Pope: Listen to the ‘hidden, beating heart of love’

June 12, 2026: Pope Leo reflected on love, suffering, and humility on Thursday evening while presiding over Mass at Gran Canaria Stadium.

Gran Canaria, a Spanish island located off the west coast of Africa, is one of the principal entry points for migrants seeking a new life in Europe.

In his homily, the Pope said he wished to remember “the sufferings to which this land bears witness” and invited those present to pray together for “our brothers and sisters who have lost their lives at sea.”

'Torment for the heart'

Pope Leo began his homily by reflecting on the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, which speaks of God’s “unconditional” love for the people of Israel.

Describing this love, the Pope said it “permeates our entire being” and is “fire for the soul, light for the mind, peace, an irresistible impulse toward freedom … torment for the heart”.

Leo explained that it is within this “unconditional” divine love that humanity’s own calling to love finds its foundation.

Spiritual, intellectual, and physical development

The Pope then reflected on the second reading of the day, taken from the First Letter of John.

He said that the Apostle’s words contain an invitation “to embrace those who suffer with motherly compassion”.

However, Leo noted that compassion should not be limited to material support alone. Instead, it should inspire efforts to foster the “spiritual, intellectual, and physical” development of those who are in need.

The 'restless I'

The Mass was celebrated on the Vigil of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Concluding his homily, Pope Leo drew attention to one particular characteristic of Christ’s Heart: humility.

The Pope observed that, “dazed by the clamor of a bombastic, omnipresent and restless ‘I’,” many people today “lack the silence necessary to hear within themselves … the hidden, beating heart of love.”

According to Leo, Jesus offers the answer: “we must step down from the pedestals of arrogance that divide us and see ourselves in the humility that unites us.”

Courtesy: Vatican News