From a religious point of view, not all Christian denominations viewed this the same way. The Catholic Church never seems to have considered the existence of fossils to be a major obstacle to biblical faith. Pope Pius XII advanced this dialogue in Humani Generis (1950), distinguishing between the scientific investigation of human origins and the theological truths concerning the human person. Reflecting on Humani Generis, John Paul II later observed that Pius XII had already clarified “that there was no opposition between evolution and the doctrine of the faith about man and his vocation” (Pope St. John Paul II, “Address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on ‘The Origins and Early Evolution of Life’”, 22 October 1996).

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The Popes were open to considering evolution a serious possibility, as long as researchers were not making claims from outside their realm of expertise about the meaning of life or revelation. Pope St. John Paul II advanced the conversation further by emphasizing the proper relationship between scientific inquiry, philosophy, and theology.

“More Than a Hypothesis”

When he met with the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, John Paul stated that 150 years later, he had to consider evolution to be “more than a hypothesis”. This statement sent shock waves throughout the scientific community and among more conservative Christian circles. Had the Pope accepted evolution as a fact? Did this mean that he was rejecting the value of Revelation? Of course not, and a closer reading of his discourse makes that easy to understand.

As a philosopher, John Paul II recognized that beyond the given data, there are different possible interpretations of the data, identifying the materialist, reductionist, and spiritualist tendencies off the bat. Faith and reason don’t have to collide, especially when they are responding to different questions.

Characteristically, Karol Wojtyła’s first concern is with the human person, hearkening back to his fascination with Gaudium et Spes 22 that he expressed so eloquently in his first encyclical Redemptor Hominis. Here, it takes the following form.

The Church’s Magisterium is directly concerned with the question of evolution, for it involves the conception of man. Revelation teaches us that he was created in the image and likeness of God (Pope St. John Paul II, “Address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on ‘The Origins and Early Evolution of Life’”, 22 October 1996).

Unique Value of Man

Man is the only creature on earth willed for his own sake. God could employ evolutionary processes in preparing the material conditions for humanity while directly creating each spiritual soul. The existence of dinosaurs or countless extinct species poses no theological difficulty. They belong to the richness of creation, whose ultimate purpose is fulfilled in the appearance of creatures capable of knowing and loving their Creator.

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Only man can live in communion, solidarity, and self-giving with his peers. This sets him apart from the rest of creation. His likeness to God comes especially through his capacity to know truth freely and to love. He is called to a relationship of knowledge and love with God himself, a higher vocation than any of the animals of creation enjoy. Along with biblical revelation, this leads to one of the basic tenets of Christian faith, the spiritual soul.

Answering Evolution

Theories of evolution become incompatible with Christianity only when they are transformed into a philosophy that denies the spiritual soul or reduces the human person to nothing more than another rung of the evolutionary process. Pope John Paul II’s philosophical distinction makes clear that this debate is not scientific but philosophical.

His confidence in the harmony of faith and reason explains why he welcomed scientific inquiry rather than feared it. Already in the Gospel, Jesus had said, “the truth will set you free” (Jn. 8:32).

Facts and Interpretation

To understand Karol Wojtyla’s thought on the matter, we have to understand the difference between facts and interpretation. There are certain facts: dinosaur bones exist, there is some sort of evolutionary process, and not all species last forever. These are facts, and there is no reason to dispute them. The interpretation matters immensely, however. If someone argues that evolution therefore proves the human person is nothing more than an advanced animal, science has ended and philosophy has begun.

As there should be a continuous deepening of human knowledge through scientific investigation, faith and religion can offer a purifying influence, making sure that the desire to investigate human subjectivity does not lead men and women to forget that they “are always called to direct their steps towards a truth which transcends them” (Pope St. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, 5). His natural love for the truth made it impossible for the Pope to fear scientific discovery. He just wanted to make sure that it would be interpreted in a way that did not threaten the good of human beings.

Dinosaur fossils, genetics, and evolutionary biology tell us much about how life has developed. They cannot answer why the human person exists or what destiny ultimately awaits him. Those questions belong to philosophy, theology, and ultimately divine revelation. John Paul II never feared scientific discoveries because he believed that authentic science and authentic faith are allies in the search for truth.

Thanks to a reader who suggested today’s topic. If something strikes your fancy, comment or send me a message.

Trust in God can bring profound peace, but anxiety is not always simply a failure to trust God. Even saints have struggled with fear, scrupulosity, or other forms of emotional and psychological distress. These experiences should lead us to prayer, yes, but also to seek support in family, friends, pastors, and qualified mental health professionals.

Paul’s Trials

In the second reading, Paul seems to be going through it. I love St. Paul. He is such a passionate figure from the New Testament. He was a man who was always all-in. When he thought the Christians were a menace to the Jewish religion, he got letters from the authorities so that he could go out and arrest them. After his conversion, he was more than willing to suffer for the Gospel. His willingness did not make it any easier, however. Describing his interior state of affairs, Paul expresses himself in his letter to the Romans in a way that I think resonates with all of us.

I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart (Rm. 9:2)

It sounds like something many of us could say any day of the week. We all have things that make us sad, and that makes sense. During this earthly life, we constantly face challenges that push us to our limits. Paul feels anguish because many of his people reject Christ. The beautiful thing is that if we look at the Gospel, we can find many moments when Jesus shows us how to deal with wild challenges. The philosopher Karl Jaspers came up with a term to describe such experiences. He called it a Grenzsituation, a limit situation, moments when we discover that we are not in control. It is never comfortable, but it is always a growth opportunity.

