Having returned to Castel Gandolfo in the Castelli Romani on 13 August, Pope Leo XIV presided over Mass at the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Rotonda. Reflecting on the gift of celebrating another day together, the Pope turned to the “greater gift” that Christ has already overcome: death. He explained that Sunday is a reminder of this victory.
He acknowledged that while we might come to church with fear and anxiety, “immediately we are less alone” once we gather together and encounter the Word and Body of Christ.
Reflecting on the ancient Sanctuary and its “Rotonda”, the Pope shared how this shape is meant to make us feel “welcomed into the womb of God.” On the outside, “the Church, like every human reality, may appear rough-edged.” Yet, on the inside, the divine reality is revealed and all of our struggles, poverty, and vulnerabilities disappear as we are met with God’s unconditional love.
Mary, Pope Leo pointed out, is “a sign and foretaste of God’s motherhood.” Through her, the Church becomes a mother, which renews the world through charity rather than power.
Peace is not comfort
Turning to the Gospel, the Pope stressed that “the world trains us to confuse peace with comfort and goodness with quietness.” That is why Jesus exclaimed that he came to “cast fire upon the earth” because families and friends might be divided. Some may tell us to avoid risks and work for peace and quiet, ignoring the challenges that might come.
But, Pope Leo said, Jesus took on humanity and this was the baptism of which He spoke — a “baptism of the Cross, a total immersion into the risks that love demands.” We receive the food and strength for the journey by receiving communion in the Mass. Through this, we see our decision to live for others rather than ourselves and our call to bring the fire of love into the world.
This is a love that “lowers itself and serves, that responds to indifference with care” and this fire of goodness, “which – unlike weapons – costs nothing”, may lead to misunderstandings and persecution. However, the Pope encouraged everyone that “there is no greater peace than having that flame burning within us.”
Only by being one
In light of this fire of goodness and charity, Pope Leo expressed his gratitude to everyone in the Diocese of Albano for being committed to serving others. He urged them to avoid drawing distinctions between those who serve and those who are served. “Each one is a gift to the others” and we are all members of “a Church of the poor”.
Only by coming together and focusing on fostering encounters between people of different political, social, emotional backgrounds can we truly become the Body of Christ. This happens, the Pope shared, when “the fire Jesus came to bring burns away the prejudices, fears, and false cautions that still marginalize those who carry Christ’s poverty in their lives.”
He urged everyone to avoid leaving Christ outside the churches, homes, and lives. Rather, he challenged them to welcome Him in the poor. Then, the Pope said, “we will also make peace with our own poverty — the poverty we fear and deny when we chase comfort and security at any cost.”
Source: vaticannews.va