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Pope Leo’s Angelus Reflection for 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time
St. Peter’s Square – Sunday, October 4, 2026
Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 21:33-43)
“There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country.
When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
He, then, sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them.
Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves,
‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’
And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner;
this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.
Pope Leo’s Angelus Reflection,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Gospel parable, read during this Sunday’s liturgy, tells the story of Jesus’ life of and sheds light on the meaning of his mission.
Jesus is the Son of God sent into the world, yet he is rejected precisely by those who should have welcomed him with open arms.
The one who came to bring salvation is condemned, and the one who wants to offer his life is handed over to death.
By prompting us to reflect on the many atrocities that plague the world and the history of peoples, Christ’s teaching reveals the ever-greater mercy of his Father.
However, this violent rejection is unable to thwart the will of God.
In his infinite justice, God transforms evil into redemption: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”
Jesus himself recalls these words from the Psalms, which praise the marvelous work accomplished by the Lord.
What is rejected that becomes the foundation that sustains everything.
In this way, the Almighty directs the course of history and comes to our aid in all our failures. God never rejects our lives!
According to the parable’s imagery, the vineyard to be cultivated in a spirit of justice is the Church, which we build or destroy through our choices.
In this context, on the 800th anniversary of his death, I would like to honor Saint Francis of Assisi, a man who worked tirelessly in the Lord’s vineyard, whom Jesus called to rebuild his church.
Inspired by the crucifixion, Francis based his life on Christ, sharing his poverty, joy, and suffering, even receiving the stigmata.
A man of fervent prayer and love for all, Francis was a model for the first brothers and sisters who shared his asceticism and recognized it as an authentic condition for reforming the Church.
St. Francis restored the Church through his faith in the Lord Jesus, healing the divisions with his example of fraternal love.
Dear friends, even today, eight centuries later, the charism of St. Francis is bearing fruit: not only is this evident in the vibrant Franciscan family, but also in the many gifts that his spiritual heritage spreads among the people of God.
As we celebrate the Franciscan Jubilee Year, therefore, let us persevere in asking for the gift of peace and sincerely commit ourselves to building harmony between peoples.
May the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother, always accompany us in this work.
We now turn to her, spiritually united with the faithful gathered in the Shrine of Pompeii to offer supplication to Our Lady of the Rosary.
