Dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate a feast that is full of light and hope. A feast that raises our gaze to heaven – not to escape from the earth, but to better see what God is doing here, among us. The feast of All Saints reminds us that holiness is not an exception but a vocation. It is not a distant ideal, intended only for a few, but God’s plan for each of us. On March 19, 2018, the then Pope Francis issued an exhortation—encouragement on holiness—and gave it the title “Rejoice and be glad”—”Gaudete et exultate”. These are the last words we hear in today’s Gospel about Jesus’ Beatitudes. At that time, the psalm was read in one breath, as they say. Pope Francis says in this exhortation, Gaudete et exsultate: “Holiness is near you; it is not far away, not even for a chosen few. It is present in the People of God who are faithful, in parents who raise their children with love, in men and women who work honestly, in the sick, the elderly, religious who smile… In this perseverance I see the holiness of the Church—a holiness that can be called the holiness of the next door” (GE 6-7). And it is precisely this holiness that we want to reflect on today: a holiness that is close, concrete, and joyful.

Holiness that is near—a cloud of witnesses around us  …

In the first reading from the Book of Revelation of Saint John we heard the words: “After this I looked; and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes…” (Rev 7:9) This is an image of the Church in its fullness—a multitude of saints who already stand before God. It is not just a crowd of well-known saints from the calendar. It also includes our loved ones who lived the faith quietly but faithfully.

As Pope Francis says, “Among them may be our mother, grandmother, or other loved ones. Perhaps their lives were not perfect, but in the midst of imperfections they followed the Lord and pleased him.” (GE 3) This is a beautiful thought—holiness has a human face. The face of our ancestors, friends, and people who passed on the faith to us. It spoke to me then, because I thought of the people I had met in my life. Yes, there was also an official saint among them, Saint John Paul II, but I thought of my parents, grandparents, and my aunts and uncles from my hometown of Medvedzie, now part of the city of Tvrdošín.

Brothers and sisters, we are not alone. We live surrounded by those who have already run their race and who encourage us to continue. Holiness is not something distant—it is close to us, in our families, in our parish, and in our city. It is the holiness of quiet, faithful people, whom perhaps no one celebrates, but God knows them by name. And perhaps this is the most beautiful face of the Church: not triumphant, but human, humble, radiant with love.

A holiness that is concrete—in the details of everyday life …

Pope Francis often emphasizes that holiness is lived in concreteness, not in illusions. It is not a holiness “on a screen,” but a holiness of flesh and blood. Jesus himself was a master of attention to detail. The Pope says, “Let us remember how Jesus invited his disciples to pay attention to details: The small detail that the wine ran out at the wedding. The small detail that one sheep was missing. The small detail that the widow gave her two coins. The small detail is that it was necessary to have oil for the lamps when the bridegroom was late. The small detail that he asked the disciples to find out how many loaves they had. The small detail that he had a fire and fish ready when he awaited the disciples at dawn.” (GE 144) Jesus saw God in the little things—and that is where our holiness begins. What would this call to holiness in the small everyday details sound like today?

– a small detail when a mother gets up at night and fixes her child’s duvet,
– a small detail when a father brings his tired wife a cup of coffee,
– a small detail when a grandmother takes a sweet chocolate bar for her grandson from the cupboard,
– a small detail when a son gets up from the table at the end of lunch and tells his parents, ” Leave it; I’ll wash it. 
– a small detail when a teacher patiently explains the topic covered in class once again. 
– a small detail: when at a gas station, when you pay for gas, the employee wishes us a peaceful day and a safe journey with a smile. 
– a small detail when in the evening in prayer we say, “God, thank you for this day, thank you for this person…”

These small acts of love—this is where holiness becomes flesh. Not in extraordinaryness, but in ordinariness. Not in perfection, but in fidelity. Holiness is an everyday “”yes”—in the kitchen, at work, at school, in the hospital, and in the family. It is a concrete holiness of love, measured by service and patience.

