Pope Leo XIV at Mass says "That voice resounds for us today: "Listen to Jesus!" FULL TEXT Homily + VIDEO
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Pope Leo XIV visits the parish of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the eastern suburbs of Rome, an area plagued by crime. The pope arrives on foot, in a small procession from the oratory, to the churchyard of the Church of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ to preside over Mass. Hundreds of people surround him. The Pontiff delivers during the afternoon Mass. Concelebrating at the altar with Leo XIV are the vicar for the Diocese of Rome, Cardinal Baldo Reina; Monsignor Alessandro Zenobbi, bishop of the eastern sector; the three Dehonian priests entrusted with the parish: the parish priest, Father Daniele Canali; the assistant priest, Father Stefano Sardini; and Father Dino Cusmai; along with Father Elia Ercolino, provincial of the Dehonian Brothers of Southern Italy; and Father Renzo Brena, general councilor of the Dehonian Brothers.
FULL TEXT HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
Parish of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Quarticciolo (Rome)
Second Sunday of Lent, March 1, 2026
______________________________
Dearest brothers and sisters,
I am happy to be among you and to be able to listen, together with you, to the Word of God with your entire parish community. This Sunday brings us face to face with Abraham's journey (cf. Gen 12:1-4) and the event of Jesus' Transfiguration (cf. Mt 17:1-9).
With Abraham, each of us can recognize ourselves as on a journey. Life is a journey that demands trust, it demands reliance on the Word of God that calls us and sometimes asks us to leave everything behind. We can then be tempted to flee from uncertainty like a dizzying rush, while it is precisely from within that we can appreciate a promise of unexpected grandeur. It happens every day—because that's how the world thinks—that we take stock of everything, we strive to have everything under control. But in this way we miss the opportunity to discover the true treasure, the pearl of great price, as the Gospel teaches us, that God has surprisingly hidden in our field (see Mt 13:44).
Abraham's journey begins with a loss: the land and the home that hold the memories of his past. It will be fulfilled, however, in a new land and in an immense lineage, where everything becomes a blessing. We too, if we allow ourselves to be called by faith to journey, to risk new decisions in life and love, will cease to fear loss, because we will feel ourselves growing in a richness that no one can steal.
Jesus' disciples also faced a journey that would take them to Jerusalem (see Luke 9:51). There, in the Holy City, the Master would fulfill his mission, giving his life on the cross and becoming a blessing for all forever. We know how much resistance Peter and all the others put up in following him. But they had to understand that one can be a blessing only by overcoming the instinct to defend oneself and embracing what Jesus entrusts in the Eucharistic gesture: the will to offer one's body as bread to be eaten, to live and die in order to give life. This is Sunday, dear brothers and sisters: it is the pause on the journey that gathers us around Jesus. Jesus encourages us not to stop and not to change direction. There is no greater promise, no more precious treasure than living in order to give life!
Shortly before the day of the Transfiguration, Jesus had confided to his disciples the culmination of their journey: his passion, death, and resurrection. You will remember Peter's opposition and Jesus' reaction, telling him: "You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not on the side of God, but of men" ( Mt 16:23). And now, six days later, Jesus asks Peter, James, and John to accompany him up the mountain. Those hard-to-hear words are still ringing in their ears; they still have in their minds the unacceptable image of the Messiah condemned to death.
It is this inner darkness of the disciples that Jesus shatters when, on the mountaintop, he appears to them transfigured in a dazzling, unimaginable light. And in this glorious vision, Moses and Elijah also appear beside him, witnesses to the fact that in Jesus all the Scriptures are fulfilled (see Mt 17:2-3).
Once again, Peter becomes the spokesperson for our old world and its desperate need to stop things, to control them. It's a bit like when we don't want a dream we're taking refuge in to end. But here it's not a dream, but a new world we're entering: the destination of our journey, a destination filled with light and shaped by the human and divine dimensions of Jesus. By pitching tents, Peter wants to stop this journey, which instead must continue to Jerusalem (see v. 4).
