"Jesus never leaves us alone when we are overwhelmed," the Pope encourages us

Pope Leo XIV has praised this latest Angelus in St. Peter's Square before his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, humility and simplicity, in keeping with the Gospel from today’s liturgy, which invites us to join in the praise that Jesus offers to the Father, “Lord of heaven and earth.”.

Furthermore, he has asked: How can the weight of the cross be “light” and “gentle” (cf. v. 30)? For one reason alone: because the Lord carries it first and together with all of us, never leaving us alone in the face of what overwhelms us. As a true teacher, Jesus takes charge of humanity, wounded by evil, to care for it.”.

"The wisdom He bestows upon us is, therefore, a proclamation of salvation, and His yoke lifts us up every time we fall," he remarked.

Following Christ, “a school of freedom”

Following Christ, our path is not one of mortifying asceticism, the Pontiff emphasized. “It is a school of freedom, one that takes the drama of history seriously and always sheds light on its meaning, especially in the darkest moments. In fact, evil is redeemed only on the cross of Jesus: only in his passion does our mortal weariness find comfort and redemption.”.

Christ is liberation, hope, and forgiveness

“In slavery, Christ is liberation. Under the scourge of war, Christ is hope. In the hour of sin, Christ is forgiveness. This is true wisdom—that is, the path we wish to walk together, united in his name as disciples,” the Pope said before some 20,000 faithful and pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, one day after returning from Lampedusa.

“Jesus teaches us this as the Son, by becoming our brother: through the power of the Holy Spirit, He Himself reveals to the Church the truth about God and man, because “no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him,” he continued, before the Marian prayer of the Angelus,

True Wisdom: Jesus' Teaching to Those Who Face the Greatest Hardships

At the beginning of his address, the Holy Father commented on Jesus“ praise. “The simplicity of such a spontaneous and joyful gesture is in keeping with God’s way, for He loves to reveal Himself ”to the little ones,‘ while remaining hidden ’from the wise and the learned.””.

“They are, in fact, so full of their own ideas that they fail to recognize the presence of Christ, the Messiah who visits his people. Human wisdom then turns into arrogance, and doctrine degenerates into pride.”.

God’s true wisdom, on the other hand, is revealed—as the Successor of Peter has emphasized—“in the humility of the flesh,“ and his teaching is directed toward those who face the greatest difficulties: ”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened” (v. 28), says the Lord.”. 

Turning to Jesus means responding to his love and sharing in his life, even to the cross, just as he himself explained to us: “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mt ”16.24)," he said. 

Self-sacrifice for love: the essence of Jesus' teaching

It is precisely this self-giving out of love that is Jesus“ ”yoke” (cf. Mt 11.29), that is, the essence of his teaching, the heart of his wisdom, ablaze with love for all.

"Dear friends, as we give thanks to the Lord for this loving expression of trust, let us ask for the intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace, for the good of the Church and the whole world," the Pope concluded.

A Prayer for the Victims and All Venezuelans

After the Angelus prayer, Leo XIV opened his heart to say, “I always remember the victims of the earthquake and all the Venezuelan people in my prayers: may the Lord sustain them during this very difficult time.”.

Beatification of a Vietnamese Priest

The Pope also reported that last Thursday, at the Tac Say Shrine in Vietnam, Father Francesco Saverio Tru’o’ng Bǚu—who was murdered in 1946 out of hatred for the faith—was beatified. 

“Amid an atmosphere of abuse of power and violence, he became a defender of people’s rights and did not abandon his parishioners,” said Leo XIV.

“May their intercession and prayers sustain the servants of the Gospel who, even today, find themselves facing persecution,” he concluded.