Pope Leo XIV at the Angelus urges Christians to focus on essentials, remain humble, and remember their priceless worth in God’s sight.
Newsroom (19/01/2026 Gaudium Press )On a crisp Sunday afternoon in St. Peter’s Square, the faithful gathered beneath the winter sun to receive the words of Pope Leo XIV, who delivered his midday Angelus address from the window of the Apostolic Palace. His message was one of clarity, humility, and renewal. He invited Christians to remain rooted in what truly matters and to never lose sight of how deeply loved they are by God.
“Each day,” the Pope urged, “let us make time to pray and reflect, in order to encounter the Lord who loves us.”
A Gospel of Recognition and Witness
Reflecting on the day’s Gospel reading from St. John, Pope Leo recalled the moment when John the Baptist recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God. John’s prophetic insight, he said, marked a crucial turning point — an act of faith and humility that continues to inspire believers today.
John the Baptist, though a revered prophet loved by many and even feared by the authorities, did not allow fame to dominate his spirit. Instead, he stepped aside, declaring, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, for He was before me.” In that act of surrender, the Pope noted, John displayed a humility that made room for divine greatness.
“John knew that he was sent to prepare the way of the Lord,” the Pope explained. “And when the Lord came, with joy and humility he acknowledged God’s presence and stepped out of the spotlight.”
Warning Against Illusions of Success
The Holy Father underscored John’s example as essential for today’s believers, warning against the modern tendency to equate happiness with visibility or external approval. “How often,” he reflected, “people turn to elements they think will make them happy — approval, consensus, visibility — only to find suffering and division instead.”
He cautioned that such pursuits often lead to “fragile, disappointing, and imprisoning” ways of living. True fulfillment, the Pope said, is not found in the fleeting illusions of success but in the knowledge that each person is “loved and wanted by our heavenly Father.”
The Love That Shares Our Burdens
Pope Leo emphasized that God’s love is not distant or abstract. “The love of which Jesus speaks,” he said, “is the love of a God who even today comes among us — not to dazzle us with spectacular displays, but to share in our struggles and to take our burdens upon Himself.”
This divine closeness, he added, reveals a profound truth: our worth is not determined by the world’s measurements of achievement or importance, but by the simple, unchanging fact that we are precious in God’s eyes.
A Call to Spiritual Depth
As he neared the end of his address, the Pope exhorted the faithful not to be distracted by superficial pursuits or external noise. “Let us not waste our time and energies chasing after appearances,” he warned. “Rather, let us learn from John the Baptist to remain vigilant, to love simplicity, to be sincere in our words, to live soberly, and to cultivate a depth of mind and heart.”
He encouraged believers to seek daily moments of quiet for prayer and contemplation — a symbolic “desert” where one can encounter God in silence. “Let us be content with what is essential,” he said, “and make time each day, when possible, for a special moment to pause, reflect, and listen.”
Entrusting to the Virgin Mary
The Angelus concluded with Pope Leo invoking the intercession of the Virgin Mary — the model of humility and wisdom — to strengthen all believers in their journey toward simplicity and spiritual clarity.
“May she help us,” the Pope prayed, “to recognize God’s presence in our midst and to live with hearts open to His love.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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