The Christophers: The Wisdom of Pope Leo

Fr. Ed Dougherty,

M.M. Board of Directors

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This past month, in his activities leading up to Christmas, Pope Leo XIV offered words and insights that are gifts we all can carry with us into this new year. At the Vatican’s sixth annual Christmas “Concert with the Poor,” Leo said that liturgical song “is meant to elevate the soul,” and he called music “a form of love…a via pulchritudinis that leads to God.”

Vatican News reported that Pope Leo said the Vatican Christmas “Concert with the Poor” goes beyond a mere musical event or act of philanthropy. He pointed to his Apostolic Exhortation “Dilexi te,” where he stated, “This is not a matter of mere human kindness but a revelation…In the poor, [God] continues to speak to us.”

This sentiment highlights the fact that charitable outreach not only benefits those in need but is an essential way for us to meet God and learn all we are called to do and become in this world. We are called to see Christ on the cross in the suffering of others, so when we draw close to that suffering in love and compassion, we learn about Christ and express our profound love for Him.

The “Concert with the Poor” began under Pope Francis, and Leo called it a “beautiful tradition.” It is wonderful to see this tradition continue because it provides material support to those in need, while also being an opportunity to share our faith in gatherings that elevate the mind and heart with music.

Another recent treasure shared by Pope Leo is a book recommendation. When a journalist asked if he could recommend a book other than the writings of Saint Augustine to shed light on his thinking, Leo offered, “The Practice of the Presence of God.” It is a book that was written in the 17th century by a French Carmelite friar known as Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. Brother Lawrence was the cook at a Paris monastery, and his writings reveal a life devoted to living in continual awareness of God’s presence. “The Practice of the Presence of God” is a posthumous publication of a compilation of his writings, and it is beloved by many today for its guidance on drawing close to God in everyday life.

Brother Lawrence analogizes prayer to the cultivation of friendship, writing, “Think often on God, by day, by night, in your business, and even in your diversions. He is always near you and with you; leave Him not alone.”

In a letter encouraging a suffering friend to turn to God, Brother Lawrence wrote, “He is the Father of the afflicted, always ready to help us. He loves us infinitely more than we imagine. Love him then, and seek not consolation elsewhere.”

Of the book, Leo said, “It describes a type of prayer and spirituality where one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead . . . That’s been my spirituality for many years, in the midst of great challenges – living in Peru, during years of terrorism, being called to service in places where I never thought I would be called to serve – I trust in God, and that message is something that I share with all people.”

With these words and in his recommendation of this spiritual classic, Pope Leo points us toward the way of humility. Building upon his wisdom about poverty in “Dilexi te,” Leo invites the world into a deeper understanding of his own spiritual journey so that each of us may know of God’s tremendous love for us.

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For free copies of the Christopher News Note SEEING GOD IN UNEXPECTED PLACES, write: The Christophers, 264 West 40th Street, Room 603, New York, NY 10018; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org