The voice coming from the cloud is that of the Father, and it seems like a plea: "This is my beloved Son; listen to him" (v. 5). That voice resounds for us today: "Listen to Jesus!" And I, dearest ones, among you, want to echo that appeal and say to you: I beg you, sisters and brothers, let us listen to him! He journeys with us, even today, to teach us in this city the logic of unconditional love, of abandoning every defense that becomes offense. Let us listen to him, let us enter into his light to become the light of the world, starting with the neighborhood where we live. The entire life of the parish and its groups exists for this: it is a service to the light, a service to joy.
After the Transfiguration on the mountain, Jesus' journey does not stop (cf. v. 9). And the Church, even your parish, receives a mission from this Gospel. Faced with the many complex problems of this area, which loom over your days here, you are entrusted with the pedagogy of the gaze of faith, which transfigures everything with hope, unleashing passion, sharing, and creativity as a healing for the many wounds of this neighborhood.
I am very pleased to have learned that this parish community is a vibrant and vibrant one, and that, despite the serious challenges facing the local area, it courageously bears witness to the Gospel. Under the motto "Let's Build Community," this parish has embarked on a journey to strengthen the sense of belonging and to welcome everyone, truly everyone, with open arms! I am pleased and I encourage you: continue on this journey of openness to the local community and healing its wounds. And I hope that others will join you in being here in Quarticciolo a leaven of goodness and justice.
The commitment of you young people also deserves encouragement. The "Magis" program, which you introduced to me a few minutes ago and which has been offered here for several years, refers to the "more" that Saint Ignatius of Loyola speaks of in the Spiritual Exercises. It is an incentive for adolescents to overcome mediocrity by choosing a courageous, authentic, and good life, which finds in Jesus Christ its "Magis" par excellence.
Dear brothers and sisters, you are a sign of hope. The light of the Transfiguration is already present in this community, because the Lord is at work here and because so many of you believe in his gentle power that transforms everything. When we realize that so many things around us are not working, we sometimes wonder: does what we are doing have any meaning? The temptation to discouragement creeps in, with a loss of motivation and momentum. Instead, it is precisely in the face of the mystery of evil that we must bear witness to our identity as Christians, as people who want to make the Kingdom of God perceptible in the places and times in which they live. This is my wish for all of you, for this parish community, and for the many brothers and sisters who have not yet recognized in Jesus the true light and true joy.
In the face of all that disfigures humanity and life, we continue to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel, which transfigures and gives life. May the Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Church, always accompany us and intercede for us.
Parish of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Quarticciolo (Rome)
Second Sunday of Lent, March 1, 2026
______________________________
Dearest brothers and sisters,
I am happy to be among you and to be able to listen, together with you, to the Word of God with your entire parish community. This Sunday brings us face to face with Abraham's journey (cf. Gen 12:1-4) and the event of Jesus' Transfiguration (cf. Mt 17:1-9).
With Abraham, each of us can recognize ourselves as on a journey. Life is a journey that demands trust, it demands reliance on the Word of God that calls us and sometimes asks us to leave everything behind. We can then be tempted to flee from uncertainty like a dizzying rush, while it is precisely from within that we can appreciate a promise of unexpected grandeur. It happens every day—because that's how the world thinks—that we take stock of everything, we strive to have everything under control. But in this way we miss the opportunity to discover the true treasure, the pearl of great price, as the Gospel teaches us, that God has surprisingly hidden in our field (see Mt 13:44).
Abraham's journey begins with a loss: the land and the home that hold the memories of his past. It will be fulfilled, however, in a new land and in an immense lineage, where everything becomes a blessing. We too, if we allow ourselves to be called by faith to journey, to risk new decisions in life and love, will cease to fear loss, because we will feel ourselves growing in a richness that no one can steal.
