Addressing the faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Square for his Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo reflected on the Gospel passage from Luke, inviting the faithful to ask themselves how they are investing the “treasure” of their lives.
Quoting Jesus’ words, “Sell what you own and give alms”, the Pope urged Christians not to cling to the gifts they have received from God, but to use them generously for the good of others – especially those most in need.
“It is not only about sharing material possessions,” he said, “but about putting into play our abilities, our time, our affection, our presence, our empathy.” Each person, he continued, is “a unique, priceless good in God’s plan – a living, beating capital” that must be cultivated and invested, “otherwise it dries up and loses its value.”
The Pope then warned the faithful that this treasure can be squandered, or even taken by those “who, like a thief, turn it into an object of consumption.” The gift of God that we are, he stressed, needs space, freedom, and relationship to flourish – and above all, it needs love, “which transforms and ennobles every aspect of our existence, making us ever more like God.”
Recalling that Jesus spoke these words on His way to Jerusalem, where He would give Himself completely on the cross, Pope Leo pointed to the works of mercy as “the safest and most fruitful bank” for the treasure of our lives. Even the smallest gesture, he said, can have infinite value, as in the Gospel’s image of the poor widow who, with two small coins, becomes “the richest person in the world”.
Citing Saint Augustine, the Pope noted that while people might rejoice to exchange bronze for silver or silver for gold, “what is given” in love yields something infinitely greater: eternal life. “It will be changed,” Augustine explained, “because the giver will be changed.”
Pope Leo then invited the faithful to see this truth in everyday life – in the mother who holds her children close, or in two people in love who feel like “a king and queen” when they are together. “We could give many other examples,” he added.
Wherever we find ourselves – at home, in our parish, at school, or in the workplace – the Pope encouraged us “not to miss any opportunity to love.” This, he said, is the vigilance Jesus asks of us: being attentive, ready, and sensitive to one another, as He is with us at every moment.
Bringing his address to a close, the Pope entrusted this desire to Mary, “the Morning Star,” asking her to help all believers to be “sentinels of mercy and peace” in a divided world.
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