The Feast of St. Leo the Great.

Today the Church celebrates the life and heroic virtue of St. Leo the Great. He was elected pope in 440 AD. He spent a lot of time quelling the rapidly rising heresies (pelagianism) of the time but was also noted for his pastoral care of the sheep in his flock.

I find it incredibly difficult to believe that the early Church had departed from the "True Gospel" when one reads something like this below (Pope Leo's Christmas Homily) from one of its chief shepherds in the fifth century. He even mentions the Immaculate Conception, which acccording to some detractors was an invention of the Church in the 1850's!
(NB: The reason for his many references to the terrestrial bodies was the fact the sermon was given on a day that had previously been a feast day to a pagan sun god.)

Having therefore so confident a hope, dearly beloved, abide firm in the Faith in which you are built: lest that same tempter whose tyranny over you Christ has already destroyed, win you back again with any of his wiles, and mar even the joys of the present festival by his deceitful art, misleading simpler souls with the pestilential notion of some to whom this our solemn feast day seems to derive its honour, not so much from the nativity of Christ as, according to them, from the rising of the new sun!

Such men's hearts are wrapped in total darkness, and have no growing perception of the true Light: for they are still drawn away by the foolish errors of heathendom, and because they cannot lift the eyes of their mind above that which their carnal sight beholds, they pay divine honour to the luminaries that minister to the world. Let not Christian souls entertain any such wicked superstition and portentous lie.

Beyond all measure are things temporal removed from the Eternal, things corporeal from the Incorporeal, things governed from the Governor. For though they possess a wondrous beauty, yet they have no Godhead to be worshipped. That power then, that wisdom, that majesty is to be adored which created the universe out of nothing, and framed by His almighty methods the substance of the earth and sky into what forms and dimensions He willed. Sun, moon, and stars may be most useful to us, most fair to look upon; but only if we render thanks to their Maker for them and worship God who made them, not the creation which does Him service.

Then praise God, dearly beloved, in all His works and judgments. Cherish an undoubting belief in the Virgin's pure conception. Honour the sacred and Divine mystery of man's restoration with holy and sincere service. Embrace Christ born in our flesh, that you may deserve to see Him also as the God of glory reigning in His majesty, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit remains in the unity of the Godhead for ever and ever. Amen.