All Saints' Day- Who is St. Leonard
Today we are celebrating the feast of All Saints. The word “saint” means “holy one”. To be a saint means to have such a close relationship with God that God’s holiness is reflected- Sort of how the moon reflects the sun’s light. This is what all Christians are called to be. The French novelist Leon Bloy once said,
"the only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint".
To not become a saint means to miss God’s call on our life.
Paul refers to the people in his churches as “saints”. So, in a sense, it is both what we are because of Christ’s work to save us, and what we are called to be because of how Christ is transforming us. Saints are what we are, since as Christians, we are the Body of Christ. So, St. Paul writes to the Ephesians saying,
Paul refers to the people in his churches as “saints”. So, in a sense, it is both what we are because of Christ’s work to save us, and what we are called to be because of how Christ is transforming us. Saints are what we are, since as Christians, we are the Body of Christ. So, St. Paul writes to the Ephesians saying,
“To the saints who are in Ephesus…” (Eph 1:1).At other times Paul will write saying,
“To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints…” (Rom 1:7).
We are also called to deeper transformation. St. Paul writes,
“My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you..." ( Galatians 4:19).
Paul is yearning for them to fully embody the life and character of Christ- to become saints.
Over time, the Church has recognized certain individuals as examples of having “Christ formed in” them. Our Gospel reading is seen reflected in the lives of the saints. They have often lived in poverty, and lived lives of great austerity, practicing the discipline of fasting. … They have profound compassion for those who are suffering, and tears flow quickly on behalf others. They are often mistreated, misunderstood, and persecuted. … They are known for loving their enemies, and blessing those who curse them, and living generously. … They are citizens of the heavenly kingdom.
As you know, our church is named after St. Leonard. November 6th is believed to be the day of St. Leonard’s death and has become the day he is remembered. So, I thought today we could focus on St. Leonard.
During the Middle Ages one of the most widely read books was called The Golden Legend. It is a collection of stories about the saints that was written around 1260AD. Many of these stories have sort of a legendary feel about them, and you can be a perfectly fine Christian without believing these stories, but I think we can benefit from listening to them. And I tend to think that there is maybe more truth to these stories than many modern people might think. There are some modern saints, and the stories that circulate around them are not too far off from some of the stories we read in the Golden Legend.
The Golden Legend tells us that St. Leonard was born around the year 500AD and died around 570. Leonard came to be so highly thought of by the king of France[1] that any prisoners Leonard visited were released from prison. The King tried to make Leonard a bishop, but he refused the offer, preferring solitude for prayer. He lived at a few places in France- particularly, central to Southwestern France (especially Orleans, Aquitaine, Limoges). Many miracles are said to have happened through him, and the The Golden Legend shares a few specific stories.
One day, Leonard was walking through the forest when he heard a woman crying in pain. Leonard went to see if he could help, and he found that it was the queen giving birth in the king’s hunting lodge. The birth was not going well, and the queen was looking like she might not survive. The King asked him in to pray for the queen and their child, … and both got through the birth safely.
The king was so thankful that he offered Leonard a small fortune, which he refused, telling him to give it to the poor. Leonard told the king that he didn’t need money and that all he really needed was to live in the forest and serve Christ. The king then offered to give Leonard the whole forest. Leonard said he didn’t need the whole forest, but he asked for as much as he could ride around on his donkey in one night. It was there that his monastery was built.
Leonard is most known for his ministry to prisoners, especially prisoners who are wrongfully held, or who he discerned were worthy of mercy. It was said that some prisoners who invoked Leonard’s name saw their chains unlocked and were able to walk away free without being stopped. (Which reflects the story about St. Peter being released from prison by an angel in Acts 12). These people would then bring their chains to Leonard, and many ended up staying with him. After his death, these miracles continued to occur, and former prisoners would leave their chains at Leonard’s tomb. … (We have his symbol of opened chains in a stained glass window, as well as painted on the outside of our building.)
One story is told that a certain nobleman created a very heavy and uncomfortable chain that was mounted to a beam that jutted out from a tower. The chain would be fastened around the prisoner’s neck and they were left uncomfortably exposed to the elements and would eventually die. The extravagance of the chain was supposed to strike fear into the heart of any would-be criminal. … One man had the chain fastened around his neck, but had done nothing wrong. Before he was about to breath his last breath, Leonard appeared, and the chain fell off. Leonard then told the man to pick up the chain and follow him to his church. The large, impressive chain was then laid at the saint’s tomb.
Leonard had such a reputation for freeing prisoners that one tyrant made special plans to thwart him. The Tyrant said, “That Leonard frees everybody, and the strength of iron melts before him like wax in front of a fire. If I put my man in chains, Leonard will be on hand at once and will set him free. If, on the other hand, I manage to keep the fellow, I will get a thousand pounds’ ransom for him.”
So, the man dug a deep pit under the tower, and he chained the prisoner in it so that even if his chains were removed, he still wouldn’t be able to get out of the pit. The tyrant was proud of himself for having outsmarted the saint. … But, one night Leonard arrived and broke the chains and carried the man in his arms out of his prison. Once out, they walked and chatted on the way to Leonard’s monastery.
