Pope Leo: Love of Christ entails detachment, loss, and hospitality
June 28, 2026
Love of Christ entails detachment, loss, and hospitality, Pope Leo said today during his midday Angelus address (video).
Reflecting on Matthew 10:37-42, the Gospel reading at Mass today, Pope Leo told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square that following Christ 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.”
“When the Lord begins to send his apostles on mission, he wants them to be free from any ties,” the Pope said. “However, this applies to everyone, as even the most significant relationships find their fullness through the love that Christ gives us.”
Pope Leo continued:
According to the Gospel, those who hold on to their lives merely for themselves actually lose them, for 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 himself, lost himself, and in this very way we were enabled to receive his life in abundance. In the same way, if we live by the logic of the gift of self, we too will be capable of bringing forth new life in our relationships.
“By welcoming those who come in Jesus’ name, we welcome him and the heavenly Father who sent him,” the Pope added. “Indeed, love for the Lord always involves welcoming our brothers and sisters.”
The Pontiff concluded:
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.
Pope Leo then recited, in Latin, the Angelus, the Minor Doxology (three times), and the prayer for the faithful departed, before imparting his blessing.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
