Sermons

Passion of the Lord

PASSION OF THE LORD Leo delivered a sermon on the Lord's Passion during Holy Week, breakingit up into parts overa coupleofdays, as he himselfexplained: "These things that I have put into your devout ears are enough today, dearly beloved, lest the weariness caused by too many words distress you. What still needs to be added we promise to give you on Wednesday , God willing, since he who has given what we have said, will give, we believe, what to say then, through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Serm. 52.5). Upon resuming that particular sermon, Leo states: "Fidelity demands , dearly beloved, that we should return to that part of the sermon which we promised concerning the Lord's Passion, he himself helping us, and I do not doubt that you are helping us in this with your prayers as well" (Serm. 53.1). Within this series of sermons, Leo touches on many aspects of the Passion-from the Last Supper all the way through the Resurrection. Some of his deepest reflections on the mystery of Redemption come from this collection, a fact that brings us to regret very much the loss of sermons from 446 to 451 and from 455 to 461. Leo explains to the congregation-simply, clearly, but sublimely-his personal insights into the real meaning of every person, place, and thing involved in the Passion-from the foreshadowings of the Old Testament to the realities of the New. He urges them continually to meditate upon the Passion because "never can enough be said [about it]" (Serm. 62.1). While the specific incidents upon which he chooses to focus vary throughout these sermons, Leo always manages to reiterate the truth about the Incarnation-generally with a view to refuting current heresies . "We should not let either ofthese groups make it seem that what has been done for us, not only humbly but sublimely as well, would be either impossible (with respect to human beings) or unworthy (with respect to God). But both should be accepted, both believed. No human being can be saved except through both" (Serm. 56.1). Leo often remarks thatthe Passion continues to be real for all believers , as real as it was to those who were actually present during it. Leo's eloquence waxes as he becomes personally involved in the events, directly addressing the participants and thereby increasing the pathos. "Return[, 0 Judas,] to your former state. Abandon your fury. Come to your senses. Kindness invites you. Your salvation demands it. Life calls you back to life" (Serm. 58.3). "From what fountain of error, 0 225 226 ST. LEO THE GREAT Jews, from what lake of ill will have you drunk the poison of such blasphemies? What teacher instructed you, what doctrine persuaded you, that you ought to believe someone to be King of Israel, someone to be the Son of God, if he would not allow himself to be crucified or would shake his body free from the grip of nails? No mysteries of the law, no rites of the Paschal observance, no words of the prophets proclaimed this to you" (Senn. 55.2). Sermon 52 16 March 441-Palm Sunday ODAY'S PASSAGE from the Gospel has unfolded for us, dearly beloved, the mystery ofour Lord's Passion. Our Lord Jesus the Son of God undertook it for the salvation of the human race. According to his promise, "he has drawn all things to himself in being lifted Up.,,1 So plainly and clearly has the Gospel unfolded this mystery that, to devout and holy hearts, hearing it read is the same as seeing the actual events. Since the sacred narrative holds undoubted authority, we are obliged to try, with the Lord's help, to have our intellect grasp what history has made known. After that first and universal fall of human transgressionfrom which "through one man sin entered into this world, and through sin death, and death has thereby spread to all people, in that all have sinned,,2 - no one could escape the terrible dominion ofthe devil nor the chains of harsh captivity. Reconciliation to pardon would lie open for no one, nor a return to lifehad God the Son (co-eternal with and co-equal to God the Father ) not condescended to become the son of a human being, coming "to seek out and to save what had been lost.,,3 As "death" came "through Adam," so "through" our Lord Jesus Christ came "resurrection of the dead...