Now these stories are fun and interesting, but we don’t know how much of this is historical. I tend to be a bit of a romantic, so I tend to believe that these kinds of things can happen, but you can be a perfectly fine Christian without believing these stories. … I’m interested in how the Gospel shines through the stories. I’m interested in how these stories inspire me to be more like Jesus. …
The theme of captives being set free is a strong theme throughout the Bible. The central story for the Jewish people in the Old Testament is the Exodus story- The story of an oppressed group of slaves who cried out to God for justice and freedom. God then sent Moses and worked miracles to free the Hebrew slaves from the Egyptian Pharaoh.
Once free from Egypt, though, there is still another freedom needed. While they are physically free from the land of Egypt, they still had to deal with an internal slavery. … When Moses was on the mountain they made a golden idol to worship. They were still enslaved to the idols and worship of Egypt. They may have left Egypt, but Egypt was still in them. They still longed for the food they had as slaves. … The rest of the Bible could be seen as God’s mission to liberate his people.
The cross is the place where Christ decisively rescues humanity from slavery to sin, death, and the powers of evil. Our sins are not just mistakes- they are debts and chains that bind us, and hold us captive. Through his death and resurrection, Christ breaks these chains, liberating us from the dominion of death and the devil. … A very old story called the Gospel of Nicodemus talks about Jesus breaking the gates of Hell and freeing Adam and Eve, the prophets, and the righteous dead, and leading them from their prison to paradise. … This theme of liberation- God setting captives free- runs throughout both Jewish and Christian scripture. Salvation is not only forgiveness, but freedom from those things that bind us, and restoration to be truly free as citizens of the Kingdom.
So, when I think of St. Leonard, I think about where I need to be liberated. What imprisons me? Are there habitual sins that I need to be freed from? Are there repetitive negative and destructive thoughts that need to be broken? Are there lies I believe about myself and others that need to be confronted with the truth? We can live in many different kinds of prisons.
When I think about what it means to be a church bearing St. Leonard’s name. I think about how we can be a force for liberation for those around us. When I look at our society, I’m amazed by how we have largely been freed from fear of starvation. Medical technologies and painkillers have freed us from many diseases and a lot of pain. Our technology would look like magic to our ancestors. … But, we still seem incredibly enslaved. Anxiety and mental health struggles are skyrocketing. Illegal drug use is capturing many of our youth. People are feeling more isolated and lonely. Many people are living with crippling levels of debt. The political tensions between us are staggering, and we seem more and more polarized all the time. … People seems like they just don’t know what their life means.
How can we become known as the ones who help people become freed from the chains that bind them?
As Christians we can be saved, but if we don’t allow Jesus to do that deeper spiritual work in us, we can still be enslaved to something and not live in the freedom Christ wants for us. That freedom looks like holiness. … We might not live in slavery in Egypt anymore, but our minds might be still trapped in Egypt. God desires our liberation. God wants us to be freed from the lies and habits that imprison us, so that we can live free lives as citizens of the kingdom of God, just as the saints live. God wants us to live victorious, liberated lives, so that we can be a force of liberation in the lives of others. AMEN
Over time, the Church has recognized certain individuals as examples of having “Christ formed in” them. Our Gospel reading is seen reflected in the lives of the saints. They have often lived in poverty, and lived lives of great austerity, practicing the discipline of fasting. … They have profound compassion for those who are suffering, and tears flow quickly on behalf others. They are often mistreated, misunderstood, and persecuted. … They are known for loving their enemies, and blessing those who curse them, and living generously. … They are citizens of the heavenly kingdom.
As you know, our church is named after St. Leonard. November 6th is believed to be the day of St. Leonard’s death and has become the day he is remembered. So, I thought today we could focus on St. Leonard.
During the Middle Ages one of the most widely read books was called The Golden Legend. It is a collection of stories about the saints that was written around 1260AD. Many of these stories have sort of a legendary feel about them, and you can be a perfectly fine Christian without believing these stories, but I think we can benefit from listening to them. And I tend to think that there is maybe more truth to these stories than many modern people might think. There are some modern saints, and the stories that circulate around them are not too far off from some of the stories we read in the Golden Legend.
The Golden Legend tells us that St. Leonard was born around the year 500AD and died around 570. Leonard came to be so highly thought of by the king of France[1] that any prisoners Leonard visited were released from prison. The King tried to make Leonard a bishop, but he refused the offer, preferring solitude for prayer. He lived at a few places in France- particularly, central to Southwestern France (especially Orleans, Aquitaine, Limoges). Many miracles are said to have happened through him, and the The Golden Legend shares a few specific stories.
One day, Leonard was walking through the forest when he heard a woman crying in pain. Leonard went to see if he could help, and he found that it was the queen giving birth in the king’s hunting lodge. The birth was not going well, and the queen was looking like she might not survive. The King asked him in to pray for the queen and their child, … and both got through the birth safely.