A holiness that is joyful—the most beautiful face of the Church …

Finally, holiness is not a burden but a joy. Pope Francis says, “A true saint is a person who has joy in his heart. Sorrow is not a sign of holiness.” (GE 122) Holiness without joy would be only a duty. But the holiness that springs from God’s love is like a light – quiet but radiant. The joy of holiness is not superficial. It is the joy of a person who knows Christ, trusts in Him, and knows that even through the cross, the way leads to life. And this is the most beautiful face of the Church. Not power, not success, not flawlessness, but the face of people who live with joy, in love and in service. This joy of the saints transforms the world more than any program. It is a joy that says, “God is with us.” And this joy is contagious—it opens hearts and gives hope to the world.

Brothers and sisters, today’s feast invites us to look at holiness with new eyes. Not as an unattainable ideal, but as a gift that God offers to each of us. Holiness is not for the perfect, but for those who love. It is for those who get up and keep going, not for those who have never fallen. Not for those who are without fault, but for those who believe that God’s grace is greater than their weakness. Therefore, today, as we remember the great multitude of saints, let us also think of those who have walked before us—our parents, grandparents, teachers, friends, and all the “saints next door.” Stay after Holy Mass in our cathedral. Go to the relics of these saints and let us be encouraged by them so that we too today may live a holiness that is

– close—because God walks with us,
– concrete—because love is lived in the little things,
– joyful—because holiness is the most beautiful face of the Church. Amen.

JESUS sets out on his journey to Jerusalem, passing through towns and villages to preach. He finds himself in the territory under the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas, and some Pharisees warn him of danger: the tetrarch, they say, wants to kill him. We do not know whether these Pharisees meant well or used a ruse to lure Jesus away from that region. In any case, the Lord’s answer is firm: “I must go on my way today, tomorrow, and the day after, for it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem” (Lk 13:33).

Undeterred by the threat of Herod—whom he calls a “fox” to emphasize that he is a cunning and insidious figure—Jesus declares that he will continue to teach the truth and free people from physical and moral evil in order to fulfill the mission entrusted to him by God the Father. The misunderstandings, difficulties, and dangers he encounters do not discourage him. Nor does he act according to human calculations, such as measuring the chances of success of his message. What drives him is his trust in the Father and his complete identification with his plans of love for humanity.

In our lives, we too can find ourselves in difficult or problematic situations where it is harder to act as God wants us to: according to truth, justice, or love. Such moments challenge us to identify more deeply and authentically with God’s will, grow in trust in the Lord, and reflect that the plan we live with God is greater than the obstacles and dangers we encounter. We can move forward in faith, knowing that the fulfillment of our mission does not depend solely on human factors but is, above all, in God’s hands. “Without the Lord, you cannot take a single safe step,” writes Saint Josemaría. “This certainty that you need his help will lead you to cling more closely to him, with a firm and persistent trust full of joy and peace, even though the path has been rough and steep.”

Jesus comes to save us…

“JERUSALEM, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing” (Lk 13:34). Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem eloquently shows his profound love and desire to protect his people. The reference to the prophets reminds us that throughout the history of salvation, God has sought his people again and again and has never tired of forgiving them when Israel has turned away. With the same paternal and maternal affection, the Lord desires us to draw closer to him, to live constantly under his protection, to be found again when we have abandoned him.

In Jesus’ words, we sense his sorrow over Jerusalem’s refusal to accept his love and protection. The Lord does not want to impose himself. He prefers to gently respect human freedom and accept rejection, even though he is pained by the consequences of living with his back to God: “Behold, your house is left to you desolate” (Lk 13:35), he warns them. Emptiness, darkness, and cold are what the absence of God causes in the human heart, even though we can sometimes go through life focusing on interests and distractions that avoid what is essential.

The Lord approaches the Holy City as the King of Peace, as the mediator who seeks to reconcile his people with the Father. He does not come to judge but to save. Saint Josemaría says, “The Lord does not come to condemn us or to throw our wretchedness and littleness in our faces; he comes to save us, to forgive us, to absolve us of guilt, and to bring us peace and joy.” If we are able to recognize this wonderful relationship of the Lord with his children, our hearts will inevitably change and we will realize that a completely new panorama opens before our eyes, full of hope, depth and light.”

