Skip to content

Pope Leo XIV: God’s Eucharistic love is not by ‘chance’ but a ‘conscious choice’

Pope Leo XIV during his Wednesday catechesis on the jubilee theme “Jesus Christ Our Hope” said the gift of the Eucharist prepared by God reveals that his great love “always precedes us.”

Pope Leo XIV during his Wednesday catechesis on the jubilee theme “Jesus Christ Our Hope” said the gift of the Eucharist prepared by God reveals that his great love “always precedes us.”

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Speaking to thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Aug. 6, the Holy Father said St. Mark’s Gospel shows us that Jesus’ love for his disciples “is not the result of chance but of a conscious choice.”

Pope Leo XIV blesses a baby during his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Pope Leo XIV blesses a baby during his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN Vatican

“It is not a simple reaction but a decision that requires preparation,” he said. “Jesus does not face his passion out of fatalism but out of fidelity to a path freely and carefully accepted and followed.”

Just as God made preparations to show his love for people, the pope said, in turn, people are free to choose God and prepare their own hearts to receive his love.

Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile to crowds gathered for his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile to crowds gathered for his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN Vatican

“He has already thought of everything, arranged everything, decided everything,” Leo said. “However, he asks his friends to do their part.”

“This teaches us something essential for our spiritual life: Grace does not eliminate our freedom but rather awakens it,” he explained. “God’s gift does not eliminate our responsibility but makes it fruitful.”

Noting the significance of the Eucharist for Jesus’ followers, the Holy Father said its celebration should not be “only at the altar” but also lived in “daily life” as a continual offering of love and thanksgiving.

Pope Leo XIV blesses a newlywed couple during his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV blesses a newlywed couple during his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media

“True love, the Gospel reminds us, is given before it is reciprocated,” he said. “It is an anticipatory gift. It is not based on what is received but on what one wishes to offer.”

In order to make space in the heart to receive God’s love, particularly in the Eucharist, the pope asked his listeners to consider: “What does it mean for me today to ‘prepare’?” 

“Perhaps to renounce a demand, to stop waiting for others to change, to take the first step,” he suggested. “Perhaps to listen more, to act less, or to learn how to trust in what has already been prepared.”

Pope Leo XIV receives a gift from during the Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Pope Leo XIV receives a gift from during the Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN Vatican

Prayers for Japan on 80th anniversary of Hiroshima atomic bombing

Following his catechesis, Pope Leo asked those gathered to pray for the people of Japan who “suffered … physical, psychological, and social effects” of the atomic bomb dropped during World War II.  

“Despite the passing of the years, those tragic events constitute a universal warning against the devastation caused by wars and, in particular, by nuclear weapons,” he lamented.

“I hope that in the contemporary world, marked by strong tensions and bloody conflicts, the illusory security based on the threat of mutual destruction may give way to the tools of justice, to the practice of dialogue, and to trust in fraternity,” he said.

This article was originally published by CNA.

Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today

Share

Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican

Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter.

More news related to this article

121 Cardinals from every corner of the Earth. Pope Francis redesigns the Sacred College

Pope Francis is a surprising Pontiff in his choices, but nonetheless methodical in terms of consistory timings: the

Pope Francis Thanks Mediators for Brokering Latest Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza

Pope Francis on Sunday thanked the mediators who brokered the latest cease-fire deal in Gaza which came into effect on Jan. 19.

EWTN Celebrates 10 Years of Italian Language ACI Stampa

On Monday, September 8, 2025, the EWTN family gathered at its Rome offices to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ACI Stampa.

Pope Francis Shines Light On Bible’s Elderly ‘Pilgrims Of Hope’ In Wednesday Catechesis

Pope Francis on Wednesday asked Catholics to have the wisdom to look for the presence of God in our midst like the elderly Simeon and Anna in the New Testament.

Vatican News: First Month of Pope Leo XIV’s Pontificate

A look back at the historic first month of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate—from his formal possession of Rome’s basilicas to a major theological symposium and the release of his first biography, all amid the ongoing Jubilee Year.

Cardinal Cupich: ‘Nothing to be feared’ from ‘ancient reality’ of synod

Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, urged Catholics to shed any fears or concerns of the upcoming

LIVE
FROM THE VATICAN

Be present live on EWTNit