Summary: Welcome to the the Behind the Counter Catholic radio show where we take a “No Bull, just the truth” approach to the Catholic Faith. I'm Ian Rutherford, founder of Aquinasandmore.com. Thank you for taking the time to listen in today. This show is pre-recorded but you can still leave comments about this and upcoming shows on our comment line at 719-235-5045 You can also subscribe to our show on iTunes. Just search for the Behind the Counter under podcasts. Today is November 10th, feast of St. Leo the Great. St. Leo was born in Tuscany in the late 300's. He was ordained a deacon in his 30's and because of his eloquence and the respect everyone had for him, he was sent to Gaul to mediate a dispute between the two highest officials in the country. While he was in Gaul, Pope Sixtus III died and proving that you always get volunteered for things when you aren't at the meeting, he was elected pope in 440. During his papacy there was a dispute over the church in Gaul where Bishop Hillary refused to submit to the Pope's authority. The pope appealed to Emperor Valentinian who in 445 issued a decree reasserting that the Pope in Rome held primacy in the Church based on his succession to Peter and the decrees of the First Council of Nicea. Bishop Hillary relented after the decree of Valentinian was issued. During his reign, he combated several heresies including Pelagians, Manicheans and wrote a letter, called the Tome of Leo – Tome here being the word letter in Latin, not to a massive book - on Christology which was presented at the Council of Calcedon ending a dispute over Christ's nature. In 452, Attila the Hun invaded Italy and at the gates of Rome demanded the Emperor's sister Honoria for his wife. The emperor sent three representatives including Pope Leo to negotiate with Attila and Pope Leo is credited with convincing Attila to withdraw without Honoria or any payment. No record of what agreement was made exists but tradition tells that Attila reported that a giant holding a bare sword stood behind Pope Leo during the negotiations and threatened to kill Attila and his entire army if he didn't retreat. Unfortunately, this was really the last gasp of the failing empire. In 455 the Vandals invaded Rome and started slaughtering the citizens and burning the city. Leo again went to negotiate with the invaders and convinced them to stop the destruction. Leo died in 461 on November 10th. He was the first pope to receive the title “The Great”. St. Leo the Great is pictured in art holding his “Tome” and sometimes shown with Attila kneeling before him. Other upcoming events and feasts include Veterans' Day (11/11) - St. Martin of Tours St. Martin I (11/12) EF St. Frances Cabrini (11/13) St. Albert (11/15) St. Margaret of Scotland (11/16) EF St. Martin of Tours traditions While I was growing up, every year in November we would brave the cold, and sometimes snow, to attend a St. Martin's Day party at a friend's home. Typically this involved a house packed with people, a huge potluck dinner and a bonfire. All of the kids would get slips of paper about the life of St. Martin and some of the traditions associated with the season and would read them around the bonfire. Some traditions your family can do: Serving roast goose – legend has it that when Martin found out he had been named a bishop, he tried to escape the people by hiding with a flock of geese which didn't appreciate the intrusion. Make paper lanterns for a procession Give away unneeded clothes to the St. Vincent dePaul Society or other organization. Drink wine! St. Martin is patron of wine makers and in France the tasting of the first wine of the year is traditionally held on his feast. If you would like to leave comments about the show, you can call our comment line at 719-235-5045 Even though it's still a few weeks away, you should start preparing for Advent now.
