Homily of Pope Leo XIV at the canonization of José Hernández and Carmen Rendiles

Pope Leo XIV canonized this Sunday, October 19, a group of 7 blessed: Sister María del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez; José Gregorio Hernández; Sister María Troncatti; Sister Vicenta María Poloni; Bartolo Longo Mons. Ignacio Maloyan and Pedro To Rot.

Below is the homily of Pope Leo XIV:

Dear brothers and sisters:

The question with which the Gospel we have proclaimed concludes opens our reflection: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Lk 18,8). This question reveals to us what is most precious in the eyes of God: faith, that is, the bond of love between God and man. Precisely today there are seven witnesses before us, the new saints, who with the grace of God have kept the lamp of faith lit, moreover, they have themselves been lamps capable of spreading the light of Christ.

Faith, compared to great material and cultural, scientific and artistic goods, stands out; not because these goods are despicable, but because without faith they lose their meaning. The relationship with God is of utmost importance because He has created all things from nothing, in the beginning of time, and saves from nothing everything that ends in time.

A land without faith would be populated by children who live without a Father, that is, creatures without salvation. That is why Jesus, the Son of God made man, asks himself about faith: if he disappeared from the world, what would happen? Heaven and earth would remain as they are, but our hearts would lack hope; everyone’s freedom would be defeated by death; our desire for life would precipitate into nothingness. Without faith in God, we cannot hope for salvation. Jesus’ question worries us, yes, but only if we forget that it is He Himself who utters it.

The words of the Lord, in fact, are always gospel, that is, a joyful announcement of salvation. This salvation is the gift of eternal life that we receive from the Father, through the Son, with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Dear brothers and sisters, precisely for this reason Christ speaks to his disciples of the need to “always pray without losing heart” (Lk 18:1). Just as we do not get tired of breathing, in the same way let us not get tired of praying. As breathing sustains the life of the body, so prayer sustains the life of the soul. Faith, certainly, is expressed in prayer and authentic prayer lives from faith.

Jesus indicates this link to us with a parable. A judge remains deaf to the persistent requests of a widow, whose insistence finally leads him to act. At first glance, this tenacity appears to us as a great example of hope, especially in times of trial and tribulation. The perseverance of the woman and the behavior of the judge, who acts reluctantly, prepare a provocative question from Jesus. God, the good Father, “will he not do justice to his chosen ones, who cry to him day and night?” (Luke 18:7).

Let’s make these words resonate in our conscience. The Lord is asking us if we believe that God is a just judge for all. The Son asks us if we believe that the Father always wants our good and the salvation of each person. In this regard, two temptations test our faith. The first takes strength in the scandal of evil, leading us to think that God does not listen to the cry of the oppressed nor has mercy on innocent pain. The second temptation is the claim that God must act as we want. Then, prayer ceases to be such and becomes an order, with which we teach God how to be just and effective.

Jesus, perfect witness of filial trust, frees us from both temptations. He is the innocent one, who especially during his passion prays like this: “Father, your will be done” (cf. Luke 22:42). They are the same words that the Master gives us in the Lord’s Prayer. Whatever happens, Jesus entrusts himself as Son to the Father; That is why we, as brothers and sisters in his name, proclaim: “It is truly just and necessary, it is our duty and salvation to give you thanks, Holy Father, always and everywhere, through Jesus Christ, your beloved Son” (Roman Missal, Eucharistic Prayer II, Preface).

The prayer of the Church reminds us that God does justice to all, giving his life for all. Thus, when we cry out to the Lord: “where are you?”, we transform this invocation into prayer, and then we recognize that God is there where the innocent suffers. The cross of Christ reveals the justice of God. And the justice of God is forgiveness. He sees evil and redeems it, taking it upon himself.

When we are crucified by pain and violence, by hatred and war, Christ is already there, on the cross for us and with us. There is no cry that God does not comfort, there is no tear that is far from his heart. The Lord listens to us, embraces us as we are, to make us as He is. On the other hand, whoever rejects God’s mercy remains incapable of mercy towards his neighbor. He who does not accept peace as a gift will not know how to give peace.

Dear brothers and sisters, we now understand that Jesus’ questions are a powerful invitation to hope and action. When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith in the providence of God? It is this faith, precisely, that sustains our commitment to justice, because we believe that God saves the world out of love, freeing us from fatalism. Therefore, let us ask ourselves: when we hear the call of those who are in difficulty, are we witnesses of the Father’s love, as Christ has been for all? He is the humble one who calls the arrogant to conversion, the righteous one who makes us righteous, as today’s new saints attest. They are not heroes, or champions of any ideal, but authentic men and women.

These faithful friends of Christ are martyrs for their faith, like Bishop Ignacio Choukrallah Maloyan and catechist Pedro To Rot; They are evangelizers and missionaries like Sister María Troncatti; They are charismatic founders, such as Sister Vicenta María Poloni and Sister Carmen Rendiles Martínez; They are benefactors of humanity with their hearts burning with devotion, like Bartolo Longo and José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros.

May his intercession assist us in trials and his example inspire us in the common vocation to holiness. As we journey toward that goal, let us not tire of praying, grounded in what we have learned and firmly believe (cf. 2 Tim 3:14). In this way, faith on earth sustains hope in heaven.