The Collect for today’s feast of Pope St. Leo the Great asks
God to grant the Church, through the intercession of Pope St. Leo, that we may
stand firm in truth and know the protection of lasting peace.
Pope Leo went to great lengths to work for peace. In 452, Attila
the Hung was laying siege to northeastern Italy. The Huns vanquished city after
city and reports were circulating that Attila was setting his sights on the
rest of Italy.
So Pope Leo himself, 52 years old at the time, rode on
horseback to meet the barbarian leader and pleaded with him to spare Italy. The
leader of the Huns, impressed by the Pope, left Italy. Unfortunately, a few years later, another
barbarian horde, the Vandals, attacked and sacked Rome. Again, the Pope, defenseless
and surrounded by his clergy, went forth to meet the invader to implore him to
desist. The Vandal leader promised to spare the great Basilicas of St Peter, St
Paul and St John Lateran in which the terrified population of Rome sought
refuge and were spared.
Pope Leo could not prevent every danger, but he came to the
aid of the frightened and afflicted in their hour of need. His courage
expressed the care of a shepherd who stands with his people when they are
vulnerable. He reminds us that one of the tasks of every Christian is to work
for peace, for Christ instructed Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall
obtain peace.
Today, through the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick,
Christ our Good Shepherd comes to us in our affliction. Through the ministry of
his Church, he draws near to those burdened by serious illness and the frailty
of age, bringing his strength and peace.
Illness can disturb our peace in many ways. There is the physical
pain and sufferings due to illness and old age. But also the emotional
suffering—the toll of doctor visits and the anxious questions: What will the
doctor find? Will the treatment work? How much longer will I be able to care
for myself? And the grief associated with illness: the loss of abilities we
once took for granted.
Into these struggles, Christ brings the grace and peace of
this sacrament. The Catechism describes the primary graces of this sacrament as
“strengthening, peace and courage.”
We pray for physical healing, and the sacrament can bring
that healing when it serves our salvation. Yet even when illness remains,
Christ gives us grace to endure it in union with him. He offers his gift of
peace of know his sustaining grace and his enduring presence.
So, as the priest lays hands upon you and anoints you with
holy oil, entrust yourself to the Shepherd who loves you. Bring him your pain,
your fears, and your hopes.
Through St. Leo’s intercession, may we stand firm in the
truth of Christ’s love and receive the lasting peace for which we pray—the peace
promised to those united to Christ the source of our true and lasting peace—for
the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
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