Praying for peace in the Holy Land…

CHRISTIANS have a special bond with Jerusalem, the Holy City. We feel that we are spiritual pilgrims in the land where our reconciliation with God took place, which was previously the historical place of the biblical revelation of God, the place where, more than in any other place, dialogue was established between God and men, as if it were the meeting place between heaven and earth. Jerusalem witnessed many of Jesus’ miracles and sayings. There, the first Christian community was born, even though external circumstances were not always favorable. “Jerusalem stands in the eyes of faith between the infinite transcendence of God and the reality of created being, as a symbol of encounter, unity, and peace for the entire human family. The Holy City thus contains a profound invitation to peace, addressed to all humanity, and especially to the worshippers of the one great God, the merciful Father of all peoples. Unfortunately, we must recognize that Jerusalem is becoming a source of persistent rivalry, violence, and exclusive claims.

The contemplation of Jesus, who on the way to Jerusalem is troubled by the hardness of the human heart, invites us to identify with his feelings of compassion, with his desire for peace and justice for all people. As the Pope has been asking us for decades, today we can pray especially for reconciliation in the Holy Land. “I pray for you and with you,” Pope Francis wrote to the Catholics there: “Lord, you are our peace (cf. Eph 2:14-22), you who have declared that the peacemakers are blessed (cf. Mt 5:9), free human hearts from hatred, violence, and revenge. We contemplate and follow you, who are forgiving, meek, and humble of heart (cf. Mt 11:29). May no one steal from our hearts the hope that we will stand and rise with you; may we never tire of affirming the dignity of every human being, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or nationality, starting with the most fragile: women, the elderly, the little ones, and the poor. Brothers and sisters, I would like to tell you that you are not alone and we will not leave you alone, but We will remain in solidarity with you through prayer and active charity.” We can conclude our prayer with a plea to the Virgin Mary to grant the Holy Land and the whole world the gift of peace: “Holy Mary is, as the Church calls her, the Queen of Peace. Therefore, when there is unrest in your soul, in your family or work environment, in social or international life, do not stop crying out to her: Regina pacis, ora pro nobis! – Queen of Peace, pray for us!”

If I asked you to name the twelve apostles, you would probably stop at ten. Peter, James, John, Andrew, and Matthew—those names are easy to remember. Thomas—we remember him. But Simon and Judas?

Every list in the Gospels puts them at the very end. Almost as an afterthought. And perhaps that is why the Holy Spirit gives us their feast today, to remind us that there are no afterthoughts in the Kingdom of God.

#### 1. Who are they?

The Church has always had to explain who they are, because we know so little and confuse them so easily.

**Simon** is called the Zealot, or the Canaanite. Not because he was from Cana, but because of the Hebrew word *qanai*, meaning zealous. Before he met Jesus, his zeal was for politics, for purity, for Israel to be free from Rome. He likely dreamed of a Messiah with a sword. He was a man of fire, of conviction, and of black-and-white thinking.

**Judas** is not Judas Iscariot. The Gospels make this clear: Judas, son of James, Judas Thaddeus. For that very reason he became the patron saint of hopeless cases—because for centuries, Christians were nervous to pray to a man named Judas, lest their prayer go to the traitor. So only the truly desperate prayed to him. And they discovered he never fails to answer.

One was a zealot. The other was forgotten. Jesus chose them both.

Tradition says that after Pentecost, they went together to preach the Gospel in Persia, in what is now Iran. And there they were martyred together. Simon was sawn in half; Jude was beaten with a club. That is why in art you will see Simon holding a saw and Jude holding a club or a medallion with the face of Christ.

#### 2. What do they teach us?

**First, that Jesus can hold together what we cannot.**

Think about who else was in the Twelve. Matthew the tax collector. Matthew collaborated with Rome for money. Simon the Zealot wanted to kill collaborators like Matthew. In any other movement, they would have killed each other. In Jesus, they become brothers. They share the same table.

