Pope Leo reflects on the Baptism of Jesus, urging believers to live their faith with joy, mercy, and renewed commitment to peace and love.
Newsroom (11/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) On a bright Sunday morning in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo addressed the faithful with a message both tender and urgent. Marking the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, he invited Christians to meditate on the grace that flows from the sacrament of Baptism—a grace that makes believers children of God and calls them to live with “joy and consistency.”
The Pope began his Angelus by reminding listeners that this feast ushers in Ordinary Time, a period devoted to walking with Christ through daily life. “This liturgical season,” he said, “invites us to follow the Lord, to listen to his Word, and to imitate his gestures of love.” For the Pope, this imitation is not a distant ideal but an active renewal of baptismal identity, a reaffirmation of faith in a God who is never far from humanity.
The God Who Enters Our Story
Reflecting on the Gospel of Matthew, Pope Leo described the scene at the River Jordan: Jesus descending into the waters, the Spirit alighting like a dove, and the Father’s voice proclaiming divine love. “In this moment,” he said, “the entire Godhead becomes present in history.”
With compassion in his tone, the Pope emphasized that God “does not look upon the world from afar.” Rather than remaining a detached observer, God enters the depth of human experience—our “troubles, expectations, and sufferings.” His incarnation, the Pope explained, is a “wondrous plan of love,” in which the divine assumes human frailty to restore hope and belonging.
Baptism as the Foundation of Christian Life
Pope Leo underscored Baptism’s enduring significance as the sacrament that welcomes people into the Church, uniting believers “of every nation and culture.” It is, he said, the sign that “accompanies us forever”: a light in darkness, reconciliation in conflict, and the door to eternal life.
He urged the faithful to remember their own baptismal gift, to let this remembrance shape daily living. “Let us bear witness with joy and authenticity,” he encouraged. The Pope also shared that he had baptized several newborn children of Vatican employees earlier that morning, celebrating “new brothers and sisters in the faith.”
The Call to Mercy and Peace
As the Angelus concluded, Pope Leo extended his prayers beyond the Vatican walls. His thoughts turned to regions marred by conflict and suffering—particularly Iran, Syria, and Ukraine. He spoke with sorrow about “ongoing tensions that continue to claim many lives” and renewed his appeal for peace through “dialogue and patience in pursuit of the common good.”
In Ukraine, he lamented, renewed attacks on energy infrastructure amidst freezing weather have brought severe hardship. “I pray for those who suffer,” he said, making a plea for “an end to the violence and for renewed efforts to achieve peace.”
A Universal Blessing
Finally, the pontiff extended his blessing to all children baptized around the world during these days, especially those born into difficult circumstances. He entrusted them to “the maternal care of the Virgin Mary,” praying that the grace of baptism might bear fruit in their families and communities.
As he concluded—his words translated into Italian, Spanish, and English—the Pope greeted pilgrims from Madrid and Guadalajara with warmth. “Dejemos que los niños sueñen,” he said. “Let the children dream.”
In that spirit of joy and renewal, his Sunday message was clear: God is not a distant spectator but a Father who enters human life, sanctifies its ordinary moments, and calls each believer to live as a bearer of divine love in the world.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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