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Pope Leo’s Homily at Holy Mass
in the Prairie of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
Sunday, 27 September 2026
“The call to repentance is found throughout Sacred Scripture
and the preaching of the Gospel over the centuries”
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First Reading (Ezekiel 18:25-28)
“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it; for the iniquity which he has committed he shall die. Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Sunday Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, “What do you think? A man had two sons.
He turned to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” And he answered,
I feel like it.” But then he repented and went there.
He turned to the second and said the same. And he answered, “Yes, sir.” But he did not go.
Which of the two has done his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.” And Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God.
John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.
Pope Leo’s Homily,
Brothers and sisters,
Pilgrims from France and from around the world,
Seeing you gathered here this morning in our Mother’s home, I see the universal face of the Church.
Some of you have crossed continents and traveled far to bring your joys and burdens to this sacred grotto.
What a joy it is to be together, as one heart and one family!
I would especially like to greet the pilgrims who have come from every province and diocese of France.
Today, you stand on this blessed ground, which has received so many graces.
May this pilgrimage rekindle the flame of faith in your homes and parishes.
Take the consolation of Lourdes back to your neighbors, your loved ones and fellow French citizens.
This Sunday’s readings touch on a central part of the message the Virgin Mary entrusted to St. Bernadette: the tender yet urgent call to conversion.
In the Gospel, Jesus looks upon closed hearts with truth and deep sorrow, saying, “You did not repent” (Matthew 21:32).
Why does this wound the heart of Christ?
Because God does not want His children to be lost.
The prophet Ezekiel reminds us that “when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it” (Ezekiel 3:20).
However, “if he turns away from all the transgressions he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die” (Ezekiel 18:26, 28).
This is why the call to repentance is found throughout Sacred Scripture and the preaching of the Gospel over the centuries.
The gravity of this call reminds us of the urgency and necessity of conversion.
We must repent today, not tomorrow.
Indeed, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2).
God wants us to live, to open our eyes, and to return to him.
Repentance means leaving the paths on which we lost our way and following the path of life, opening our hearts to the one true joy that never fades.
Jesus himself calls us to repentance quite directly.
As Saint Luke tells us, “Unless you repent, you will all perish” (Luke 13:5).
However, he also expands our perspective beyond this earthly life to include eternal life. While happiness in this world is fleeting, relative, and sometimes out of reach, true happiness is promised to everyone. This is what we should seek above all else in all our efforts and choices.
Did not the Virgin Mary tell Saint Bernadette, “I do not promise to make you happy in this world, but in the next”?
This promise, made right here, holds special significance in France and challenges our current way of thinking.
In an age and society that seeks progress and material well-being but sometimes forgets the horizon of eternity, Mary reminds us of the greatness and richness of our calling to eternal life.
In the face of current trends that redefine the value of human life during illness, suffering, and old age, the Grotto of Massabielle stands as a beacon of Christian hope.
Here, no one is turned away because of their frailty.
Your crutches, wheelchairs, and hidden tears are not obstacles. Instead, they are what allow you to be fully respected and welcomed. Here, you can experience a transformative encounter with God’s infinite love.
Lourdes is a place where the beauty and sanctity of life are professed.
Life is welcomed here as a precious gift from God and is called to flourish forever in the love of the Father.
“I promise you!” Indeed, eternal life is the Lord’s firm and certain promise to us.
Through his death on the cross and resurrection, he has already won it for us. Through the grace of baptism, he is bringing it to fulfillment in us each day.
Eternal life is within our reach, but we must freely welcome it and not stand in its way. The only obstacle to grace and eternal life is sin, which causes us to turn in on ourselves, refusing God and shutting ourselves up in our own darkness.
Therefore, our personal responsibility comes into play, and it is a great responsibility. God has made us free because freedom is necessary for love—no one can be forced to love.
We must use our freedom to say “yes” to Christ, relying on his grace like Mary did.
We renew this commitment until our final breath, as we say in the Hail Mary: “Now and at the hour of our death.”
We hear the same urgent call to conversion in Mary’s words spoken right here: “Penance! Penance! Penance!” She repeats the word three times.
She also asks Bernadette to perform certain acts of penance. Why?
Are we slow to understand?
Do we think too easily of ourselves as sinless?
Do we not practice penance enough?
The Virgin asks us to do penance not only for ourselves — because we need it too — but also “for sinners,” for a world that is going astray.
How can our hearts not be moved by the conflicts spreading and destroying so many innocent lives?
Yet, the evil of our time comes from the human heart.
God is not responsible for it.
As he told the Israelites, “Is my way not just? Are not your ways unjust?” (Ezekiel 18:25). Therefore, it is human hearts that must change, beginning with our own.
Penance is an act of love carried out in solidarity with the human family.
It is an act of love for God because we want to atone for the pain our sins have caused him.
Penance is also an act of love for our brothers and sisters who do not heed the call to conversion, whose sins lead them toward death.
This call to conversion concerns the Church as well, as she makes her earthly journey. She must have the courage to start with herself.
To heal the deep wounds, infidelities, and painful errors within her, we must humbly submit to the Lord’s purifying gaze.
Recognizing our faults is essential to our spiritual growth.
As St. Augustine wrote, “Do not be content with what you are if you want to become what you are not yet” (Disc. 169, 15, 18).
Our Mother’s reminder of our duty to pray and repent fills us with hope because she shows us that we can change the course of things by uniting ourselves with the Passion of Christ.
Dear friends who are sick, many of you here in Lourdes are familiar with suffering.
You can live your trials and pains in a spirit of offering, thereby taking part in the redemptive work that the world so greatly needs.
In this way, you are truly at the heart of the Church, and your role is irreplaceable.
Brothers and sisters, pilgrims, you will not leave Lourdes the same way you arrived. You will leave as missionaries of hope.
The miracle of Lourdes is that it awakens joy in the midst of suffering and hardship. The Virgin Mary heals our outlook and changes our hearts, bringing us peace. In your countries, dioceses, and families, be living witnesses to this divine strength and tenderness that help us persevere toward our goal.
Walk confidently into the future, sustained by the prayers of the sick and the love of our Mother,.
Do not fear the world’s storms, for the Holy Mother of God watches over your journey. She shelters the Church beneath her mantle of tenderness. As the radiant Morning Star, she guides your steps so that, with joy, she may bring you to new birth in the life of her Son, Jesus. Amen.
