- 15 October, 2025
Vatican City, October 15, 2025: During his weekly General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo delivered a message of hope, affirming that Jesus sustains us despite life’s trials. Continuing his catechesis series ‘Jesus Christ, Our Hope’, the Holy Father offered consolation to the faithful, reflecting on the Risen Christ as a source of eternal peace.
“To journey with Jesus means to experience being sustained despite everything—to have our thirst quenched and to be refreshed amid the hardships and struggles that, like heavy stones, threaten to block or divert our path through life,” Pope Leo said. He acknowledged the conflicting emotions of joy, sadness, fulfilment, stress, and longing that define human experience, noting, “We find ourselves in a paradox: we long to be happy, and yet lasting happiness often eludes us.”
Wrestling with Our Limitations
The Pope highlighted that this tension reveals our limitations and a deep desire to transcend them. “We come to terms with what we lack, while feeling an irrepressible urge to overcome it. We sense, deep down, that something is always missing,” he explained.
Yet, he reassured that this longing is intentional, “We were not created for lack, but for fullness—to rejoice in life, and life in abundance.” He stressed that this desire cannot be satisfied by roles, power, or possessions, but only by the certainty of divine sustenance.
The Risen Christ as Our Hope
“This certainty is what we call hope. It’s not mere optimism—optimism often collapses under the weight of disappointment. But hope, Christian hope, promises and fulfills,” Pope Leo affirmed. He identified the Risen Jesus as the guarantee of this hope, “the wellspring that satisfies our thirst—the infinite thirst for fullness placed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”
He described Christ’s Resurrection as a transformative mystery, “not simply a historical event, but the heart of time,” with the Risen One as “a living wellspring—He does not dry up, nor does He change.”
A Taste of Eternal Peace
Quoting St. Augustine’s Confessions, the Pope reflected, “You exhaled fragrance, and I drew in my breath and pant for You. I tasted, and now I hunger and thirst. You touched me, and I burned for Your peace.” He declared, “Jesus, in His Resurrection, has guaranteed a permanent source of life. He is the Living One, the Lover of Life, the Victor over death.” Only Jesus, he added, addresses the deepest human questions: “Is there truly a destination for us? Does our existence have meaning? And how can the suffering of the innocent be redeemed?”
Christ Walks with Us
“The Risen Jesus does not offer answers ‘from above’, detached from our pain,” Pope Leo said. “Instead, He walks with us—on a road that is often difficult, painful, and mysterious.” He reminded the faithful, “When our flask is empty, when thirst becomes unbearable, only He can fill it.” Jesus is both companion and destination, he emphasised, warning, “Without His love, life becomes aimless—a tragic journey without a true end.”
Acknowledging human fragility and “the wound of sin” that may cause despair, the Pope encouraged resilience. “We are to ‘rise again’ and ‘stand on our feet’,” he urged, as the Risen Christ “guarantees that we will arrive” and “leads us home, to a place where we are awaited, loved, and saved.”
Source and Image Credits : Vatican News
Download Catholic Connect App for Daily News Updates:
Android: Click here to download
© 2025 CATHOLIC CONNECT POWERED BY ATCONLINE LLP