If Christ can make a Zealot and a tax collector live together, He can hold together our parish, our families, and our divided country. The Church is not a club of like-minded people. It is a miracle of people who have nothing in common except Christ.

What divisions do you hold in your heart that Christ is asking you to lay down at this altar?

**Second, that God loves hidden faithfulness.**

We have not one word recorded from Simon in Scripture. Not one. From Jude we have one question at the Last Supper—”Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”—and a short Epistle of Jude, 25 verses.

They did not write a large Gospel. They did not become Peter, preaching to thousands. They went to the edge of the known world, to a place no one would remember, and gave their lives there.

Most of us will live a life like Simon and Jude, not like Peter and Paul. A hidden life. No books are written about us. But God saw. The reading today from Ephesians says, “You are built upon the foundation of the apostles.” The foundation is hidden. Nobody visits a building to admire the foundation, but without it, everything collapses.

Your hidden prayers, your patience in illness, your fidelity in a difficult marriage, and your work offered each morning—that is apostolic. That holds up the Church.

**Third, that there is no hopeless case.**

St. Jude Thaddeus reminds us of this truth. In his epistle he writes, “Keep yourselves in the love of God… have mercy on those who waver, save others by snatching them out of the fire.”

Perhaps you carry someone in your heart today who seems far from God. Perhaps you carry someone in your heart today, whether a child, a friend, or even yourself. You think, “It’s hopeless.” Then you are precisely the person Jude was made for. He is the patron of hopeless causes precisely because God wanted to show that every cause is hopeful for Him.

So what shall we ask of Saints Simon and Jude today?

From Simon the Zealot, let us ask for true zeal. Not the zeal that burns others down, but the zeal that allowed him to be transformed—from zeal for his nation to zeal for the Kingdom of Christ. Lord, give us convictions, but make them Yours.

From Jude, let us ask for hope. For the courage to bring our impossible situations to Christ and leave them there.

At the end of the Gospel today, Luke says after Jesus chose the Twelve, “a great crowd of people… came to hear him and to be healed.” The apostles were chosen not for privilege but to bring people to Jesus for healing.

You and I, through baptism, share that same apostolic mission.

Saints Simon and Jude, apostles of the hidden and the hopeless, pray for us. Amen.

On the Sabbath, he was teaching in a synagogue. There was a woman there who had been crippled for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity,” and laid his hands on her. Immediately she straightened up and glorified God. (Luke 13:10-13)

The question arises: What prompted the crippled woman to dare to come to the synagogue to see Jesus? For eighteen long years, she had been paralyzed, deprived of seeing what was really happening around her. She had spent a lot of money on doctors and had hardly hoped anyone could help her…except for one person she had heard about, so she decided to go to the synagogue to listen to him. Jesus saw her and restored her dignity as a daughter of Abraham.

We too are often “overwhelmed” by problems, often insurmountable from a human perspective. We are literally “tied” by many fears and illnesses that we may not be able to shed for years. It is good to seek help from doctors, but it is even better to draw close to the one who wants to free us from all our ailments and problems. For Jesus, every person has immense value! He sacrificed himself on the cross for everyone without distinction. He loves us as we are! But he wants to help us become what the Heavenly Father wants us to be!

 Do I get close to Christ often? Do I long for his healing help? Do I want to “straighten up”, to rise from my sins?
¦ Lord Jesus, let me begin to “straighten up” today through the intervention of Your grace and love!

Today’s Gospel tells us about the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. After his baptism and temptation in the desert, he began his ministry with a fundamental message and task—the calling of the first disciples. With his message and challenge, he wants to entirely change the direction of our lives. That message is urgent. Jesus knows that we cannot delay. He calls for immediate action.

The Kingdom of God is near; it must be accepted. It must be accepted in two ways: through conversion and faith in the Gospel. Jesus proclaims conversion. To convert means to leave bad things behind and to draw closer to God. It is a radical change in the direction of our thoughts and will, which Jesus demands of us for our good. In the Gospel, Jesus urges and calls, “Repent,” and adds, “And believe the Gospel!” 

