Pope Leo XIV during his Sunday Angelus address (@VATICAN MEDIA )
Pope at Angelus: Be a labourer in the field of mission
During his Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo reflects on the
universal call to mission, urging Christians to move beyond occasional faith
and become committed witnesses in daily life.
By Francesca Merlo
Addressing the faithful gathered for his Sunday Angelus on 6
July, Pope Leo offered a reflection on the missionary nature of the Church,
grounded in the Gospel of Luke.
The Pope focused his reflection on Jesus’ sending out of
seventy-two disciples, an act which, he explained, represents the universal
scope of the Gospel. “The hope of the Gospel is meant for all peoples,” he
said, adding that this reflects “the breadth of God’s heart and the abundance
of His harvest.”
However, Pope Leo continued in quoting Jesus: “The
harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.” He explained that
while the world may seem overwhelmed by distractions and noise, people today
still “yearn for a greater truth,” seek justice, and carry within themselves “a
longing for eternal life.”
He described God as a sower who has generously gone out and
sown in people’s hearts “a desire for the infinite, for a fulfilled life and
for salvation that sets us free.” Despite this, there are few who are able “to
distinguish, with the eyes of Jesus, the good grain that is ripe for
harvesting.”
Be a labourer of faith
The Pope warned that faith should not become “merely an
external label.” What the Church and the world need are not occasional
participants but “labourers who are eager to work in the mission field, loving
disciples who bear witness to the Kingdom of God in all places.”
He acknowledged that there may be many “intermittent
Christians who occasionally act upon some religious feeling or participate in
sporadic events,” but there are far fewer who are ready “on a daily basis, to
labor in God’s harvest.”
Pope Leo stressed that this mission does not require “too
many theoretical ideas about pastoral plans.” Instead, he said, “we need to
pray to the Lord of the harvest.” Giving priority to one’s relationship with
the Lord and cultivating dialogue with Him, he added, allows people to become
true labourers, ready to be sent “into the field of the world to bear witness
to His Kingdom.”
Concluding his reflection, Pope Leo invited the faithful to
entrust themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, “who generously gave her ‘yes’
to participating in the work of salvation", before asking her to
“intercede for us and accompany us on the path of following the Lord, so that
we too may become joyful labourers in God’s Kingdom.”
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