杏MAP导航

By Joseph Tulloch

On Tuesday afternoon, 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV visited the Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls, the Roman church traditionally believed to hold the saint鈥檚 remains.

After a moment of prayer in front of St. Paul鈥檚 tomb, the 杏MAP导航 presided over a brief prayer service.  

In his homily, 杏MAP导航 Leo reflected on a reading from St. Paul鈥檚 Letter to the Romans, which, he said, contains three major themes鈥攇race, faith, and justification鈥攚hich can help illuminate the Petrine Ministry to which he has been called.

Grace

The 杏MAP导航 began by discussing the first of these topics, "grace"鈥攐r God's help.

In his letter to the Romans, 杏MAP导航 Leo said, Paul acknowledges that he encountered Christ only because Christ reached out to him first鈥攈is encounter and his subsequent ministry were 鈥渢he fruit of God鈥檚 prior love, which called him to a new life while he was still far from the Gospel.鈥�

St. Augustine said something similar, 杏MAP导航 Leo noted, when he asked, 鈥淗ow can we choose, unless we have first been chosen? We cannot love, unless someone has loved us first.鈥�

We cannot lead good lives without God's help, the 杏MAP导航 said, and this reality is 鈥渁t the root of every vocation.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Leo delivers his homily   (@Vatican Media)

Faith

The 杏MAP导航 then turned to consider the role of faith in St. Paul鈥檚 account of his calling.

When God appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, 杏MAP导航 Leo said, 鈥渉e did not take away his freedom,鈥� but rather gave him 鈥渢he opportunity to make a decision.鈥�

鈥淪alvation does not come about by magic,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 explained, 鈥渂ut by a mysterious interplay of grace and faith, of God鈥檚 prevenient love and of our trusting and free acceptance.鈥�

Justification

The final aspect of Paul鈥檚 calling that 杏MAP导航 Leo considered was that of "justification," or the process of increasing in holiness. The Acts of the Apostles describes how, after his vision of Jesus, Paul ceased persecuting Christians, and began working alongside them.

The 杏MAP导航 urged his listeners to 鈥渃ompete鈥� in showing this kind of love, which led St. Paul to give himself so wholly to others that he was eventually martyred.

Love as the basis of every mission

杏MAP导航 Leo XIV brought his homily to a close with a quotation from 杏MAP导航 Benedict XVI: 鈥淕od loves us. This is the great truth of our life; it is what makes everything else meaningful.鈥� 

This insight, 杏MAP导航 Leo said, is 鈥渢he basis of every mission,鈥� including 鈥渕y own mission as the Successor of Peter and the heir to Paul鈥檚 apostolic zeal."

鈥淢ay the Lord grant me the grace to respond faithfully to His call," he concluded.