Sunday, February 27, 2011

This saint has three siblings who were also canonized saints

February 27 -- St. Leander of Seville

St. Leander was born in the 6th century to a noble family in Carthagena. He was the elder brother of St. Isidore, St. Fulgentius and St. Florentina. Imagine four canonized saints in one family showing the power of the Faith and the blessings of the Holy Spirit.

For more than 170 years, Spain was dominated by heretical barbarians, not by pagans as is usually thought.  These people were Arian Visigoths who oppressed Catholics with great energy.

St. Leander's mission was to overthrow this dominion. He began with prayer and meditation asking Our Lady for the supernatural graces which were necessary to preach against this diabolical heresy of Arianism.  Assisted by grace, St. Leander was able to convert large numbers of heretics including the son of King Leovigild.

Angry with this turn of events, the King exiled Leander and killed his own son.  St. Leander's constant prayer and penance gave him the confidence to continue his apostolate with the result that the King repented and called on St. Leander to educate his younger son and successor.

Now, the State and Church worked hand in hand for the total conversion of the country.  The Council of Seville and the Council of Toledo were convened to abjure Arianism in all its forms and to banish every trace of it forever from Spain. The liturgy in Spain was reformed and the Nicene Creed added to the Mass.

Let us ask St. Leander to give us his spirit of prayer and confidence to fight as he did against the heresies of our day.

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