Swift action and persistent effort are not always the solution, according to the Pope.
Pope Leo XIV Celebrates 70th Birthday and Reflects on Holy Saturday
On Sunday, September 17, Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, celebrated his 70th birthday. The occasion was marked by his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.
The pope, who was elected as the 267th Bishop of Rome and Pope on May 8, 2025, succeeded Pope Francis. He is the first Pope from the United States and Peru, having served previously as General Prior of the Augustinian order, Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, and Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
During the audience, Pope Leo XIV continued his series of reflections on lessons of hope from the Gospel, focusing on the mystery of Holy Saturday and Jesus lying buried in the tomb. He emphasized the importance of stopping, resting, and trusting in the Lord, as taught by the Gospel.
The pope noted that just as God rested after creating the universe, so did the Son rest after completing the work of redemption. He described the silence in the tomb as a time when new life begins to ferment, like a seed in the ground or the darkness before dawn. For Christians, Holy Saturday is a day of 'great silence and joyful expectation,' he said.
Even in the tomb, God was preparing the greatest surprise of all, the pope stated. He encouraged people to learn that they do not have to be in a hurry to rise again; first, they must stay and welcome the silence, let themselves be embraced by limitation.
Pope Leo XIV also suggested that people can turn empty, still, unproductive or 'useless' moments into a time of grace and resurrection by offering them to God. If people know how to welcome with gratitude what has been, they will discover that God loves to transfigure reality, making all things new with the fidelity of his love.
The pope invited Christians to find quiet and restful moments amidst the frenzy of their daily activity. He emphasized that God who lets things be done, who waits, who withdraws to leave us freedom, is the God who trusts, even when everything seems to be over.
The day of the audience also marked the feast of St. Robert Bellarmine, a 17th-century Jesuit theologian and cardinal.
As the pope rode by in the popemobile, several people in the audience shouted 'happy birthday' to the pope. The pope, who emphasized the importance of trusting in the Lord, may have found the unexpected birthday greeting a fitting reminder of the power of faith and the joy it brings.
