Vatican City, Sept 2026 : Pope Leo XIV, during his Sunday Angelus address at the Vatican, reflected on Jesus Christ’s parable of the labourers in the vineyard, urging the faithful to trust in God’s wisdom, mercy and generosity rather than measuring life solely through human ideas of merit and reward.
Addressing thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square at noon, the Pope recalled the words of the Prophet Isaiah, through which God reminds humanity that His thoughts are not human thoughts and His ways are not human ways.
Pope Leo said the message offers a profound source of hope, particularly in encouraging people to abandon sinful and misguided paths and return to God, who offers mercy and forgiveness.
He noted that the biblical message is especially relevant in a world where people often judge circumstances according to their own calculations of fairness and merit.
God’s Plans Beyond Human Understanding
Reflecting on the Gospel reading, Pope Leo said Jesus’ parables reveal the newness of what God has prepared for humanity while also exposing the resistance people can show towards a more generous understanding of justice and love.
The Pope focused on the parable of the labourers called to work in a vineyard. Some workers begin their work early in the morning and labour throughout the day, while others are hired later, including some who begin working only as the sun is setting.
At the end of the day, however, the landowner instructs his steward to pay all the workers, beginning with those who arrived last and ending with those who worked throughout the day.
Pope Leo highlighted the reaction of those who had worked the entire day. Seeing the latecomers receive the same payment, they felt that the arrangement was unfair.
The Pope observed that the landowner could easily have avoided such a reaction by paying the full-day workers first. Instead, the order of payment serves a deliberate purpose, highlighting that God's goodness and generosity are not reserved for a select few.
Moving Beyond Calculation and Merit
According to Pope Leo, the parable challenges people who consider themselves first or believe that their achievements entitle them to particular rewards.
He said God can offer unexpected possibilities and new ways of seeing things even to those who believe they have already earned what they possess or achieved.
The Pope emphasised that human relationships and communities can benefit when love takes precedence over calculation, mercy expands the narrow understanding of merit, and peace replaces competition and rivalry.
He said that when people allow love and mercy to guide their lives, everyone can gain greater joy, wisdom and hope for the future.
The Pope also stressed that being called to work in God's vineyard and serve His Kingdom should be regarded as a grace rather than a reason for comparison with others.
No Place for Envy and Division
Pope Leo said there should be no place for envy or division when God's newness becomes visible in people's lives.
He urged the faithful to seek God, call upon Him and turn away from what he described as crooked paths and harmful thoughts.
The Pope's reflection invited Christians to reconsider their understanding of justice, particularly when they are confronted with situations in which others appear to receive blessings or opportunities that they believe they themselves have earned.
Rather than encouraging competition, he said, faith calls people towards gratitude, mercy and a recognition of God's generosity.
Pope Leo concluded his Angelus reflection by directing the faithful towards the Blessed Virgin Mary, describing her as a human creature who lived without blemish and as an example of complete trust in God.
He said Mary can help believers place their hope in God and entrust themselves to His mercy, so that God's ways may gradually become their ways and His thoughts become their thoughts.
The Pope's message centred on the belief that God's plans can extend far beyond human expectations and calculations, encouraging the faithful to approach life with humility, trust, gratitude and openness to divine mercy.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
