Liturgical Calendar

Saint of the day

Saint Leo the Great (c.400-461)

Saint Leo was a pope who lived in the early centuries of the Church. Elected in 440, he was a talented administrator who was equally gifted at spiritual leadership. He was the first pope to claim to be Peter’s heir and to have supreme authority over all the Church. He also strongly defended the teaching that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine against a heresy that taught that Jesus was only divine. He even courageously met with Attila the Hun and convinced him not to ransack the city of Rome. Leo understood the everyday needs of the people and was famous for his preaching. (Taken from "Take Ten: Daily Bible Reflections for Teens.")

Reflection

With all of the daily tasks and activities that we have on our plate, it can be difficult to accept the call to leadership when it presents itself. Ask the Lord to help you follow in the footsteps of Saint Leo and be a spiritual leader for others.

Prayer

Dear God, on this day we pause to thank you for the women and men who have heard your call to leadership and responded. We stand on their shoulders. Help us to continue to make our nation great, as you would have us great: that is, a nation of peace, justice, charity, and community. (Taken from “Good News Day by Day: Bible Reflections for Teens.”)

Meditations

Meditation for Reading 1

When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he was in prison. He did not know if he was going to die or not. Yet he believed he was going to get through the ordeal with God's help. What is amazing is Paul's belief that God had given him good times and bad, and that in both, Paul knew God would always been there for him. What a wonderful example for us to follow! When you are down, when things are not going well, when you feel abandoned, have faith that God is with you and will strengthen you to endure whatever you have to face. (Taken from “Take Ten – Daily Bible Reflections for Teens”)

Meditation for Gospel

Did you ever notice that sometimes it's easier to do the right thing when it's something big than when it's something small? We might talk ourselves into believe that cheating a little or lying a little or even stealing a little isn't that bad. After all, we'd never do anything seriously wrong. The Gospel verse here is saying to beware of that kind of thinking. How we act in little things is a sign of how we act in important things. (Taken from “Take Ten – Daily Bible Reflections for Teens”)