Saturday, February 17 : Saint Leo the Great

To translate into acts this virtue of charity, my brothers, it is true that all times are good; And yet, the days we are living in particularly urge us there. Those who wish to welcome the Lord’s Passover with the holiness of the Spirit and the body must strive above all to acquire this grace which contains the sum of the virtues and “covers a multitude of sins” (1 p 4,8) . On the verge of celebrating the greatest of all the mysteries, the one where the blood of Jesus Christ has erased our iniquities, let us first prepare the sacrifice of mercy. What God’s goodness has given us, we give it back to those who have offended us. May insults be thrown into oblivion, may faults now forget vengance and that all offenses be released from the fear of revenge! (…) So when we say, according to the teaching of the Lord: “forgive us our trespasses as we also forgive those who have trespass against us” (Mt 6,12), we will not doubt, by formulating our prayer be ‘Obtaining God’s forgiveness. We must also show more generous kindness towards the poor and those who suffer from various weaknesses, so that more voices can give thanks to God and our fasting contribute to the relief of those in need. No devotion of believers is more pleasant to the Lord than the one from which his poor benefit: where God finds the concern for mercy, he recognizes the image of his goodness.

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team