Pope Leo XIV: Contemplation makes Christians credible witnesses

At the Angelus, the pope urged the faithful to make room for silence before God and said “no one can turn a blind eye” to refugees seeking safety.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that contemplation is not reserved for saints, monks, or hermits but is a necessary part of Christian life that helps make believers credible witnesses to the Gospel.

“We must not think that contemplation is an exclusive experience, reserved only for a few saints or for monks and hermits,” the pope said June 21 before leading the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square.

Reflecting on the day’s Gospel reading from St. Matthew, Leo said Jesus’ sending of the disciples on mission shows that proclaiming the Gospel is “first and foremost a sharing of a personal encounter with him, which is unique to each of us.”

“The strength of any apostolate, in fact — beyond techniques and tools — comes from the work of the Holy Spirit within us and from the authenticity of our response,” the pope said.

Citing St. Thomas Aquinas, Leo described preaching as “passing on to others what we have contemplated,” using the Latin phrase “contemplata aliis tradere.”

“We can all do it,” he said, “by striving to set aside, amidst the commitments of our daily lives, quiet moments in which to enter into silence before God, to listen to his voice, to entrust our joys and concerns to him and to review our lives with him.”

This, the pope continued, “helps us to have a more firm and conscious faith, and consequently to be credible and free disciples, men and women capable of reflecting the light of the Gospel in every setting and every situation of life, and of bearing witness to it even where its value is not understood or accepted.”

Pope Leo recalled that St. Matthew wrote for communities facing hostility and persecution, “as so many Christians still do today in various parts of the world.” In such circumstances, he said, “the temptation to become discouraged and to let weariness or fear get the better of them was great.”

“Now, just as then, it is a challenge to remain faithful to Jesus’ teachings and to proclaim his word: to respond to hatred with love, to arrogance with meekness, and to discouragement with perseverance,” he said.

“For this reason, we must deepen the roots of our faith and our mission in an intimate relationship with him,” the pope added. “This gives us the strength not to despair, but to continue to share with everyone, in every circumstance, his message of hope, love and peace. The world greatly needs it!”

After the Marian prayer, Pope Leo turned his attention to refugees, noting that World Refugee Day, established by the United Nations, was celebrated the previous day on the 75th anniversary of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

The convention, the pope said, “was adopted to protect those who are persecuted and forced to leave their homeland, homes and families.”

“I hope that the spirit that inspired the drafting of this important international instrument may also continue to enlighten the consciences of national leaders today,” he said. “No one can turn a blind eye to those who are seeking protection and safety.”

“I also urge everyone to welcome those who are victims of persecution so that they may live in peace, with dignity, and look to the future with hope,” Leo added.

The pope also greeted members of the Catholic Pentecostal International Dialogue.

“The Church believes as she prays,” he said, “and reflecting together on the principle ‘lex orandi, lex credendi’ is particularly relevant nowadays.”

Turning to Brazil, Pope Leo assured pilgrims from the country of his prayers “for the young people who died a few days ago in a road accident in the State of Ceará.”

He also greeted confirmation candidates from two parishes in Ozieri, Sardinia, and wished all those gathered a happy Sunday.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.