Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
November 10, 2021
Readings for the Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and doctor of the Church
Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 493
Reading I
Hear, O kings, and understand;
learn, you magistrates of the earth’s expanse!
Hearken, you who are in power over the multitude
and lord it over throngs of peoples!
Because authority was given you by the Lord
and sovereignty by the Most High,
who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels.
Because, though you were ministers of his kingdom, you judged not rightly,
and did not keep the law,
nor walk according to the will of God,
Terribly and swiftly shall he come against you,
because judgment is stern for the exalted–
For the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy
but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test.
For the Lord of all shows no partiality,
nor does he fear greatness,
Because he himself made the great as well as the small,
and he provides for all alike;
but for those in power a rigorous scrutiny impends.
To you, therefore, O princes, are my words addressed
that you may learn wisdom and that you may not sin.
For those who keep the holy precepts hallowed shall be found holy,
and those learned in them will have ready a response.
Desire therefore my words;
long for them and you shall be instructed.
Responsorial Psalm
- (8a) Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.
Defend the lowly and the fatherless;
render justice to the afflicted and the destitute.
Rescue the lowly and the poor;
from the hand of the wicked deliver them.
R. Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.
I said: “You are gods,
all of you sons of the Most High;
yet like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince.”
R. Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.
Alleluia
- Alleluia, alleluia.
In all circumstances, give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”
Reflection: JESUS'CONCERN FOR THE LOST SHEEP
It is said that Pope Leo the Great brought back to papacy the dignity and the honour that are due. So, as Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI said, “he was truly one of the greatest pontiffs to have honoured the Roman See and made a very important contribution to strengthening its authority and prestige." He was a good leader and a good shepherd! “Jesus travelled along the border of Samaria and Galilee!" For those who know the map of old Palestine it would be clear that Jesus on purpose took this route while shorter ways to Jerusalem could have been possible. He was almost going to meet people in need or make himself available for people to meet him, people who were despised. This is an important attitude for a good shepherd. He was going after the lost sheep, the sheep in need! His willingness to cure the lepers was another challenging gesture which a Jew would hardly do, leave alone someone acclaimed as 'Rabbi' by the people! Luke adds a line that is strong and might have been more offensive to the Jews: “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ... and he was a Samaritan.” Being on the side of those who are despised and those who are on the fringes of the society was the specific goal or mission of Jesus while he did not neglect the others. He preached and lived this preferential option for the poor and the marginalized in his own life as the Evangelist portrays so clearly. Ever since Pope Francis accepted to lead the Catholic Church, he was insisting that the Church must be on the side of poor besides being poor. He was asking the leaders of the church to leave its precincts and go and meet people where they live and work. He wanted the church to be a 'field hospital in a battle field'! He wanted the pastors to have the smell of his sheep!' A clear sign of the preferential option alluded to in the gospel passage.