St. Leo of Rome
March 3 (February 18, Old Calendar)
St. Leo the First was Pope of
Rome during the fifth century. Born in Italy of devout parents, he was first
archdeacon under Pope Sixtus the Third, and elected to the papal throne against
his will after Sixtus's death. When Attila the Hun drew near to Rome, preparing
to ravage and burn the city, St. Leo went out to him in his episcopal
vestments, tamed the wrath of the Hun leader and averted the fall of Rome.
Attila was willing to be guided by St. Leo because he saw his holiness, and
because he had a vision of the Apostles Peter and Paul standing behind St. Leo,
threatening him with a flaming sword.
St. Leo not only saved Rome, but contributed greatly to the safeguarding of
Orthodoxy against the heresy of Eutyches and Dioscorus. This heresy consisted
in the merging of the divine and human natures of Christ into one, and,
following from this, the denial of the existence of two wills in the Person of
our Lord and Savior. This led to the summoning of the Fourth Ecumenical Council
at Chalcedon, at which St. Leo's Epistle was read. St. Leo, after writing this
epistle, had placed it on the tomb of St. Peter, whereupon it had been
corrected by St. Peter. As death drew near, he spent forty days in fasting and
prayer by the tomb of the Apostle Peter, begging him to tell him if his sins
were forgiven. The apostle appeared to him and assured him that they were,
except of his sins in ordaining priests (from which it is seen how grave a sin
it is to ordain an unworthy man). The saint returned to prayer until he was
told that these also were wiped out. Then he gave his soul to the Lord in
peace. St. Leo entered into rest in the year 461.
Troparion, Tone 3:
Thou wast the Church's instrument/ in strengthening the Church's teaching of
true doctrine;/ thou didst shine forth from the West like a sun/ and didst
dispel the heretics' error./ O righteous Leo, entreat Christ our God to grant
us His great mercy.
Kontakion, Tone 3:
From the throne of thy priesthood, O glorious one,/ thou didst stop the
mouths of the spiritual lions;/ thou didst illumine thy flock with the light of
the knowledge of God/ and with the inspired doctrines of the Holy Trinity./
Thou art glorified as a divine initiate of the grace of God.
St. Leo of Rome
March 3 (February 18, Old Calendar)
St. Leo the First was Pope of
Rome during the fifth century. Born in Italy of devout parents, he was first
archdeacon under Pope Sixtus the Third, and elected to the papal throne against
his will after Sixtus's death. When Attila the Hun drew near to Rome, preparing
to ravage and burn the city, St. Leo went out to him in his episcopal
vestments, tamed the wrath of the Hun leader and averted the fall of Rome.
Attila was willing to be guided by St. Leo because he saw his holiness, and
because he had a vision of the Apostles Peter and Paul standing behind St. Leo,
threatening him with a flaming sword.
St. Leo not only saved Rome, but contributed greatly to the safeguarding of
Orthodoxy against the heresy of Eutyches and Dioscorus. This heresy consisted
in the merging of the divine and human natures of Christ into one, and,
following from this, the denial of the existence of two wills in the Person of
our Lord and Savior. This led to the summoning of the Fourth Ecumenical Council
at Chalcedon, at which St. Leo's Epistle was read. St. Leo, after writing this
epistle, had placed it on the tomb of St. Peter, whereupon it had been
corrected by St. Peter. As death drew near, he spent forty days in fasting and
prayer by the tomb of the Apostle Peter, begging him to tell him if his sins
were forgiven. The apostle appeared to him and assured him that they were,
except of his sins in ordaining priests (from which it is seen how grave a sin
it is to ordain an unworthy man). The saint returned to prayer until he was
told that these also were wiped out. Then he gave his soul to the Lord in
peace. St. Leo entered into rest in the year 461.
Troparion, Tone 3:
Thou wast the Church's instrument/ in strengthening the Church's teaching of
true doctrine;/ thou didst shine forth from the West like a sun/ and didst
dispel the heretics' error./ O righteous Leo, entreat Christ our God to grant
us His great mercy.
Kontakion, Tone 3:
From the throne of thy priesthood, O glorious one,/ thou didst stop the
mouths of the spiritual lions;/ thou didst illumine thy flock with the light of
the knowledge of God/ and with the inspired doctrines of the Holy Trinity./
Thou art glorified as a divine initiate of the grace of God.
Holy Protection Russian Orthodox Church
2049 Argyle Ave. Los Angeles, California 90068
(sebastian_zoe.doc, 08-15-2000)