Editing Pope Leo I (section)

== On the fundamental dignity of Christians ==
In his ''In Nativitate Domini'', Christmas Day, sermon, "Christian, remember your dignity", Leo articulates a fundamental dignity common to all Christians, whether saints or sinners, and the consequent obligation to live up to it:
{{Blockquote|Our Saviour, dearly-beloved, was born today: let us be glad. For there is no proper place for sadness, when we keep the birthday of the Life, which destroys the fear of mortality and brings to us the joy of promised eternity. No one is kept from sharing in this happiness. There is for all one common measure of joy, because as our Lord the destroyer of sin and death finds none free from charge, so is He come to free us all. Let the saint exult in that he draws near to victory. Let the sinner be glad in that he is invited to pardon. Let the gentile take courage in that he is called to life...<br>
Let us put off then the old man with his deeds: and having obtained a share in the birth of Christ let us renounce the works of the flesh. Christian, acknowledge thy dignity, and becoming a partner in the Divine nature, refuse to return to the old baseness by degenerate conduct. Remember the Head and the Body of which thou art a member. Recollect that thou wert rescued from the power of darkness and brought out into God’s light and kingdom. By the mystery of Baptism thou wert made the temple of the Holy Ghost: do not put such a denizen to flight from thee by base acts, and subject thyself once more to the devil’s thraldom:  because thy purchase money is the blood of Christ, because He shall judge thee in truth Who ransomed thee in mercy, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit reigns for ever and ever. Amen.<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf212.ii.v.x.html] Philip Schaff (1819–1893), ed., ''Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. Series 2. Vol. 12. Leo the Great, Gregory the Great'', Charles Lett Feltoe, trans. (Edinburgh: T and T Clark. Reprinted by Wm. B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan). Another translation is available at William Bright, trans. and comm., ''Select Sermons of S. Leo the Great on the Incarnation, with his 28th Epistle, Called the "Tome"'', 2nd ed., rev. and enl. (London: J. Masters, 1886), p.1, online at [https://archive.org/details/selectsermonsofs00leoiuoft] and [https://openlibrary.org/works/OL2933329W/Select_sermons_of_S._Leo_the_Great_on_the_incarnation]</ref>}}