Pope Leo XIV urges the faithful to recall that we are God’s beloved children embraced by His forgiving love, explaining that sincerely seeking conversion helps us journey toward salvation despite our fragility.
Newsroom (13/08/2025 Gaudium Press)At the ongoing Cycle of Catechesis, themed “Jesus Christ Our Hope,” Pope Leo XIV offers a poignant reflection on the betrayal of Jesus during the Last Supper, drawing from Mark 14:18-21. This week’s teaching, part of the series “The Passover of Jesus,” invites the faithful to grapple with the raw human realities of failure and redemption.
In the intimate setting of the Passover meal, Jesus delivered a jarring truth to his disciples: “One of you will betray me, one who is eating with me” (Mk 14:18). The statement, delivered without malice, sent a ripple of unease through the room, prompting each disciple to ask, “Surely it is not I?” (Mk 14:19). The catechesis underscores this question as a universal call to self-reflection, urging believers to confront their own capacity for betrayal with honesty and humility.
Rather than condemning, Jesus’ words aim to foster salvation through truth, the Pope explains. The disciples’ response—marked by sorrow rather than defensiveness—reveals a path to conversion. “This is not the cry of the guilty, but the whisper of those aware of their fragility,”. By acknowledging their potential for failure, the disciples opened the door to God’s mercy.
The Pope highlights Jesus’ response to betrayal as one of profound compassion. His declaration, “Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed” (Mk 14:21), is not a curse but a lament, rooted in grief for the one who chooses to reject love. The Greek term for “woe” conveys a deep, sorrowful compassion, reflecting God’s response to human sin—not judgment, but a longing for reconciliation.
At the heart of this teaching lies a message of hope: Jesus does not abandon the table, even knowing betrayal looms. By breaking bread with his disciples, including the one who would betray him, Jesus embodies a love that persists through human failure. This act, the Pope emphasizes, reveals “the silent power of God,” offering a model for believers to trust in mercy despite their shortcomings.
As part of the Jubilee 2025 preparations, the reflection challenges Catholics to ask themselves, “Surely it is not I?”—not to dwell in guilt, but to create space for truth and renewal. “Salvation begins with recognizing our capacity to falter, yet trusting in God’s unwavering love,” the Pope states. This message resonates as a cornerstone of the Jubilee’s call to hope and rebirth.
The Pope concludes “Despite the seeming harshness, Jesus’ words are not meant to condemn or humiliate his betrayer. They are rather the truth spoken with profound love, compassion and sorrow. When we reflect honestly on our own life, the question of the Apostles becomes our own: “Is it me?” Asking this question opens a space for truth in our hearts. This is important since openess to salvation begins with the awareness that we can break trust with the Lord through our sins. Despite our faults, our hope consists nevertheless in the fact that even if we fail him, he will never fail us; if we betray him, he will never betray us. Let us allow ourselves, then, to be touched by his forgiving love, so that we may truly be reborn as his beloved children.”
– Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
Related Images:
