ON THE FEAST day of Saint Augustine, from the Holy See, Pope Leo XIV sent a video message to the Augustinian province of St. Thomas of Villanova in the United States to invite everyone to listen to God’s loving voice, which alone can bring peace to the whole world.
The Pope marked the Solemnity of Saint Augustine by recalling with affection that the local parish is dedicated to Saint Thomas of Villanova, the Augustinian friar and bishop remembered as Father of the Poor.
He also expressed his gratitude for the conferral of the Saint Augustine medal.
“To be recognized as an Augustinian,” he said, “is an honor held dearly. So much of who I am I owe to the spirit and the teachings of Saint Augustine. I am grateful to all of you for the many ways your lives exhibit a deep commitment to the values of veritas, unitas, caritas.”
[T]he Pope invited the Augustinian family to embrace a spirit of listening while encouraging all to filter out the noise and division of the world in order to hear God’s loving voice, which alone can bring peace.’
FULL OF TRIALS, ERRORS
The American pontiff reflected on the saint’s life, noting Augustine’s journey as “full of trial and error, like our own lives,” yet through grace, the prayers of his mother Monica, and the witness of the community around him, he discovered “the way to peace for his restless heart.”
Leo likewise underlined that Augustine’s witness calls every Christian to recognize their God-given gifts and to offer them “in loving service to God and to our neighbor.”
He then turned to the Augustinian presence in Philadelphia, home to one of the oldest Catholic communities in the United States, recalling the missionary zeal of Fathers Matthew Carr and John Rossiter in serving immigrants at the end of the 18th century.
“That same spirit calls us today to carry on a legacy of loving service. Jesus reminds us in the Gospel to love our neighbor,” he stressed, urging all to look at one another with the eyes of Christ and to rediscover (everyone’s) identity “as sisters and brothers in Him.”
Quoting Augustine’s words, he enthused: “Do not have your heart in your ears, but your ears in your heart.”
Before ending his message, the Pope invited the Augustinian family to embrace a spirit of listening while encouraging all to filter out the noise and division of the world in order to hear God’s loving voice, which alone can bring peace.
“Before we speak, we must listen. When we hear that reassuring voice, we can share it with the world as we strive to become one in Him.”
Leo concluded by entrusting the Augustinian family to the Virgin Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, praying that “God bless (. . .) all and bring peace to (. . .) restless hearts and help (. . .) continue to build a community of love, one in mind and heart, intent upon God.”