On the occasion of the liturgical memorial of St. Augustine, Pope Leo XIV sent a video message to the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova in the United States, expressing his gratitude for the awarding of the St. Augustine Medal.

In his message, the Pope fondly recalled that the local parish is dedicated to Saint Thomas of Villanova, an Augustinian friar and bishop remembered as the “father of the poor.”

“Being recognized as an Augustinian,” he said, “is a profound honor. I owe much of who I am to the spirit and teachings of Saint Augustine. I am grateful to all of you for the many ways in which your lives demonstrate a deep commitment to the values ​​of truth, unity, and charity.”

Reflecting on the saint’s life, Pope Leo noted that Augustine’s path “was filled with trials and errors, like our own lives.” However, thanks to grace, the prayers of his mother Monica, and the witness of the surrounding community, he discovered “the path of peace for his restless heart.”

The Pope emphasized that Augustine’s testimony calls every Christian to recognize the gifts God has given them and to offer them “in loving service to God and neighbor.”

A long legacy of loving service

He then referred to the Augustinian presence in Philadelphia, home to one of the oldest Catholic communities in the United States, recalling the missionary zeal of Fathers Matthew Carr and John Rossiter in serving immigrants at the end of the 18th century. That same spirit, he said, “calls us today to continue a legacy of loving service.”

“Jesus reminds us in the Gospel that we must love our neighbor,” the Pope emphasized, urging everyone to look at ourselves with the eyes of Christ and to rediscover our identity “as sisters and brothers in Him.”

Quoting Augustine’s words—”Do not have your heart in your ears, but your ears in your heart”—the Pope invited the Augustinian family to embrace a spirit of listening. “Before speaking, we must listen,” he said, adding that in a synodal Church, the call is to listen to the Holy Spirit, to others, and especially to the voices of the poor.

He encouraged everyone to filter out the noise and division of the world to hear the loving voice of God, the only one that can bring peace. “When we hear that reassuring voice,” he said, “we can share it with the world as we strive to be one to Him.”

Pope Leo concluded by entrusting the Augustinian family to the Virgin Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, praying that “God bless you all and bring peace to your restless hearts, and help you continue to build a community of love, one in mind and heart, attentive to God.”