Pope at Mass in Argentina: Mission is a ‘joyful duty’
By Christopher Wells
In a land “rich in the fruits of holiness,” Pope Leo challenged the faithful to follow the example of Argentina’s saints and blessed who, “in their love for Jesus, gave their lives for the Gospel.”
The Pope’s homily during Mass on the feast of his namesake, Pope St. Leo the Great, dwelt especially on those holy men and women who flourished in and around Córdoba, in the geographic center of the country.
He remembered Fr. Brochero and Mama Antula, “who were called by the Lord and sent forth on mission,” and reminded the faithful that “all Christians are but simple servants… called to nothing more than to fulfill our duty.”
Holiness is missionary by nature
Our duty, he said, is a joyful mission, connected to the universal call to holiness—a call that is “inherently missionary.” Remembering the saint of the day, he emphasized the Scriptural call to “teach what is in accord with sound doctrine” and cited Saint Leo’s call to Christians to “recognize your dignity for you share in the divine nature, and you should not wish to return to your former baseness through a depraved life.”
The Holy Father went on to emphasize the importance of Christian witness as the best means of teaching, saying this demands “total, unwavering adherence to Jesus Christ,” following the witness of the saints.
Saints with an 'Argentine accent'
The saints and blessed, he continued, are “characterized by the distinct charisms and missions they receive,” thus offering “a polyphonic expression of the universal call to holiness.”
“In the faces of these saints with an ‘Argentine accent’” – such as José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero and María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa – “one sees a striking unity: a passion for the Gospel combined with a commitment to building a nation rooted in fraternity and solidarity,” Pope Leo said.
The holy martyrs, clergy and religious, and lay saints and blessed of Argentina “have already fulfilled their mission on earth,” the Pope said, adding, “Today, it falls to us to follow the luminous path of holiness they have left behind.”
'Go forth and evangelize'
He called on the faithful to “Open your hearts and by the grace of God, go forth ad be saints… Go forth and evangelize!”
Pope Leo concluded his homily by pointing to the image of the “poor Christ” presiding over the celebration, inviting the faithful to allow themselves “to be challenged by His gaze.”
“In the shadow of His cross,” the Pope said, “we shall find salvation and life—the path toward our own sanctification.”
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