That message is not only a call to conversion but also a proclamation of the Good News. God cares about our salvation and desires to pour out his grace on us, but he requires that we correct our ways of life. The Apostle Paul once said: “The time is short!” This means that God wants to carry out his plan of love, but we must take care of it ourselves. This situation requires conversion, because time is short. We can no longer wait or postpone. We often cry for reasons that are not really worthy of it, and we rejoice in superficial things. However, we must cry only for what separates us from God and rejoice only in what unites us with Him. Therefore, we must always and everywhere convert. We must renounce our negative inclinations in order to be able to unite ourselves sincerely and truly with God.

It is time to reflect on our conversion, to examine our thoughts, words and deeds, because time is short!

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Every human being desires happiness. We long for peace, love, security, and a meaningful life. Yet we often forget an important truth: everything truly valuable in life requires sacrifice. Nothing great can be achieved without effort, perseverance, and self-denial. This is especially true of the Christian virtues.

Virtue is not something that comes to us automatically. We are not born patient, humble, generous, courageous, or forgiving. These qualities must be cultivated through daily effort, often through struggle and sacrifice.

A person does not become virtuous simply by admiring goodness. He becomes virtuous by practicing goodness, especially when doing so is difficult.

This is why we can say, “Virtue requires sacrifice,” because genuine goodness always demands something of us.

1. The path of virtue is the path of self-denial.

Jesus Christ never promised His followers an uncomplicated life. On the contrary, he said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

These words reveal the very heart of Christian life.

To follow Christ means learning to say no to our selfish desires so that we can say yes to God.

Every virtue requires us to renounce something.

To practice patience, we must sacrifice our impatience and anger.

To practice humility, we must sacrifice our pride and desire for recognition.

To practice generosity, we must sacrifice something of our possessions, time, or comfort.

To practice chastity, we must sacrifice disordered desires and remain faithful to God’s commandments.

To practice forgiveness, we must sacrifice our desire for revenge.

And to practice love, we must often sacrifice our own preferences for the good of another person.

Thus, virtue is not merely a beautiful ideal. It is a daily struggle against selfishness.

Saint Paul expresses this struggle when he writes: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24)

Christian virtue requires the transformation of the human heart. We must allow God’s grace to overcome everything within us that prevents us from loving Him and our neighbor.

2. Without sacrifice, there can be no genuine love.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Of all the Christian virtues, love is the greatest. Yet love is also the virtue that most clearly reveals the necessity of sacrifice.

It is easy to love someone who is kind to us, agrees with us, and appreciates everything we do. But genuine love is tested when the other person becomes difficult, demanding, or ungrateful.

Consider the love of a mother who spends sleepless nights caring for her sick child. She sacrifices her rest, comfort, and personal interests because she loves her child.

Consider a father who works diligently to provide for his family, even when he is tired and discouraged.

Consider a husband or wife who remains faithful during sickness, suffering, and difficult circumstances.

Such love is not merely a feeling. It is a decision to give oneself for another person.

Jesus Himself teaches us: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

The supreme example of this love is Jesus Christ on the cross.

On Calvary, Christ revealed that true love is inseparable from self-giving. He did not save humanity through beautiful words alone, but through the sacrifice of His own life.

The cross is the greatest school of love because it teaches us that genuine love is willing to suffer for the good of others.

Whenever we make a sacrifice out of love, we participate, in our own small way, in the self-giving love of Christ.

3. Virtue is formed through daily struggles.

Many people imagine holiness as something extraordinary, reserved for great saints who performed heroic deeds.

But holiness usually begins with small, ordinary sacrifices.

A person who controls an angry word practices patience.

A person who refuses to spread gossip practices charity.

A person who admits a mistake practices humility.

A person who tells the truth despite possible consequences practices honesty and courage.

A person who helps someone without expecting gratitude practices generosity.

