VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — The following is the full text of Pope Leo XIV’s Angelus address given Oct. 11 at St. Peter’s Square.
Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of the wedding feast prepared by a king for his son (cf. Mt 22:1–14).
A son’s wedding is a special occasion for any family, and this happy father wants to share his joy with everyone. He prepares a banquet and invites many people. St. Thomas Aquinas says that goodness, by its very nature, tends to spread: “Bonum dicitur diffusivum sui” (Summa Theologiae, I, q. 5, a. 4, ad 2). The image in the narrative expresses this idea in the context of our lived experience. When something good happens, it kindles a light that leads us to share our happiness with others.
In response to such a gracious invitation, however, instead of coming to the feast, the guests turn away and prefer to continue going about their business. Some are annoyed, insult the king’s messengers and even kill them. Unfortunately, this can happen to us, too, for the good we offer to do is not always understood, recognized or appreciated. Indeed, at times, it is willfully misinterpreted and rejected. Yet this must not discourage us. When faced with rejection, the king does not call off the wedding or cancel the celebrations. On the contrary, he extends his invitation to an even greater number of people, sending his servants out into the streets to call them so that the bride and groom’s joy may be a gift for all.
At this point, we can ask ourselves whom the main characters in this story represent. St. Jerome identifies the king as the Heavenly Father, the bridegroom as Jesus, and the bride as the Church (cf. Commentary on Matthew, Book III, ch. 22). We are among the main characters as well, chosen by the Lord to share our lives with him and to be bearers of life with him. The wedding feast is ours, and the banquet hall is our churches and homes, the places where we live and where the King’s Son, Jesus Christ, continues to declare his love for us and await our “yes.” We encounter him there, and are clothed like a bride in the white garment of baptism and adorned with the jewels of good works, which draw us closer to God and to one another.
The joy we proclaim, therefore, is not artificial; it is profound, concrete and real. It is as beautiful as the faces of the people we meet. It is as genuine as the work, the smiles, the tears, the handshakes, and the acts of kindness that fill our days. It is a gift of God for the salvation of the world.
Therefore, let us ask Mary, the Mother of the Lord, to help us grow in this joy. Even when it is not understood, let us proclaim this joy always and everywhere, with generosity, courage and faith.
After the Angelus:
Yesterday, in Mantua, Sister Maria Ignazia Isacchi, the foundress of the Congregation of the Ursuline Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was beatified. Between the end of 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, she devoted herself with courageous charity to the needy and the disadvantaged. May her example rekindle in all of us the desire to be witnesses in the world of the love of the Gospel toward everyone.
The war in tormented Ukraine continues to cause suffering far beyond its borders, especially in the poorest countries, where so many people depend on grain imports. I make a heartfelt appeal to the parties to the conflict to allow for the safe transport of grain through the Black Sea. The daily bread of millions of people cannot be held hostage by the war.
Today in Italy marks the Day for Victims of Workplace Accidents. I extend my greetings to the National Association of Workers with Work-Related Injuries and Disabilities and encourage efforts toward prevention.
I extend a warm welcome to all of you, Romans and pilgrims alike!
I greet the members of the Hermandad del Señor de los Milagros in Rome and all those who took part in the procession with the venerated Icon of the Crucified Christ. Thank you for your prayers for the pastoral visit I will make to Peru.
I joyfully welcome the faithful of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Mukachevo in Ukraine, accompanied by their bishop; the Asociación de fieles Hakuna; the las Antiguas Alumnas Jesús Maria España; the choir and choral school of the Cathedral of Haarlem in the Netherlands; and the faithful from Vienna.
I extend my greetings to the young people of the Chiaravalle vicariate in the Diocese of Senigallia; the members of the Belluno provincial chapter of AIDO; the Ars Enotria group from Cosenza and the women’s soccer team from the Biella Hospital.
Dear friends, during some recent medical examinations, the doctors found a small, localized nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well-localized. The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it. The operation is already scheduled to take place in the coming days. I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers.
Thank you, and happy Sunday!
