At his General Audience on January 14, Pope Leo XIV continued his catechetical reflections on the Second Vatican Council by turning to one of its central texts, the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, which addresses Divine Revelation. Speaking to pilgrims gathered in Rome, the Holy Father emphasized that the Council presents Christianity not as a distant obedience to God, but as a living relationship rooted in friendship with Jesus Christ.
Recalling Christ’s words from the Gospel of John, Pope Leo XIV cited Jesus’ declaration: “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends.” According to Vatican News, the Pope described this insight as “a fundamental point of Christian faith” highlighted by Dei Verbum, explaining that through Jesus Christ, humanity’s relationship with God is transformed into one of friendship, where “the only condition of the new covenant is love.”
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The Holy Father stressed that this friendship does not erase the difference between Creator and creature. While the relationship remains unequal, he explained, God’s plan reaches its fulfillment in the Incarnation. “In Jesus,” the Pope said, “God makes us sons and daughters, and calls us to become like Him, albeit in our fragile humanity,” according to Vatican News.
Pope Leo XIV also reflected on the importance of listening and prayer in nurturing this divine friendship. He urged the faithful to allow the Word of God to penetrate their minds and hearts, and to speak with God not merely to inform Him, but to come to a deeper understanding of themselves. This, he noted, takes place both in the Church’s liturgical prayer and in personal, interior prayer.
For this reason, the Pope insisted that “time dedicated to prayer, meditation, and reflection cannot be lacking in the Christian’s day and week,” according to Vatican News. Drawing from everyday experience, he warned that friendships can fade through neglect, and encouraged believers not to ignore Christ’s invitation. “Jesus calls us to be friends,” he said, adding that by welcoming and caring for this relationship, “we will discover that friendship with God is our salvation,” according to Vatican News.
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