Jesus' disciples also faced a journey that would take them to Jerusalem (see Luke 9:51). There, in the Holy City, the Master would fulfill his mission, giving his life on the cross and becoming a blessing for all forever. We know how much resistance Peter and all the others put up in following him. But they had to understand that one can be a blessing only by overcoming the instinct to defend oneself and embracing what Jesus entrusts in the Eucharistic gesture: the will to offer one's body as bread to be eaten, to live and die in order to give life. This is Sunday, dear brothers and sisters: it is the pause on the journey that gathers us around Jesus. Jesus encourages us not to stop and not to change direction. There is no greater promise, no more precious treasure than living in order to give life!
Shortly before the day of the Transfiguration, Jesus had confided to his disciples the culmination of their journey: his passion, death, and resurrection. You will remember Peter's opposition and Jesus' reaction, telling him: "You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not on the side of God, but of men" ( Mt 16:23). And now, six days later, Jesus asks Peter, James, and John to accompany him up the mountain. Those hard-to-hear words are still ringing in their ears; they still have in their minds the unacceptable image of the Messiah condemned to death.
It is this inner darkness of the disciples that Jesus shatters when, on the mountaintop, he appears to them transfigured in a dazzling, unimaginable light. And in this glorious vision, Moses and Elijah also appear beside him, witnesses to the fact that in Jesus all the Scriptures are fulfilled (see Mt 17:2-3).
Once again, Peter becomes the spokesperson for our old world and its desperate need to stop things, to control them. It's a bit like when we don't want a dream we're taking refuge in to end. But here it's not a dream, but a new world we're entering: the destination of our journey, a destination filled with light and shaped by the human and divine dimensions of Jesus. By pitching tents, Peter wants to stop this journey, which instead must continue to Jerusalem (see v. 4).
The voice coming from the cloud is that of the Father, and it seems like a plea: "This is my beloved Son; listen to him" (v. 5). That voice resounds for us today: "Listen to Jesus!" And I, dearest ones, among you, want to echo that appeal and say to you: I beg you, sisters and brothers, let us listen to him! He journeys with us, even today, to teach us in this city the logic of unconditional love, of abandoning every defense that becomes offense. Let us listen to him, let us enter into his light to become the light of the world, starting with the neighborhood where we live. The entire life of the parish and its groups exists for this: it is a service to the light, a service to joy.
After the Transfiguration on the mountain, Jesus' journey does not stop (cf. v. 9). And the Church, even your parish, receives a mission from this Gospel. Faced with the many complex problems of this area, which loom over your days here, you are entrusted with the pedagogy of the gaze of faith, which transfigures everything with hope, unleashing passion, sharing, and creativity as a healing for the many wounds of this neighborhood.
I am very pleased to have learned that this parish community is a vibrant and vibrant one, and that, despite the serious challenges facing the local area, it courageously bears witness to the Gospel. Under the motto "Let's Build Community," this parish has embarked on a journey to strengthen the sense of belonging and to welcome everyone, truly everyone, with open arms! I am pleased and I encourage you: continue on this journey of openness to the local community and healing its wounds. And I hope that others will join you in being here in Quarticciolo a leaven of goodness and justice.
The commitment of you young people also deserves encouragement. The "Magis" program, which you introduced to me a few minutes ago and which has been offered here for several years, refers to the "more" that Saint Ignatius of Loyola speaks of in the Spiritual Exercises. It is an incentive for adolescents to overcome mediocrity by choosing a courageous, authentic, and good life, which finds in Jesus Christ its "Magis" par excellence.
Dear brothers and sisters, you are a sign of hope. The light of the Transfiguration is already present in this community, because the Lord is at work here and because so many of you believe in his gentle power that transforms everything. When we realize that so many things around us are not working, we sometimes wonder: does what we are doing have any meaning? The temptation to discouragement creeps in, with a loss of motivation and momentum. Instead, it is precisely in the face of the mystery of evil that we must bear witness to our identity as Christians, as people who want to make the Kingdom of God perceptible in the places and times in which they live. This is my wish for all of you, for this parish community, and for the many brothers and sisters who have not yet recognized in Jesus the true light and true joy.
In the face of all that disfigures humanity and life, we continue to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel, which transfigures and gives life. May the Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Church, always accompany us and intercede for us.
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