The general audience that Pope Leo XIV usually holds every Wednesday began in a different way this time: instead of entering directly into St. Peter’s Square, the Pope first went to the Paul VI Hall.
There, he stopped to greet the sick who wished to take part in the Pope’s catechesis during the third week of Advent, a cycle dedicated to the life of Jesus and to his parables.
This was a gesture of affection and closeness on the part of the entire Holy See, so that these pilgrims could enjoy the audience in a more comfortable way.
Later on, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the frantic pace of today’s society, posing an important question to the audience.
POPE LEO XIV
So we feel tired, dissatisfied: time seems to scatter into a thousand practical things which, however, do not resolve the ultimate meaning of our existence.
At times, at the end of days full of activities, we feel empty. Why? Because we are not machines; we have a ‘heart’; indeed, we can say that we are a heart.
Pope Leo emphasized that humans are not machines, that, while we have to solve problems and face hardships, it's not good to do everything all at once, but instead, to do everything with love and heart.
POPE LEO XIV
The true goal of the heart does not consist in the possession of the goods of this world, but in attaining that which can fully fill it, namely, the love of God—or better yet, God who is Love.
Indeed, this heart of humanity can only be satisfied by the presence of the Lord because it was made for eternity.
For this reason, Pope Leo XIV invited us to prepare our hearts to receive the Child who embodies that fullness and is born on Christmas.
Trans. CRT
