In his Angelus address this Sunday, Pope Leo XIV offered a strong call for missionary discipleship, urging the faithful to become “joyful laborers” in God’s harvest and not merely “intermittent Christians” who treat their faith as an external label.
Reflecting on the day’s Gospel (Lk 10:1-12, 17-20), the Holy Father reminded pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square that every baptized person is called to be a missionary, each according to their own vocation and circumstances.
“The hope of the Gospel is meant for all peoples,” he said, interpreting Jesus’ sending of the seventy-two disciples as a sign of the “breadth of God’s heart and the abundance of his harvest.” Pope Leo emphasized that today’s world still “yearns for a greater truth,” carrying within it “a longing for eternal life.”
Yet, he added, while the harvest is plentiful, there are few who recognize the need to pause, receive the gift of salvation, and then “proclaim and share it with others.”
“The Church and the world do not need people who fulfill their religious duties as if the faith were merely an external label,” the pope said. “We need laborers who are eager to work in the mission field, loving disciples who bear witness to the Kingdom of God in all places.”
He urged Catholics to prioritize their relationship with Christ over pastoral strategies: “We do not need too many theoretical ideas about pastoral plans. Instead, we need to pray to the Lord of the harvest.”
Before leading the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Leo invoked the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, “who generously gave her ‘yes’ to participating in the work of salvation,” that believers might also say yes and “become joyful laborers in God’s Kingdom.”
Prayers for Texas, peace, and a return to Castel Gandolfo
After the Angelus, Pope Leo expressed his condolences for the families affected by catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River in Texas: “I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters, who were at the summer camp, in the disaster caused by flooding of the Guadalupe river in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.”
Waters rose approximately 26 feet in just 45 minutes shortly before dawn on Friday morning, sweeping away everything in their path. At least 51 people are known to have died in the tragedy, and dozens more are missing, including 27 girls who were taking part in a Christian summer camp in Kerr County, the hardest hit area.
The pope also renewed his appeal for peace, calling it “the sorrowful cry of those torn apart by war,” and asked that leaders replace “the violence of weapons” with “the pursuit of dialogue.”
Pope Leo XIV greets a child as he arrives in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 6, 2025, after reciting the Angelus at the Vatican. The pope will stay in Castel Gandolfo for his customary retreat through July 20. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
Concluding his remarks, Pope Leo announced he would travel to Castel Gandolfo that afternoon for a short summer retreat, thus resuming the long-standing tradition of popes spending time at the papal villa during the warmer months.
“I hope that everyone will be able to enjoy some vacation time,” he said, “in order to restore both body and spirit.”
