I myself am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another. But I have written to you rather boldly in some respects to remind you, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in performing the priestly service of the Gospel of God, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:14-21)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111023.cfm
As Saint Paul praises the Church at Rome for its goodness, he also speaks of his own priestly ministry on behalf of the Gentiles. We ourselves are the fruits of Saint Paul’s ministry. Saint Leo the Great, like Saint Paul, served the Church at Rome. This week the Padre will be visiting the Eje Cafetero (the coffee growing region) of Colombia with members of his Colombian family.
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Saint Leo the Great, pope & doctor, November 10
