For those in consecrated life, Pope Leo XIV stressed, “the Lord is everything” – Creator, loving challenger, and inspiring strength.
Newsroom (09/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) In a homily delivered amid the ongoing 2025 Jubilee Year, Pope Leo XIV called on thousands of consecrated men and women to live as prophetic signs of God’s kingdom, embracing poverty, meekness, and a hunger for holiness while serving as beacons of mercy and purity.
Celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday for the Jubilee of Consecrated Life, the pontiff – the first American-born pope and a member of the Order of Saint Augustine – drew from the Gospel of Luke (11:9) to frame his message around three imperatives from Christ: “Ask,” “seek,” and “knock.” The event marked the culmination of a two-day pilgrimage that drew religious sisters, brothers, monks, contemplatives, members of secular institutes, the Ordo Virginum, hermits, and representatives of emerging institutes from across the globe.
“Through your religious profession, you have committed to being a prophetic sign,” Pope Leo told the assembly, emphasizing that living the vows means “abandoning oneself like a child in the arms of the Father.” He reminded the faithful that Jesus’ words invite believers to approach God confidently for their needs, prompting consecrated persons to reflect gratefully on how the Lord has multiplied their talents, deepened their faith, and freed their charity over the years.
Breaking down the Gospel verbs, the pope explained: To “ask” is to acknowledge in poverty that all is a gift from God and to respond with thanksgiving. To “seek” involves obediently discerning daily paths to holiness in line with divine plans. And to “knock” entails offering one’s gifts to others with a pure heart, loving respectfully and selflessly.
For those in consecrated life, he stressed, “the Lord is everything” – Creator, loving challenger, and inspiring strength. By stripping themselves of worldly attachments, they bear witness to God’s primacy, a mission entrusted by the Church.
Echoing the Second Vatican Council’s Lumen Gentium, Pope Leo urged them to direct these actions toward eternity, becoming “witnesses of the goods to come” in God’s rest. “Be truly poor, meek, hungry for holiness, merciful, and pure of heart,” he exhorted, orienting their lives beyond this world to the “eternal Sunday” where humanity enters divine peace.
The Jubilee of Consecrated Life, held October 8-9 under the broader 2025 theme “Pilgrims of Hope, on the Way of Peace,” included pilgrimages to the Holy Door, confessions, cultural dialogues in Rome’s piazzas, and a Wednesday prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica. Organizers from the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life coordinated the events, underscoring consecrated persons’ role as prophets of hope amid global challenges.
Pope Leo’s address aligns with his pontificate’s focus on social justice and spiritual renewal, building on his recent apostolic exhortation “Dilexi Te” on love for the poor. As the first pope from the Americas since Francis, Leo XIV continues to draw from Augustinian spirituality to inspire the Church’s 1.2 billion faithful.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican news
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