Thomas Griffin 1/1/25
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Let Us Begin: New Book on the Life and Power of St. Francis
Early in the morning on May 9th, Pope Leo XIV offered his first Mass as pope with the cardinals with the cardinals who elected him. The Mass took place in the Sistine Chapel. Leo’s first homily provided inspiring words concerning the role of Catholics in today’s world and how we ought to respond to a contemporary lack of faith.
The entire homily was framed around the critical question of Jesus: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Mt 16:13). The pope highlighted the fact that there are a few ways that this question is answered by the world.
“First, there is the world’s response,” he said. “A world that considers Jesus a completely insignificant person, at best someone with an unusual and striking way of speaking and acting. And so, once his presence becomes irksome because of his demands for honesty and his stern moral requirements, this ‘world’ will not hesitate to reject and eliminate him.”
Ultimately, this worldly response believes that Jesus was just another man in history and he is not relevant for us today. He might have done some nice things and had an impact on reality, but his demands are not necessary to follow. One can decide for him or herself if they have merit.
Then, there is the response “of ordinary people.” For them, Jesus is a great man who has courage “who speaks well and says the right things, like other great prophets in the history of Israel. That is why they follow him.” While these followers come after Jesus because of how he speaks and acts, once it becomes risky and inconvenient (at his passion), they abandon him.
This category of individuals may find Jesus to be the Messiah, or even the Son of God, but they desert him when his words, teachings or actions are found to be too challenging. When the faith becomes uncomfortable for one’s personal life or actions, they decide that Jesus is not really who says he is.
“What is striking about these two attitudes is their relevance today. They embody notions that we could easily find on the lips of many men and women in our own time,” the pope remarked.
“Even today,” he continued, “there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent. Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure.”
Leo XIV points to this undeniable fact about the world: all human beings choose what they worship (what we make as the number one priority of our lives). So many people, whether implicitly or explicitly, deem Jesus as insignificant while they pursue entities like money (one’s possessions), power (one’s pursuit of control in career or family life) and technology (attachment/addiction to screen time). These become their gods, while Jesus humbly waits as the embodiment of perfect love, peace and meaning.
Unfortunately, those who choose this path become unfulfilled and saddened by life. “A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life,” the pope noted. “The neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.”
Without God, we are lost. With him, the pope implies – we receive the fullness of life because he is who he says he is: Jesus is God.
Finally, the pope ended his homily by referencing words from St. Ignatius Martyr. On his way to Rome, he knew of his impending death. It was likely, and it was so, that he would be fed to the beasts. However, Ignatius said that it is then that “I will truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ, when the world no longer sees my body.”
For the pope, this is the key to becoming like Peter – to being a true disciple. We must give our lives away in service to Jesus and others. We must proclaim that, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). Doing so, places him at the center stage of our life and makes us more like him.
“It is to move aside so that Christ may remain,” the pope concluded. “To make oneself small so that he may be known and glorified (cf. Jn 3:30), to spend oneself to the utmost so that all may have the opportunity to know and love him.”
As the Pope continues his early days as our Peter, his central focus is becoming more and more clear. Leo XIV is concerned with imploring the Catholic world to boldly proclaim Jesus to a world that desperately needs him.
Today, may we accept his challenge and invitation to do so.
Thomas Griffin is the chairperson of the religion department at a Catholic high school on Long Island where he lives with his wife and three children. He has a masters degree in theology and is a masters candidate in philosophy. Thomas is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Empty Tomb Project: The Magazine. He is the author of Let Us Begin: Saint Francis’s Way of Becoming Like Christ and Renewing the World.
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