VATICAN CITY — Summer should be spent cultivating time with God and relaxing, Pope Leo XIV said at Mass in a breezy hilltown during his brief summer break.
“During the summer, we have more free time in which to gather our thoughts and reflect and also to travel and spend time with each other,” he said in his homily during Mass July 20 in the Cathedral of St. Pancras Martyr in the town of Albano Laziale, southeast of Rome.
“Let us make good use of this, by leaving behind the whirlwind of commitments and worries in order to savor a few moments of peace and reflection, taking time as well to visit other places and share in the joy of seeing others, as I am doing here today,” he said.
“Although it is true that we must live out our faith through concrete actions, faithfully carrying out our duties according to our state of life and vocation, it is essential that we do so only after meditating on the Word of God and listening to what the Holy Spirit is saying to our hearts,” he said. “Summer can be a providential time to experience the beauty and importance of our relationship with God, and how much it can help us to be more open and welcoming to others”
