In his inaugural Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo XIV offered a heartfelt reflection rooted in the parable of the sower, emphasizing that God’s love is unconditional and unmeasured. Echoing the themes introduced by his predecessor, Pope Francis, the new Pontiff continued the Jubilee catechesis series on “Jesus Christ, Our Hope.”
Pope Leo XIV paid homage to Pope Francis by building on his reflections about the parables of Jesus, which he said are timeless lessons meant to help believers rediscover the foundation of Christian hope. “The parables reveal how God acts in human history,” he noted, “guiding us to a deeper understanding of His ways.”
Centering his address on the parable of the sower, the Pope described it as “distinctive,” serving as an introductory lens through which all other parables may be understood. He highlighted how this parable reveals Christ’s method of teaching—using everyday imagery to express profound spiritual truths. “They challenge us,” he said, “to look beyond appearances and examine our inner lives.”
Encouraging introspection, Pope Leo posed two essential questions: “Where do I find myself in this story?” and “What does this imagery reveal about my own life?” These questions, he suggested, invite a personal dialogue with the Gospel, where each individual finds meaning based on their unique spiritual journey.
The Pope emphasized that in the story, the sower does not discriminate about where the seeds fall. “This tells us something vital about the nature of divine love,” he said. “God is not a strategist who targets only the most fertile soil. He sows generously, without caution or preference.” Every human heart—regardless of past or present—receives this divine seed.
“Love,” Pope Leo declared, “does not calculate. It doesn’t wait for optimal conditions. It simply gives.” The soil represents not only the individual heart but also the broader reality of communities, societies, and the Church. Every space is capable of transformation through the Word.
Christ Himself is the seed, said the Pope, and God does not hold back from scattering Him across every kind of terrain in human life. Whether we respond with enthusiasm, indifference, or anxiety, the trust remains that the Word will eventually bear fruit in us. “God does not wait for perfection—He meets us where we are,” he reminded the faithful.
To close his meditation, Pope Leo reflected on Van Gogh’s “The Sower at Sunset,” noting how the already ripened grain in the painting serves as a symbol of hope. The true focus, he said, is the radiant sun at the center—symbolizing God’s quiet but constant hand in history.
“The painting reminds us,” he observed, “that God remains the driving force behind all things—even when He seems veiled or distant.”
Before leading the faithful in the Our Father in Latin, Pope Leo offered a moment of remembrance for the late Pope Francis, who passed away exactly one month prior. “We end our gathering with hearts full of gratitude for our beloved Pope Francis, now at rest in the house of the Father.”
In this powerful first audience, Pope Leo XIV set a tone of continuity and compassion, rooted in the Gospel and steeped in humility—a message that divine love is boundless, patient, and ever-hopeful.