Pope León XIV invited the faithful this Sunday to maintain dialogue with God even when His ways are difficult to understand, and warned against the temptation of judging His will according to our own expectations. During the recitation of the Angelus in Castel Gandolfo, the Pontiff took as his starting point Saint Peter’s reaction to the announcement of Christ’s Passion.
Before the faithful gathered in Freedom Square, Leo XIV highlighted two lessons from Peter: to speak sincerely to the Lord when we do not understand what He asks, and at the same time to maintain humility and docility in accepting His will. After the Marian prayer, the Pope also remembered the victims of violence in Haiti, called for the release of the kidnapped, prayed for those affected by the floods in Nepal and Tibet, and renewed his appeal for peace.
Below are the Pope’s full words:
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and happy Sunday:
Today the Gospel speaks to us of Jesus, who reveals to His disciples the Mystery of His imminent Passover: the Messiah —He says— must “go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised” (Mt 16:21).
What He affirms is far from their expectations of a triumphant and powerful Messiah, with whose help they would defeat and trample their enemies (cf. Ps 108:14). They had already had occasion, during the time spent with Him, to marvel at many of His gestures and words. This final message, however, truly surpasses every expectation. In particular, Peter expresses his disagreement and rebukes Jesus, saying to Him: “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you” (v. 22).
A short time earlier he had recognized Him as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (v. 16). Now, surprised and perhaps disappointed by what he hears, in contrast with the beautiful profession of faith he has just made, he rebukes Him. He seems to say: “Yes, I believe You are the Messiah, but this is not how the world is saved.” His reaction is an impulse of zeal, certainly animated by sincere love, yet it invites us to reflect.
For us too, in fact, it is not always easy to understand and accept the ways of God, especially when they are very far from our own. Then the temptation is to think, against all logic of faith, that it is the Lord who is mistaken, or worse still, that He does not listen to us or is not interested in us. In the face of this uncertainty, Peter, even with his impulsiveness, teaches us two important things.
The first is never to interrupt, even in those moments, the dialogue with the Lord; on the contrary, to express to Him with confidence also our difficulty in understanding what He asks of us.
The second, however, is never to judge the working of God, but rather to dispose ourselves to listen, with humility, in prayer, to what He is revealing to us through His action, even when it does not correspond to our expectations.
And in this too is manifested the greatness of the First of the Apostles.
Jesus answers him: “Get behind me, Satan!” (v. 23), and explains to him and the other disciples that, to follow in His footsteps, they must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him (cf. v. 24). Peter will do so: after listening to Him, he will accept the challenge and remain faithful to the words of Christ, whom he recognized as his Redeemer, throughout his life, even to martyrdom.
Let us then ask the Lord that we too may have, in our life of faith and in our prayer, the same sincerity as Peter, humbly telling Him what we really feel, even when the heart is confused, and at the same time know how to cultivate his same docility, accepting what He asks of us beyond our expectations.
May Mary help us, who was obedient to the designs of God even to remaining at the foot of the Cross of her Son Jesus.
After the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters:
From Haiti come dramatic reports of the grave massacre perpetrated in Kenscoff, in which numerous people have lost their lives while others remain kidnapped. I express my closeness in prayer to the victims and their families and ask that all the hostages be released without delay. I address a heartfelt appeal to all those responsible to commit themselves concretely to guaranteeing the security of the population and to putting an end to every form of violence.
I assure my prayer for those affected by the terrible flood that has occurred in Nepal and Tibet. Let us pray for those who have lost their lives, for the injured and missing, for the families and for the rescue teams. May everyone’s concern help to alleviate suffering and bring the necessary aid to the population.
Let us continue to pray for peace. Saint Augustine, whose memory we have celebrated in these days, said that “peace […] is like the bread of the miracle that grew in the hands of the disciples while they broke and distributed it” (Sermo 357, 2). May the number increase in the world of those who, with courage, break and distribute the bread of peace, overcoming divisions, promoting justice and practicing forgiveness, for the good of all.
On Tuesday we celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. With it begins the “Time of Creation” —celebrated by Christians of various confessions— whose theme this year is “Living Water.” As I recalled in the Message for this Day, the care of our “common home” requires a conversion of the heart, so that what has been used to cause destruction may instead be directed toward life. I invite everyone to join, in prayer and in action, so that we may become channels of the living water of God’s peace, which brings relief to our wounded world.
I greet all of you, faithful of Castel Gandolfo and pilgrims from various countries! In particular, I welcome the participants in the charitable initiative Run to Rome, the young people who have made the itinerant journey of the Via Lucis, the group of Devotees of the Virgin of the Miracles of Corbetta, and the motorcyclists present for their traditional annual meeting.
I thank the Law Enforcement Agencies and all those who have contributed to my summer stay here in Castel Gandolfo, as well as the security service during the meetings with the pilgrims. Thank you very much!
I send my cordial greeting to the faithful who follow the Angelus from Saint Peter’s Square.
And to all of you I wish a happy Sunday!