On the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Pope Leo XIV brought the Jubilee Year of Hope to a solemn and symbolic close by sealing the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the end of a months-long pilgrimage marked by faith, conversion, and expectation.
According to Vatican News, the Holy Father presided over Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica with approximately 5,800 faithful present. At the beginning of the liturgy, he closed the final Holy Door opened for the Jubilee, concluding a period in which countless pilgrims crossed the basilica’s threshold as “pilgrims of hope,” journeying toward what the Pope described as “the new Jerusalem, the city whose doors are always open.”
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In his homily, Pope Leo reflected on the Gospel account of the Magi, contrasting their joy with the fear of King Herod. According to Vatican News, the Pope noted that Scripture never conceals the tension provoked by God’s self-revelation, explaining that “every time Sacred Scripture speaks of God manifesting himself, it does not hide the contrasting reactions, such as joy and agitation, resistance and obedience, fear and longing.” He emphasized that the Epiphany reveals a God whose presence transforms everything, saying, “Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord, aware that in his presence nothing stays the same.”
The Holy Father warned against spiritual complacency, observing that God’s appearing “puts an end to that type of melancholic complacency which causes people endlessly to say, ‘There is nothing new under the sun.’” Instead, he said, something truly new begins, fulfilling the prophetic call: “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you,” according to Vatican News.
Pope Leo also turned his attention to Jerusalem’s troubled response to the Magi, noting that those who believe they already have all the answers can lose the ability to ask questions and to long for God. According to Vatican News, he observed that the city was unsettled by those who arrived “moved by hope,” a reaction that, he said, “also challenges us as a Church.”
Reflecting on the broader meaning of the Jubilee, the Pope invited the faithful to consider the searching hearts of men and women today. “The Magi still exist today,” he said, according to Vatican News, describing them as those who feel compelled to set out in search of meaning, even amid a world that can be “unpleasant and dangerous.” The Church, he explained, must not fear this searching humanity but rather “appreciate it, and orient it toward God who sustains us.”
Contrasting this openness with Herod’s fear, Pope Leo warned that fear of losing control can blind the heart. According to Vatican News, he said that fear “does indeed blind us,” while the joy of the Gospel liberates believers, making them “prudent, yes, but also bold, attentive and creative,” and opening new paths forward.
At the heart of the Epiphany, the Pope concluded, stands a gift beyond all human control. “The child whom the Magi adore is a priceless and immeasurable Good,” he said, according to Vatican News. Though revealed in humility rather than grandeur, Christ’s presence transforms history. Closing his homily, Pope Leo called the faithful to continue together as “pilgrims of hope,” praying that the Church may remain a home rather than a monument and become “the generation of a new dawn,” guided by Mary, Star of the Morning, toward a humanity renewed by God made flesh out of love.
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