Today in the Franciscan world, we celebrate a very special individual by the name of Saint Leonard of Porto Maurizio, a saint who was fashioned and molded in the shadows of the cross of Jesus Christ. He is perhaps the greatest missionary preacher our Franciscan family has ever produced. He gave over 300 parish missions throughout Italy. His preaching was simple, passionate, and Christ-centered. He wanted to make Christ known—Christ in relation to the cross, Christ in relation to the mercy of God, Christ and how He is the source of the conversion of life.
In today’s first reading, Saint Paul declares, “We proclaim Christ crucified.” And this, my brothers and sisters, perfectly captures Saint Leonard’s entire apostolate. Saint Leonard teaches us that the power of preaching is not in eloquence, but in letting the cross itself speak. Because when we contemplate what happened on the cross, who suffered for us on it, out of what great love He did so, this has huge transformative power in our hearts and our minds and in our souls.
The Stations of the Cross, which is such a popular devotion among many Catholics—especially during Lent, on all the Fridays, and especially on Good Friday—actually goes back to Saint Leonard’s own Franciscan legacy. This is something that he has left us. Saint Leonard, who was the one who established the Stations of the Cross in the Colosseum in Rome—imagine that—at the request of Pope Benedict the 14th. He promoted the Stations everywhere he preached, in fact. And for him, the Stations were a school of humility, patience, generosity, and missionary zeal. By walking the way of the cross, the faithful learn the wisdom of God that the world considers foolishness.
Saint Leonard’s life was marked by Eucharistic devotion, penance, and mercy. He was known for his intense personal asceticism and deep Eucharistic prayer. He insisted that preaching must lead to repentance, sacramental confession, and deeper love of Christ. His gentleness in the confessional drew countless souls back to God. His life reminds us that preaching is fruitful only when it pours out of a heart that has been transformed by prayer. Oh, how true it is. Take it from me, the one who preaches to you on a regular basis here at Franciscanpreacher.com. And pray for all of our preachers so that this grace can be a part of their lives, as it was a part of Saint Leonard’s—that they are preaching from a converted heart.
In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks about girding our loins and lighting our lamps. Saint Leonard preached tirelessly because he believed every Christian must be ready to meet the Lord at any moment. His missions were a wake-up call, a spiritual alarm clock for distracted people—and boy, are we distracted today. He invited the faithful to prepare not with fear but with joyful expectation, much like Saint Francis’ teaching on holy readiness. And sure, Saint Benedict would say to us that fear comes into play when we’re starting to cultivate the virtue of humility. One of the first things he mentions in his Rule is the fear of God—to fear God not solely out of respect for Him, but to fear His awesomeness, His power, and to allow that fear to sober our spirits.
Saint Leonard invited the faithful to prepare always. The point being that we never know the hour or the day, as Jesus pointed out. He had a missionary heart for the whole world. He tried to go twice to China as a missionary, but he fell ill and was prevented from going, much like Saint Anthony, who wanted to go to preach to the Muslims, but his illness kept him in Italy. Saint Leonard offered this disappointment to God and saw that true mission begins with evangelizing one’s own heart, and then one’s own people. Wherever the friary is, wherever we are sent, this becomes to every single Franciscan friar his mission field.
May Saint Leonard obtain for us a heart on fire for Christ crucified, a lamp kept burning by prayer, a lighthouse which guides us through the storms of life, and the missionary spirit that brings the gospel to the ends of the earth. Saint Leonard, pray for us who have recourse to thee, and ask Saint Francis to pray for us also. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Below are the proper Franciscan readings traditionally used for the Memorial of Saint Leonard of Porto Maurizio, Priest (OFM) — celebrated on November 26.
READINGS FOR THE MEMORIAL OF SAINT LEONARD OF PORTO MAURIZIO (OFM)
(From the Franciscan Supplement to the Roman Missal)
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Brothers and sisters:
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the learned I will set aside.
Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world did not come to know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 117:1bc, 2
- Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
Luke 12:35-40
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”
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