St. Leonard: Patron of Catholic Missionaries – Nov 26 – Homily – Fr John Lawrence

 

Fr John Lawrence gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Nov 26, 2024, on how St. Leonard's life of devotion, missionary zeal, and love for Mary and the Eucharist serves as an enduring testament to the power of faith and prayer.

Father shared the inspiring life of St. Leonard of Port Maurice, emphasizing his profound faith, missionary zeal, and deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Leonard was born in 1676. He joined the Franciscans, inspired by their life of prayer and penance, and was ordained a priest in 1702. Despite battling tuberculosis, his vow to Our Lady for healing resulted in his remarkable preaching ministry, lasting 47 years.

St. Leonard introduced unique mission practices, emphasizing devotion to the Most Holy Name of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin, and the souls in purgatory. His missions often led to widespread conversions, aided by penance and prayer. He established over 600 stations of the cross, seeing them as vital for reflecting on eschatological truths: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. He taught that the passion of Christ, symbolized in the Way of the Cross, reveals God's love and the gravity of sin.

Father highlighted St. Leonard’s literary contributions, noting his works span 13 volumes, and his spiritual perspective on the Eucharist. St. Leonard described the Mass as "the sun of Christianity," crediting it with sustaining the world against its sins. He passed away in 1751, beatified by Pope Pius VI in 1796, canonized by Pope Pius IX in 1867, and declared patron of missionaries in Catholic countries by Pope Pius XI in 1923.

References
Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell: The eschatological truths stressed by St. Leonard, found in CCC 1022 - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/1021.htm
The Mass as central to faith: A theme supported by CCC 1324 - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a3.htm#I
Devotion to Mary: Connected to CCC 971 - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p6.htm#II

00:00 – Introduction
00:10 – Early Life and Piety
01:17 – Joining the Franciscans
02:04 – Miraculous Healing and Ministry
02:46 – Missionary Work and Legacy
03:50 – Stations of the Cross Devotion
05:05 – Teachings on Heaven and Hell
07:33 – Reflections on the Holy Mass

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Leonard of Port Maurice - Mem - http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=4247
Readings: Tuesday in the 34th Week in Ordinary Time - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/112624.cfm
1st: rev 14:14-19
Resp: psa 96:10-13
Gsp: luk 21:5-11

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=748&r=1004

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