These actions may seem insignificant, but they gradually shape our character.

Just as an athlete becomes stronger through regular training, the Christian becomes spiritually stronger through repeated acts of virtue.

An athlete cannot achieve excellence without discipline. He must sacrifice comfort, overcome fatigue, and persevere despite difficulties.

The same principle applies to spiritual life.

Saint Paul compares the Christian life to an athletic contest: “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.” (1 Corinthians 9:25)

If people are willing to make great sacrifices for earthly achievements, how much more should Christians be willing to sacrifice for eternal life?

However, there is an important difference between ordinary human effort and Christian holiness.

We do not become saints by our strength alone. God’s grace comes first. It inspires us, strengthens us, and enables us to accomplish what would otherwise be impossible.

Our task is to cooperate faithfully with that grace.

4. The greatest obstacle to virtue is selfishness.

One of the deepest consequences of original sin is the human tendency to place ourselves at the center of everything.

We want others to understand us, forgive us, respect us, and serve our interests.

But we are often less willing to understand, forgive, respect, and serve others.

Selfishness makes virtue difficult because virtue requires us to move beyond ourselves.

Pride tells us: “You must always be right.”

Humility answers, “You must be willing to acknowledge the truth, even when it reveals your weakness.”

Anger tells us, “You must repay every offense.”

Mercy answers, “You must forgive as God has forgiven you.”

Greed tells us: “Keep everything for yourself.”

Generosity answers: “Share what you have with those in need.”

Laziness tells us: “Avoid everything that requires effort.”

Perseverance answers: “Remain faithful to your duties, even when they are difficult.”

Every day, these opposing voices struggle within the human heart.

The question is not whether we shall encounter such struggles, but which voice we shall follow.

Christian maturity begins when we learn to choose what is right rather than merely what is pleasant.

A person who always follows his immediate desires gradually becomes a prisoner of those desires. But a person who practices self-denial discovers genuine interior freedom.

The sacrifice required by virtue does not destroy our freedom. It frees us from the tyranny of selfishness and enables us to love more perfectly.

5. Sacrifice purifies our love for God.

Our relationship with God also requires sacrifice.

It is easy to pray when we feel spiritually enthusiastic. But genuine faithfulness is revealed when we continue praying despite dryness, tiredness, or distraction.

It is easy to trust God when everything goes according to our wishes. But true trust is tested when we experience illness, disappointment, suffering, or uncertainty.

It is simple to thank God for His blessings. But a mature Christian also learns to remain faithful when God’s plans are different from his expectations.

Think of Abraham, whom God called to surrender what was most precious to him.

Think of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who accepted God’s will even though she could not foresee all the suffering that awaited her.

At the Annunciation, Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

Her obedience was not limited to that single moment. She remained faithful throughout her life, even beneath her Son’s cross.

Mary teaches us that virtue reaches its highest expression when we surrender ourselves completely to God’s will.

True sacrifice is not suffering for suffering’s sake. God does not desire our pain for its own sake. Rather, He desires a love so sincere that we remain faithful even when faithfulness costs us something.

6. The sacrifices of today prepare the glory of tomorrow

The world often encourages us to seek immediate satisfaction. It tells us to avoid discomfort, pursue pleasure, and choose the easiest path.

But the Gospel presents a different vision.

Jesus says, “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” (Matthew 7:13)

The narrow way is the way of virtue, self-discipline, faithfulness, and sacrifice.

It is not always pleasant, but it leads to life.

A farmer must first work the soil and sow the seed before he can enjoy the harvest.

A student must sacrifice time and effort before acquiring knowledge.

A musician must practice for many years before mastering an instrument.

Likewise, a Christian must persevere in virtue before experiencing its full spiritual fruits.

Saint Paul reminds us: “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

Our sacrifices, when united with Christ and offered in love, are never meaningless.

God sees every hidden act of faithfulness.

He sees the person who patiently bears an illness.

He sees the elderly person who accepts the limitations of age with trust.

He sees the parent who silently sacrifices for the family.

