In his March 15 Angelus, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the faithful to embrace the light of Christ and live their faith with “open eyes.”
Addressing pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father reflected on the Gospel passage from John (Jn 9:1–41), which recounts Jesus healing a man who had been blind from birth.
“Through the symbolism of this account,” Pope Leo said, “John the Evangelist speaks to us of the mystery of salvation: while we were in darkness, while humanity walked in gloom, God sent his Son as the light of the world, to open the eyes of the blind and illuminate our lives.”
The Pontiff explained that humanity has also been, in a sense, “blind from birth,” noting that Christ brings the light that reveals the truth of human life.
“God became flesh in Jesus,” Pope Leo said, “so that the clay of our humanity, shaped by the breath of his grace, might receive a new light, one capable of helping us to see ourselves, others, and God in truth.”
He also rejected the notion that authentic faith is merely a “leap in the dark” but rather an invitation to encounter Jesus more deeply.
“Faith is not a blind act, a forsaking of reason or a retreat into some sort of religious certainty that causes us to turn our gaze away from the world. On the contrary, faith helps us to see things ‘as Jesus himself sees them, with his own eyes: it is a participation in his way of seeing.’”
The Holy Father also encouraged the faithful to recognize the suffering in the world while allowing the light of the Gospel to guide their response.
“Today, in a particular way,” the Pope said, “in the face of the many questions of the human heart, as well as the tragic situations of injustice, violence and suffering that mark our time, it is essential that our faith be alert, attentive, and prophetic.”
Concluding the Angelus, Pope Leo asked the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for the faithful.
“Let us ask the Virgin Mary to intercede for us,” he said, “so that the light of Christ may open the eyes of our hearts and enable us to bear witness to him with simplicity and courage.”