Leo XIV reflected this Sunday on the use of material goods and the administration of goods, "the most precious of all, our own life". He did so in line with the Gospel parable of the steward who is called to "give an account". With regard to the Gaza conflict, he forcefully pointed out that "there is no future based on violence, on forced exile, on revenge".
"I am addressing first of all the representatives of various Catholic associations, committed to solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip," he said after praying the Angelus. "I appreciate your initiative and many others that throughout the Church express closeness to the brothers and sisters suffering in that martyred land."
"With you and with the pastors of the Churches of the Holy Land I repeat: there is no future based on violence, on forced exile, on revenge. The peoples need peace: those who truly love them work for peace".
"You cannot serve God and wealth."
Before the Angelus prayer, the Pontiff reflected on the use of material goods and the administration of goods. It was a continuation of his words at the homily of the Mass he celebrated in the parish of St. Anne in the Vatican, which has been run by the Augustinians for almost a century.
There, he warned that "one cannot serve God and wealth," and invited the faithful to opt for a lifestyle centered on trust, fraternity and the common good.
Commenting on the Gospel of St. Luke, the Pope pointed out that wealth can become a false savior, capable of enslaving the human heart. "He who serves God becomes free from wealth, but he who serves wealth remains enslaved by it". At the same time, he pointed out that God's Providence reaches out to the materially poor as well as to those who suffer spiritual or moral misery.
At the end, the Pontiff thanked the parish community for their service and encouraged them to be witnesses of hope and charity in a world wounded by war and indifference. "In the face of today's dramas we do not want to be passive but to proclaim by word and deed that Jesus is the Savior of the world."
With Augustinian Father Schiavella, 103 years of age
At St. Anne's, the new prior of the Augustinians, Father Joseph Farrell, and the parish priest Mario Millardi concelebrated with Pope Leo XIV. Among those present was Augustinian Father Gioele Schiavella, whom the Pope mentioned in his homily for his 103rd birthday. Schiavella was pastor of Sant'Anna from 1991 to 2006, and currently lives in the parish.
Before the Angelus, the Pope said that "one day we will be called to give an account of how we have managed our lives, our goods and the resources of the earth, to God and to mankind, to society and above all to those who will come after us".
How do we administer the goods that God has given us?
The parable invites us to ask ourselves, "How are we stewarding the material goods, the earth's resources and the life God has given us?"
We can follow the criterion of selfishness, the Pope continued, putting wealth first and thinking only of ourselves; but this isolates us from others and spreads the poison of a competition that often provokes conflicts.
"Or we can recognize that we must administer all that we have as a gift from God. And use it as an instrument for sharing, for creating networks of friendship and solidarity, for building up the good, for building a more just, more equitable and more fraternal world".
In concluding his reflection, he encouraged us to ask "the Blessed Virgin to intercede for us and help us to administer well all that the Lord entrusts to us, with justice and responsibility".
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You can also consult here the full text in English of Pope Leo XIV's reflection at the Angelus.
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