He sees the Christian who resists temptation when nobody is watching.

He sees the person who forgives an offense even though the wound remains painful.

God does not forget any genuine act of love.

And even when our sacrifices appear fruitless in this world, they can bear eternal fruit in the Kingdom of Heaven.

7. Christ gives us the strength to persevere.

We must remember that Christianity is more than just a religion of moral effort. It is above all a life of communion with Jesus Christ.

Without Him, our efforts easily become exhausting and discouraging.

Jesus tells us: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

This is why prayer, the sacraments, and especially the Holy Eucharist are essential for the growth of virtue.

In the Eucharist, we encounter Christ, who offered Himself completely for our salvation.

At every Holy Mass, we are invited to unite our sacrifices with His perfect one.

We can place upon the altar our struggles, our disappointments, our daily duties, our acts of forgiveness, and our efforts to overcome sin.

Christ receives these offerings and transforms our lives through His grace.

The Eucharist reminds us that we are not alone on the difficult path of holiness.

The One who calls us to carry our cross also walks beside us and provides us the strength to carry it.

Conclusion: No virtue without sacrifice, no holiness without love

The path of virtue is not the easiest, but it leads to genuine happiness and eternal life.

Every virtue asks something of us. Patience asks us to surrender anger. Humility asks us to surrender pride. Generosity asks us to surrender selfishness. Faithfulness asks us to surrender the temptation to abandon our commitments. Love asks us to give something of ourselves.

But what we surrender for the sake of goodness is never truly lost.

When we sacrifice pride, we gain humility.

When we sacrifice selfishness, we gain the capacity to love.

When we sacrifice resentment, we gain peace.

When we sacrifice sinful pleasures, we gain spiritual freedom.

And when we surrender our lives to God, we discover the fullness of life that only He can give.

Let us remember the words of Jesus: “Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:24)

Therefore, let us not be afraid of the sacrifices that Christian virtue requires.

Let us begin with the small sacrifices of everyday life, accepting them with patience, humility, and love.

For every sacrifice made out of love brings us closer to Christ, and every act of virtue prepares our hearts for eternal communion with God.

The world teaches us to seek happiness by possessing more. Christ teaches us to discover happiness by loving more. And genuine love always involves the willingness to sacrifice.

May the Lord grant us the courage to choose goodness when it is difficult, the strength to persevere when we are weak, and the grace to grow daily in holiness.

May we one day discover that every sacrifice made out of love for God was a step toward the everlasting joy of Heaven.

Amen.

It is indeed the pretext with which the expert in the Law comes to Jesus, just to test him. However, his question is important, still relevant, and often finds its way into our hearts and into the life of the Church: “Which is the greatest commandment?” (Mt 22:36). We too, immersed in the living river of tradition, ask ourselves the question: what is most important? What is the driving center? What matters most, to the point of inspiring everything? Jesus’ answer is clear: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself!” (Mt 22:37-39).

At this point in our journey, we—Brother Cardinals, Brother Bishops, priests, and sisters and brothers—must reflect on the foundational principle from which everything begins: love. To love God with all our life and to love our neighbor as ourselves is the core of everything. This is the core of everything, not our strategies, human calculations, or the world’s fashion trends, but love for God and neighbor: how do we translate this takeoff of love? I propose two verbs, two movements of the heart, on which I would like to reflect: to adore and to serve. We can love God through adoration and service.

The first verb is “to adore.” To love means to adore. Adoration is the first response that we can offer to the selfless and surprising love of God. Adoration is essential in the Church, especially now that we have lost the habit of it. Worship, in fact, means recognizing in faith that God alone is Lord and that our life, the journey of the Church, and the destiny of history depend on the tenderness of his love. He is the meaning of life.

