Pope Leo’s Angelus Reflection for 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
St Peter’s Square – Sunday, 28 June 2026
The Lord wants his apostles to be free from any ties!
Matthew 10:37-42
He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today’s Gospel reading includes some of Jesus’s teachings on how to follow him and be witnesses to his kingdom.
Following him is not just a matter of outward acts, but of committing ourselves entirely to a loving relationship with him.
In order to bear fruit, love requires at least three things: detachment, loss and hospitality.
First, detachment.
Jesus says, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (v. 37).
When the Lord sends his apostles on a mission, he wants them to be free from any ties.
However, this applies to everyone because even the most significant relationships are fulfilled through the love that Christ gives us.
Consider married life. It can only be lived fully by “leaving” one’s parents’ home to commit to married life.
(Matthew 19:6 — “They are no longer two, but one.” What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”
The same can be said for raising children.
We help them fulfil themselves and find happiness by teaching them to “stand on their own two feet” and make their own choices.
As St. Augustine says, ” “It is painful to part from what you love.
Yet, even the farmer temporarily loses what he sows.”
Only by “losing” the seed in the ground can it blossom.
Then, loss.
In this sense, love is also loss.
It is difficult for us to understand this, especially in a world where losing is seen as a sign of weakness, and where we are obsessed with acquiring and possessing things.
However, love only bears fruit in self-giving: when we are willing to lose a little of ourselves to make room for another; to lose a little time to listen to a friend; to lose a little comfort to share in a time of hardship. .
According to the Gospel, those who cling to their lives for themselves alone actually lose them because they do not open themselves to the joy of love and thus become barren.
This is why Jesus invites us to embrace the cross.
He offered and lost himself, enabling us to receive life in abundance.
Similarly, if we live by the logic of self-giving, we too will be capable of bringing forth new life in our relationships.
Finally, hospitality.
Love is expressed through concrete choices and actions, such as offering a glass of water to someone who is thirsty. These small daily gestures make up a commitment.
Jesus sent his disciples out without provisions so that they would depend on the hospitality of others.
When we welcome those who come in Jesus’ name, we welcome him and the heavenly Father who sent him.
Indeed, loving the Lord always involves welcoming our brothers and sisters.
Dear friends, let us pray to the Virgin Mary, who loved her Son, knowing that she would also lose him.
May she help us to be humble and joyful witnesses to the love of Christ.
