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Pope: Do not give in to hatred; do not let evil disfigure humanity
In his homily for Mass in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV reflects on the beauty of “simple gestures” of devotion and emphasizes that, in a world that dismisses forgiveness as naive, believing in God can become a pathway toward peace. After Mass, the Holy Father made history by embarking on a boat on Lake Albano to take part in the procession for the Feast of Our Lady of the Lake.
By Edoardo Giribaldi
Pope Leo XIV presided over Mass on 29 August at the Church of Maria Santissima del Lago in Castel Gandolfo, before taking part in the traditional procession of Our Lady of the Lake on Lake Albano.
Reflecting on the Gospel account of Jesus walking on the water, the Pope encouraged the faithful to remain steadfast in faith amid the “contrary winds” of a world marked by suffering, violence and division.
The fan-shaped structure of the Church of Maria Santissima del Lago resembles the planks of a boat, which, at the point corresponding to its ideal bow, converge toward the cross rising above the stretch of water nestled among the Alban Hills.
Watch the full video of the Mass and the Marian Procession on Lake Albano
Faith in the midst of the storm
During the Mass, the Pope discussed the Sea of Galilee, where, in the midst of a storm, Jesus walks on the water and urges us to have faith.
This commitment, the Holy Father expressed, must not lead to discouragement in the face of difficulties.
He suggested that the procession itself recalls this, evoking the miracle of Jesus walking on the water, reaching His frightened disciples and bringing them safely back to shore after calming the storm.
“Precisely when they were most frightened, at the mercy of contrary winds,” Pope Leo reminded, the Lord “urged them to have faith, to pray, so that they might find peace and, together with Him, continue sailing toward the desired destination.”
From the altar of the church consecrated by Saint Paul VI in August 1977, the Holy Father encouraged the faithful to follow the “path of life,” the path of love.
The way of love
The Pope pointed out that taking the ideal of communion all the way, without hesitation, is also what Jesus teaches us to practice in the Gospel.
After feeding four thousand men and women with seven loaves and a few small fish, he recalled that Christ reveals to His disciples the suffering He will have to endure in Jerusalem, culminating in His Death and Resurrection.
“He explains that,” Pope Leo recalled, “after the many miracles He has performed, He will definitively manifest His glory by freely sacrificing His life and offering Himself on the Cross as broken bread.”
The Pope reiterated that Jesus makes clear that anyone who wishes to continue His mission must do the same: ‘If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.’
The Pope therefore suggested that only love saves, and urged the faithful to scatter the seeds of this “infinite charity” throughout the world, because, as Saint Augustine taught, “the joy of the harvester reveals the intention of the sower.”
“Even Peter,” Pope Leo said, “found it difficult to accept this new and different way of thinking. But Jesus remains unequivocal: only the way of love is the way of life.”
Do not give in to hatred
Pope Leo XIV also warned against the futility of hatred and violence.
“Hatred and violence,” he said, “lead to nothing good, but only to destruction and death, always—even when they are a response to injustices suffered. We see this every day, from the smallest circumstances of our domestic lives to the great stage of the world.”
He reminded the faithful that every sphere of human existence needs life, hope, serenity, and peace: from individuals themselves to peoples and nations.
Therefore, whatever the wound, whatever the offense, he suggested, let us not allow evil to disfigure our humanity and corrupt us in our hearts.
Simple gestures of faith
The Pope also reflected on the importance of “simple gestures” repeated from generation to generation as an effective way of renewing faith and devotion.
He emphasized the care shown by the small local community as it gathers solemnly to represent the entire Church: “one body, in prayer, in sentiments, in intentions, in the orderly and unanimous development of our being together.”
“Let us therefore,” he said, “draw close tonight to Jesus and Mary, to the Son and the mother, so that, united, we may be, not only on the lake but during all the nights of the world, a reassuring reflection of God’s presence and an irresistible echo of His love that invites us to love.”
Our Lady of the Lake
After the Mass concluded, Pope Leo XIV and the faithful left the church and carried the statue of Our Lady of the Lake in procession, initially along the streets, as far as the “Tropicana” establishment.
Pope Leo XIV became the first Pope in history to take part in the procession on the waters of Lake Albano. On board the Falco, a boat of the Lungolago Castel Gandolfo Association, the statue of Our Lady of the Lake accompanied the Pope.
The tradition has been repeated since the post-war period, when no more than six or seven families lived in the small town of Lazio.
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