At his first Wednesday General Audience of August, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the importance of preparation in the Christian life, calling the faithful to “prepare the Passover” not only for Mass but in every moment of daily living.
According to Vatican News, Pope drew his reflection from the Gospel of Mark, where the apostles ask Jesus a practical question as the Passover approaches: “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” According to Pope Leo, Jesus’ symbolic answer—“Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water”—teaches that God prepares the way before we even recognize our need for Him.
“Love is not the result of chance, but of a conscious choice,” Pope Leo explained, emphasizing that the Lord’s decision to face His passion and death was deliberate and rooted in self-giving love, not impulse. “Knowing that the gift of his life stems from conscious intention, not a sudden impulse” should be a source of deep comfort for the faithful, he said.
The Pope used the image of the prepared upper room to remind Catholics that God has already made space for each person to encounter Him. “Before we realize we need to be welcomed, the Lord has already prepared a space for us where we can recognize ourselves and feel we are His friends,” he said. This interior room, he noted, is present in every heart, “waiting to be seen, filled, and loved.”
Even though Jesus arranged everything for the Last Supper, he still invited the apostles to participate in the preparation. Pope Leo stressed that this reflects how grace works in our lives: “Grace does not eliminate our freedom, but rather awakens it.” The faithful are called to cooperate with God’s plan, taking steps to prepare their lives to receive the Eucharist and live in communion with Him (Vatican News).
In his catechesis, the Holy Father warned against confusing authentic preparation with illusion. True preparation, he said, requires removing “what encumbers us, reducing our demands and ceasing to hold unrealistic expectations.” Illusions distract us from the path, while preparation guides us toward holiness and readiness to encounter Christ.
Pope Leo urged Catholics to see the Eucharist as more than a Sunday obligation; it is a call to conversion and gratitude that extends into daily life. “We too have a supper to prepare,” he said, explaining that this preparation may mean “being ready to take the first step, to listen more, or to stop waiting for others to change”.
Finally, the Pope reminded the faithful that God does not leave them to prepare alone. When they choose to live in readiness for His call, “we will discover we are surrounded by signs, encounters and words that guide us towards that room, spacious and already prepared, in which the mystery of an infinite love, sustaining us and always preceding us, is celebrated unceasingly.”
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