued that Saint John Paul II may also be considered “great.”)
There’s an irony to being called “great” in the Catholic Church, because Jesus inverts the worlds values. “The greatest among you must be your servant,” he says.
Thus, to become great, you must become small; to be strong, you must embrace weakness; to lead, you must serve; and to live, you must die. Not only at the end of your life; but also now in a thousand little ways.
Popes are considered “great” based upon their holiness, virtue, dedication to God, service to the Church, and above all, their leadership through a significant period in history.
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Pope Saint Leo the Great led the Catholic Church from 440 – 461 AD, and is remembered for two significant moments in history.
In the year 452, Leo met with Attila the Hun, sometimes known to as, “The Scourge of God,” because of his military brilliance, his consistent victory in battle, and his notorious brutality.
In spite of Attila’s lust for blood and power, Leo was able to negotiate peace with him, preventing the invasion and destruction of Rome.
The previous year, Leo also convoked the Council of Chalcedon, where the doctrine of Christ’s two natures – human and divine – was reaffirmed. This Council was essential in defining the Christian understanding of God.
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History will not call upon us to be “great.”
But God’s invitation to greatness remains open to us all.
We must simply follow the path of love, service, and surrender.
What might that look like for us today?
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Image credits: (1) quotefancy.com (2) storyofgrace.org (3) freepik.com