The king was so thankful that he offered Leonard a small fortune, which he refused, telling him to give it to the poor. Leonard told the king that he didn’t need money and that all he really needed was to live in the forest and serve Christ. The king then offered to give Leonard the whole forest. Leonard said he didn’t need the whole forest, but he asked for as much as he could ride around on his donkey in one night. It was there that his monastery was built.
Leonard is most known for his ministry to prisoners, especially prisoners who are wrongfully held, or who he discerned were worthy of mercy. It was said that some prisoners who invoked Leonard’s name saw their chains unlocked and were able to walk away free without being stopped. (Which reflects the story about St. Peter being released from prison by an angel in Acts 12). These people would then bring their chains to Leonard, and many ended up staying with him. After his death, these miracles continued to occur, and former prisoners would leave their chains at Leonard’s tomb. … (We have his symbol of opened chains in a stained glass window, as well as painted on the outside of our building.)
One story is told that a certain nobleman created a very heavy and uncomfortable chain that was mounted to a beam that jutted out from a tower. The chain would be fastened around the prisoner’s neck and they were left uncomfortably exposed to the elements and would eventually die. The extravagance of the chain was supposed to strike fear into the heart of any would-be criminal. … One man had the chain fastened around his neck, but had done nothing wrong. Before he was about to breath his last breath, Leonard appeared, and the chain fell off. Leonard then told the man to pick up the chain and follow him to his church. The large, impressive chain was then laid at the saint’s tomb.
Leonard had such a reputation for freeing prisoners that one tyrant made special plans to thwart him. The Tyrant said, “That Leonard frees everybody, and the strength of iron melts before him like wax in front of a fire. If I put my man in chains, Leonard will be on hand at once and will set him free. If, on the other hand, I manage to keep the fellow, I will get a thousand pounds’ ransom for him.”
So, the man dug a deep pit under the tower, and he chained the prisoner in it so that even if his chains were removed, he still wouldn’t be able to get out of the pit. The tyrant was proud of himself for having outsmarted the saint. … But, one night Leonard arrived and broke the chains and carried the man in his arms out of his prison. Once out, they walked and chatted on the way to Leonard’s monastery.
Now these stories are fun and interesting, but we don’t know how much of this is historical. I tend to be a bit of a romantic, so I tend to believe that these kinds of things can happen, but you can be a perfectly fine Christian without believing these stories. … I’m interested in how the Gospel shines through the stories. I’m interested in how these stories inspire me to be more like Jesus. …
The theme of captives being set free is a strong theme throughout the Bible. The central story for the Jewish people in the Old Testament is the Exodus story- The story of an oppressed group of slaves who cried out to God for justice and freedom. God then sent Moses and worked miracles to free the Hebrew slaves from the Egyptian Pharaoh.
Once free from Egypt, though, there is still another freedom needed. While they are physically free from the land of Egypt, they still had to deal with an internal slavery. … When Moses was on the mountain they made a golden idol to worship. They were still enslaved to the idols and worship of Egypt. They may have left Egypt, but Egypt was still in them. They still longed for the food they had as slaves. … The rest of the Bible could be seen as God’s mission to liberate his people.
The cross is the place where Christ decisively rescues humanity from slavery to sin, death, and the powers of evil. Our sins are not just mistakes- they are debts and chains that bind us, and hold us captive. Through his death and resurrection, Christ breaks these chains, liberating us from the dominion of death and the devil. … A very old story called the Gospel of Nicodemus talks about Jesus breaking the gates of Hell and freeing Adam and Eve, the prophets, and the righteous dead, and leading them from their prison to paradise. … This theme of liberation- God setting captives free- runs throughout both Jewish and Christian scripture. Salvation is not only forgiveness, but freedom from those things that bind us, and restoration to be truly free as citizens of the Kingdom.
So, when I think of St. Leonard, I think about where I need to be liberated. What imprisons me? Are there habitual sins that I need to be freed from? Are there repetitive negative and destructive thoughts that need to be broken? Are there lies I believe about myself and others that need to be confronted with the truth? We can live in many different kinds of prisons.
When I think about what it means to be a church bearing St. Leonard’s name. I think about how we can be a force for liberation for those around us. When I look at our society, I’m amazed by how we have largely been freed from fear of starvation. Medical technologies and painkillers have freed us from many diseases and a lot of pain. Our technology would look like magic to our ancestors. … But, we still seem incredibly enslaved. Anxiety and mental health struggles are skyrocketing. Illegal drug use is capturing many of our youth. People are feeling more isolated and lonely. Many people are living with crippling levels of debt. The political tensions between us are staggering, and we seem more and more polarized all the time. … People seems like they just don’t know what their life means.
How can we become known as the ones who help people become freed from the chains that bind them?
As Christians we can be saved, but if we don’t allow Jesus to do that deeper spiritual work in us, we can still be enslaved to something and not live in the freedom Christ wants for us. That freedom looks like holiness. … We might not live in slavery in Egypt anymore, but our minds might be still trapped in Egypt. God desires our liberation. God wants us to be freed from the lies and habits that imprison us, so that we can live free lives as citizens of the kingdom of God, just as the saints live. God wants us to live victorious, liberated lives, so that we can be a force of liberation in the lives of others. AMEN
[1] Clovis the first
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