Pope Leo XIV encouraged Catholics to rediscover the true meaning of prayer during his General Audience on Wednesday, describing the Church’s liturgical prayer as a living encounter with God rather than a mere religious routine.
Continuing his catechetical series on Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, the Holy Father reflected on how the Church’s worship draws believers into the mystery of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. According to Vatican News, the audience marked the Pope’s return to his Wednesday catecheses following several weeks of summer rest at Castel Gandolfo.
Pointing to the Church’s life since Pentecost, Pope Leo reminded the faithful that Christian prayer is inseparable from the Holy Spirit’s presence.
“As the Apostle Paul suggests, it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us to pray,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News. “From the day of Pentecost, the Spirit dwells in the Church, inspiring every one of her activities and, in particular, prayer.”
He added that the Church has faithfully gathered ever since to celebrate Christ’s saving work, saying she “has never failed to come together to celebrate the paschal mystery.”
The Pope acknowledged that many people today struggle to understand the value of prayer in a culture focused on productivity, efficiency, and material success.
“In our time,” he said, according to Vatican News, “in contexts dominated by an efficiency-driven and consumerist mindset, prayer may seem pointless and trivial.”
He observed that some view prayer simply as an escape from reality or as a technique for emotional well-being. Instead, he urged Catholics to recover its authentic purpose, insisting that “prayer… is worth rediscovering in its true form.”
Central to his catechesis was the Church’s understanding of the liturgy as much more than a collection of prayers or ceremonies. Pope Leo explained that the Second Vatican Council intentionally emphasized the liturgy as the prayer of the whole Church, a vision that shaped the liturgical renewal by placing the active participation of the faithful at its center.
According to Vatican News, the Holy Father described the liturgy as “the place of encounter, of God’s initiative in drawing near to humanity in His Son.”
He also reflected on how the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours sustain the daily spiritual life of the Church. These prayers, celebrated throughout the day, unite the faithful with Christ’s own praise of the Father while sanctifying the ordinary rhythm of human life.
According to Vatican News, Pope Leo explained that the Church begins the morning with gratitude and faith, seeks strength from God during the day’s work, offers evening prayer as daylight fades, and entrusts the night to God’s peace.
Concluding his reflection, the Holy Father reminded Catholics that every moment of the Church’s prayer points toward the hope of Christ’s return.
“Each Hour is an act of hope,” Pope Leo said, according to Vatican News, adding, “During our earthly pilgrimage, we keep watch, awaiting with the whole Church the glorious return of the Lord.”
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