In his Sunday message from St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the Gospel of Luke (12:32–48), where Jesus encourages his disciples not to store up treasures for themselves, but to share them generously. The Pontiff emphasized that it is not only a question of material goods, but also of talents, time, affection, and attention, which can become instruments of mercy.

“The capital of our life is a living, breathing asset,” he affirmed. “If it is not cultivated, it dries up or becomes an object of consumption. God gave it to us so that it may flourish in freedom, relationship, and love, making us more like Him.”

Leo XIV emphasized that works of mercy constitute the safest and most fruitful investment a person can make. He recalled that even the widow in the Gospel, with only two coins, became the richest person by offering what little she had. Quoting Saint Augustine, he noted that what is given with love “is transformed, because you are transformed,” and that true wealth is measured in eternal life.

The Pope illustrated his message with everyday examples: a mother hugging her children, or two people who sincerely love each other feel the luckiest in the world. These realities, he said, show that true wealth is not found in what one possesses, but in what one shares.

Finally, he encouraged the faithful to live in “inner vigilance,” attentive and available to others, just as Christ is always present with us. He concluded by entrusting to the Virgin Mary his desire that we all be “sentinels of mercy and peace” in the midst of a divided world.

Full text:

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites us to consider how we will invest the treasure that is our life (cf. Lk 12:32-48). He says: “Sell your possessions and give alms” (v. 33).

He exhorts us not to keep to ourselves the gifts that God has given us, but rather to use them generously for the good of others, especially those most in need of our help. It is not simply a matter of sharing the material goods we have, but putting our skills, time, love, presence and compassion at the service of others. In short, everything in God’s plan that makes each of us a priceless and unrepeatable good, a living and breathing asset, must be cultivated and invested in order to grow. Otherwise, these gifts dry up and diminish in value, or they end up being taken away by those, who like thieves, snatch them up as something simply to be consumed.

The gift of God that we are is not made to be used in such a manner. We need space, freedom and relationships in order to come to fulfillment and express ourselves. We need love, which alone transforms and ennobles every aspect of our existence, making us more and more like God. It is not by chance that Jesus pronounces these words while he is on the road to Jerusalem, where he will offer himself on the cross for our salvation.

The works of mercy are the most secure and profitable bank where we can entrust the treasure of our existence, because there, as the Gospel teaches us, with “two small copper coins” even the poor widow becomes the richest person in the world (cf. Mk 12:41-44).

In this regard, Saint Augustine says: “If you gave a pound of coppers and received a pound of silver, or a pound of silver and received one of gold, you would be delighted at your luck. What you give will certainly be transformed; it isn’t gold, it isn’t silver, but eternal life that will come your way” (Sermon 390, 2, PL 39, 1706). And he explains why: “It will be transformed, because you yourself will be transformed” (ibid).

To understand what he means by this, we can think of a mother who embraces her children: is she not the most beautiful and richest person in the world? Or a boyfriend and girlfriend, when they are together: do they not feel like king and queen? We could think of many other examples.

Therefore, wherever we are, in the family, parish, school or workplace, we should try not to miss any opportunity to act with love. This is the type of vigilance that Jesus asks of us: to grow in the habit of being attentive, ready and sensitive to one another, just as he is with us in every moment.

Sisters and brothers, let us entrust to Mary this desire and responsibility: may she, the Morning Star, help us to be the “watchmen” of mercy and peace in a world marked by many divisions. Saint John Paul II taught us this (cf. Vigil of Prayer for the 15th World Youth Day, 19 August 2000). And in a beautiful way, so did the young people who came to Rome for the Jubilee.

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After the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters,

Let us continue to pray for the end of wars. The 80th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has rekindled throughout the world the necessary rejection of war as a means of resolving conflicts. May those who make decisions always bear in mind their responsibility for the consequences of their actions on their populations; may they not ignore the needs of the most vulnerable or the universal desire for peace.

In this regard, I congratulate Armenia and Azerbaijan, who have signed the Joint Declaration of Peace. I hope that this event will contribute to a stable and lasting peace in the South Caucasus.

Meanwhile, the situation of the Haitian people is increasingly desperate. There are constant reports of murders, violence of all kinds, human trafficking, forced exiles, and kidnappings. I urgently appeal to all those responsible for the immediate release of the hostages and request the concrete support of the international community to create the social and institutional conditions that will allow Haitians to live in peace.

I greet all of you, faithful of Rome and pilgrims from various countries, especially those from Woodstock, Georgia, the United States, and those from the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ireland.

I greet the members of Operation Mato Grosso, from various Italian cities, and the parish groups of Stezzano, Medole, and Villastellone.

Thank you for your presence and your prayers. Happy Sunday to all!