Leo the Great -- Reflection
Incarnation. The idea that in the one person of Jesus the Christ there existed two "natures" -- one human and one divine has been a part of Christian dogma for the better part of 1500 years. But this concept was not a given. The Church argued about it for centuries after Jesus' death and resurrection. Eventually, agreement (though not unanimous) was reached on language to articulate theologically what the Church accepted devotionally. Leo was a significant contributor to that effort. But Leo's contribution to an understanding of this fundamental doctrine of Incarnation was not merely an intellectual one.
Leo understood that, at its core, the Christian faith is an embodied religion. Christians do not worship a God who remains "out there" in some metaphysical ether called "the spiritual world". The God of the Christian faith demonstrates a connection with all of life by living a life within a particular place and time as a particular individual. At the very least, this understanding of God's action in the Incarnation can serve as a reminder for us that the life each of us lives in the "here and now" is of a piece -- it cannot be separated into compartments. We are living our "spiritual" lives simultaneously with our "regular" ones.
In the Gospel reading assigned to the commemoration of Leo, Jesus tells his disciples that they are to be the "light of the world'. Leo embodied that Gospel light, not simply by saying his prayers or keeping himself occupied with designing a new liturgy. He could not ignore the events taking place outside the walls of his cathedral.
The Gospel compelled Leo to take everything he had -- his intellect, his resourcefulness, his office as the Bishop of Rome, his prayers, his study, his worship, his faith...his entire self -- and employ it all in the service of the people who were most in danger of suffering and loss at the hands of two waves of invaders. In doing so, Leo reminds us that shining our Gospel light isn't simply a Sunday morning activity. My guess is that when Atilla the Hun finished his meeting with Leo, he knew he had met not only a Bishop in the Church of God, but one shrewd negotiator possessed of a great deal of personal and political power.
Shining the light of the Gospel is about more than singing a few songs or saying a few prayers on a Sunday morning. Shining the light of the Gospel is about more than "telling someone about Jesus". Shining the light of the Gospel means LIVING as followers of Jesus, the One who shows us the God who will not remain separated from the human condition. Leo's life reminds us that, to be the Church -- the Body of Christ, we cannot wall ourselves off, remaining separated from the world around us. To be the Body of Christ is to share in God's love for the whole world --even those parts that don't strike us as "spiritual". In fact, those "unspiritual" parts might be the places that most need to light of the Gospel.
Incarnation. The idea that in the one person of Jesus the Christ there existed two "natures" -- one human and one divine has been a part of Christian dogma for the better part of 1500 years. But this concept was not a given. The Church argued about it for centuries after Jesus' death and resurrection. Eventually, agreement (though not unanimous) was reached on language to articulate theologically what the Church accepted devotionally. Leo was a significant contributor to that effort. But Leo's contribution to an understanding of this fundamental doctrine of Incarnation was not merely an intellectual one.
Leo understood that, at its core, the Christian faith is an embodied religion. Christians do not worship a God who remains "out there" in some metaphysical ether called "the spiritual world". The God of the Christian faith demonstrates a connection with all of life by living a life within a particular place and time as a particular individual. At the very least, this understanding of God's action in the Incarnation can serve as a reminder for us that the life each of us lives in the "here and now" is of a piece -- it cannot be separated into compartments. We are living our "spiritual" lives simultaneously with our "regular" ones.
In the Gospel reading assigned to the commemoration of Leo, Jesus tells his disciples that they are to be the "light of the world'. Leo embodied that Gospel light, not simply by saying his prayers or keeping himself occupied with designing a new liturgy. He could not ignore the events taking place outside the walls of his cathedral.
The Gospel compelled Leo to take everything he had -- his intellect, his resourcefulness, his office as the Bishop of Rome, his prayers, his study, his worship, his faith...his entire self -- and employ it all in the service of the people who were most in danger of suffering and loss at the hands of two waves of invaders. In doing so, Leo reminds us that shining our Gospel light isn't simply a Sunday morning activity. My guess is that when Atilla the Hun finished his meeting with Leo, he knew he had met not only a Bishop in the Church of God, but one shrewd negotiator possessed of a great deal of personal and political power.
Shining the light of the Gospel is about more than singing a few songs or saying a few prayers on a Sunday morning. Shining the light of the Gospel is about more than "telling someone about Jesus". Shining the light of the Gospel means LIVING as followers of Jesus, the One who shows us the God who will not remain separated from the human condition. Leo's life reminds us that, to be the Church -- the Body of Christ, we cannot wall ourselves off, remaining separated from the world around us. To be the Body of Christ is to share in God's love for the whole world --even those parts that don't strike us as "spiritual". In fact, those "unspiritual" parts might be the places that most need to light of the Gospel.
posted by FrGaryB | 6:41 AM
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