In his July 20 Angelus address from Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the importance of Christian hospitality — both in giving and receiving — as a safeguard for genuine encounter with God.
“On this summer Sunday,” Pope Leo said, “let us reflect on this interplay of giving and receiving hospitality, for without it our lives are impoverished.”
Drawing on the Gospel story of Martha and Mary, he emphasized that true hospitality requires both serving and being present.
He noted that in Italian, the word for “guest” is the same as “host,” underlining the reciprocal nature of hospitality.
“[Martha] is so caught up in preparing to welcome Jesus that she nearly spoils a unique moment of encounter,” he said. “Martha is a generous person, but our Lord calls her to something more than generosity alone. He calls her to leave her preparations behind and to come and spend time with him.”
The Pope cautioned against the temptation to reduce hospitality to mere preparation or productivity.
“Sometimes we too fail to choose the better part,” he said, echoing Jesus’ words to Martha. “We need to take time to rest and try to learn better the art of hospitality.”
He also critiqued the “holiday industry,” saying it often sells distraction rather than rest.
“The holiday industry wants to sell us all sorts of ‘experiences,’” he warned, “but perhaps not the ones we are really looking for. Every genuine encounter is free; it cannot be bought, whether it is an encounter with God, with others or with nature.”
The Pope encouraged the faithful to be more like Mary, who was “completely caught up in Jesus’ words.”
“We need only learn the art of hospitality,” he continued, “which includes both welcoming others and allowing ourselves to be welcomed.”
In closing, Pope Leo delivered one of his strongest condemnations yet of the July 17 “attack by the Israeli army on the Catholic Parish of the Holy Family in Gaza City.” The strike killed three Christians and wounded several others.
He named the victims in prayer — Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, Najwa Ibrahim Latif Abu Daoud — and said he was “particularly close to their families and to all the parishioners.”
>>Names and faces of the Catholic dead and wounded from the Gaza parish struck by Israel<<
“Sadly,” he added, “this act adds to the continuous military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza.”
Calling the violence “barbarism,” Pope Leo called for “an immediate halt” and a peaceful resolution to the conflict. He urged world leaders to uphold international law and protect civilian lives and sacred sites.
“You are in the heart of the Pope and of the whole Church,” he said, addressing Middle East Christians.
“May the Virgin Mary, woman of the Levant, dawn of the new Sun that has risen in history,” he prayed, “protect you always and accompany the world towards the dawn of peace.”
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Author: Elise DeGeeter
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