Pope at Angelus: God will never discard us

In his Angelus address to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV reflected on Jesus’ words after proclaiming the Beatitudes. In the Gospel, He does not simply list the eight Beatitudes, but rather afterwards “addresses those who put them into practice, saying that thanks to them the earth is no longer the same and the world is no longer in darkness.”

The Pope explained that true joy gives flavor and light to the dark parts of life. “This joy springs from a way of life, a way of inhabiting the earth and of living together that must be desired and chosen”, he noted. This new way of life shines in Jesus and his words and deeds.

Once a person meets Jesus who is poor in spirit, meek, simple of heart, and longing for justice, they cannot return to a life that is bland and dull. “Mercy and peace as powers of transformation and reconciliation” have been unlocked in this encounter.

In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Pope Leo listed concrete ways of overcoming injustice—"sharing bread with the hungry, bringing the poor and homeless into our homes, clothing those we see to be naked, without neglecting our neighbors and those in our own homes.”

Having performed these actions, the prophet says, “then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily” (58:8). The Holy Father pointed out the two-sided depth of this phrase. On one hand, there is a light that cannot be hidden as it, like the sun, dispels the darkness; and on the other hand, a wound that was once burning is being healed.