When we worship him, we rediscover our freedom. That is why love for the Lord is often linked in Scripture to the fight against all idolatry. Those who worship God reject idols because while God liberates, idols enslave. They deceive us and never fulfill their promises because they are made by human hands. Sacred Scripture is strict against idolatry, because idols are the work of man and are manipulated by him, while God is always alive; He is here and everywhere: “He is not as I imagine him; He does not depend on what I expect of him; therefore, He can upset my expectations precisely because He is alive. “The proof that we do not always have the right idea of ​​God is that we are sometimes disappointed: I expected this, I imagined that God would behave like this, and instead I was wrong. This is how we return to the path of idolatry when we want the Lord to act according to the image we have created of him” (Card. M. Martini, Greats of the Bible). Spiritual Exercises with the Old Testament, Florence 2022, 826-827). It is a risk that we can always expose ourselves to thinking that we “control God,” closing his love into our schemes. Instead, his actions are always unpredictable; they transcend us, and therefore God’s work demands wonder and adoration. Wonder is critical!

We must always fight against idolatry, the worldly one that often stems from personal vanity, such as the desire for success, asserting oneself at all costs, and greed for money—the devil comes through the pockets; let us not forget the allure of materialism—and the charm of careerism; and it is also necessary to fight against idolatry that masquerades as spirituality: my religious ideas, my pastoral prowess… Let us be vigilant not to put ourselves at the center instead of Him. And let us return to adoration. Let us shepherds be the center: let us dedicate time every day to an intimate relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, before the tabernacle. Let us adore. May the Church be an adorer: in every diocese, in every parish, in every community, let us adore the Lord! Because only in this way will we turn to Jesus, and not to ourselves; only through adoring silence will the word of God take up residence in our words; only before him will we be purified, transformed, and renewed by the fire of his Spirit. Brothers and sisters, let us adore the Lord Jesus!

The second verb is to serve. To love means to serve. In the greatest commandment, Christ unites God and neighbor so that they may never be separated. No true religious experience is deaf to the call of the world. Love for God requires commitment to caring for one’s neighbor; otherwise, there is a risk of Pharisaism. We can have many beautiful ideas for reforming the Church, but let us remember: to adore God and to love our brothers and sisters with his love, that is the great and constant reform. A Church that adores and serves must wash the feet of wounded humanity, accompany the fragile and rejected, and reach out to the poorest. God has commanded this; we heard it in the first reading.

Brothers and sisters, I think of those who are victims of the atrocities of war, of the suffering of migrants, of the hidden pain of those who find themselves alone and in poverty, of those who are weighed down by the burden of life, of those who no longer have tears, of those who have no voice. And I think of how many times, behind beautiful words and convincing promises, forms of exploitation are encouraged, or nothing is done to prevent them. The exploitation of the weakest is a grave sin, a grave sin that destroys fraternity and devastates society. We, disciples of Jesus, aim to infuse the world with the Gospel’s leaven, prioritizing God and caring for the poor and weak.

This is the Church, brothers and sisters, of which we are called to dream: a Church that serves all, serves the least. A church that never demands a certificate of “good behavior,” but that welcomes, serves, loves and forgives. A church with open doors, a port of mercy. “A merciful man,” as St. John Chrysostom said, “is a port for those in need, welcoming and freeing all, whether criminals or good people, sheltering them in its cove.” When you see a suffering person in poverty, do not judge or question them; instead, help free them from their misfortune.

Brothers and sisters, the Synodal Assembly is coming to an end. In this “conversation of the Holy Spirit,” we experienced the Lord’s tender presence and discovered the beauty of fraternity. We listened to one another, and, above all, in the rich diversity of our stories and in our sensitivity, we listened to the Holy Spirit. Today we do not yet see the full fruit of this process, but we can look with foresight to the horizon that opens before us: the Lord will guide us and help us to be a more synodal and more missionary Church, one that worships God and serves the women and men of our time, and that goes forth to bring the comforting joy of the Gospel to all.

Brothers and sisters, I thank you for all that you have done during the Synod and continue to do. Thank you for the journey together, for listening and for dialogue. In addition to my thanks, I would like to express a wish for all of us: that we may grow in adoration of God and in service to our neighbor. To adore and to serve. May the Lord accompany us. And with joy we move forward!