Faith does not always remove anxiety, and there can be people of deep faith who suffer from anxiety or other forms of mental illness and psychological suffering. So telling anxious people that they simply need more faith seems counterproductive. First, we should accompany them with compassion, then encourage them to deepen their relationship with Christ.

Apostles Facing Fear

The apostles were facing a limit situation in today’s Gospel (Mt. 14:22-33). They are out on the water, and for some reason, Jesus seems to be a bad passenger. One priest friend of mine complains about traveling by plane with me. He thinks that only when he travels with me does he ever run into the delays and discomfort of air travel. I think they are more ubiquitous, but that’s not the point. It seems like when Jesus is in the boat, their faith is always going to be challenged. In this passage, they have strong winds and powerful waves. Even worse, they see a mysterious figure walking on the waves and are afraid that it’s a ghost.

A limit situation is one that we can’t change, solve, or safely avoid. It forces us to choose truth and self-awareness. Death, suffering, guilt, and struggle are all examples of limit situations. As the apostles are losing their minds, Jesus speaks to them calmly:

Take heart, it is I; have no fear (Mt. 14:27).

This seems a lot easier said than done. When we are afraid, we don’t feel like “Don’t be afraid” is very good advice. But Jesus does give us a key about how to get through moments of fear and anxiety. We need to look for Jesus in these crisis moments.

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Good Therapy

This should not take away from the very good help that therapists can give, helping to understand what strategies we can use to deal with irrational fear and anxiety.

The other day, I heard what sounds like a helpful remedy for many people experiencing anxiety. “Do it for fun.” In other words, don’t convince yourself that one interview, one exam, or one conversation determines your entire future. Take it easy. Shifting our perspective helps reduce anxiety and gives greater freedom.

I think this can be very freeing for many people. The point of the Gospel is not that the storm immediately disappears. It is that Jesus appears in the storm. His first gift is not calm seas, but his presence.

His presence changes everything, but at the same time, we need to be careful not to reduce real mental health problems to spiritual roadblocks. We need to take all of our problems to Jesus. What can you do this week to trust more in Jesus and walk out to him on the water?

You may have to pray like Peter, “Lord, save me” (Mt. 14:30). And even better, he may pluck you out of the water, and you can respond with the disciples in the boat: “Truly you are the Son of God” (Mt. 14:33).

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Is Religion Pragmatic or Metaphysical?

This understanding of religion treats its value as primarily pragmatic rather than metaphysical. This view sees religion as important for what it does and does not concern itself with the value of its truth claims. This stands in marked contrast to Pope John Paul II’s vision. For John Paul II, the real question is not whether science can replace religion or philosophy, but whether all three seek the same truth by different methods. Science investigates the natural world, philosophy reflects on reason and being, and religion asks about humanity’s ultimate origin and destiny. Scientific inquiry can itself become a path by which the scientist encounters God.

In his book, Miracles, C.S. Lewis reflected that “Men became scientific because they expected Law in Nature, and they expected Law in Nature because they believed in a Legislator.” This goes along well with Karol Wojtyła’s basic intuition that truth is objective and goes beyond what we can make up ourselves. There can be no contradiction between true faith and reason, as they work together to attain the truth. John Paul II famously described faith and reason as “two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth” (Pope St. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, introduction).

His respect for faith and reason motivated his continuous dialogue with science throughout his priesthood and papacy.

He spoke to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, encouraging scientists to use their scientific inquiry to complete their own humanity. “Every scientist, through personal study and research, completes himself and his own humanity” (Pope St. John Paul II, “Address to the members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences”, 13 November 2000). For Karol Wojtyla, the question always returns to what it means to be human.

Tool To Understand Our Place in the Cosmos

He saw science as an important tool to understand man and his place in the universe. Scientific discoveries continually expand our understanding of the universe. Science may tell us how stars form or how life develops, but it cannot determine why there is something rather than nothing, whether human dignity possesses objective value, or what constitutes a good life. These are philosophical and religious questions because they concern meaning rather than mechanism.

No matter how large our body of scientific knowledge grows, there will always be questions that are beyond the realm of science to adequately answer. The number of particles contained within the observable Universe is finite; the amount of information encoded in all the Universe is finite; no matter how much we learn, the amount that we know will always be finite. Beyond all definite knowledge, there will always be room for philosophy (Ethan Siegel, “No, Science Will Never Make Philosophy Or Religion Obsolete”, 30 June 2020).

The issue is not how much scientific knowledge humanity eventually acquires. Even if the natural sciences one day explained every physical process in the universe, they would still leave unanswered questions that belong to philosophy and theology: Why is there something rather than nothing? Is there objective moral truth? What determines the dignity of a person? What is the ultimate meaning of life? Even if scientific knowledge continued to expand indefinitely, the fundamental questions of meaning, purpose, and morality would remain.

A Different Role for Religion

John Paul II proposes a different role for religion than what many secular thinkers assume. It is not meant to be a tool for collaboration, but a vehicle to arrive at the truth.

Science can purify religion from error and superstition; religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes. Each can draw the other into a wider world, a world in which both can flourish (Pope St. John Paul II, “Letter to Reverend George Coyne, SJ”, 1 June 1988).

Religion cannot be reduced to superstition, but it risks becoming so when there is not a rigorous confrontation with objective truth. Scientific inquiry offers an important dialogue that helps religion distinguish authentic faith from superstition and continually purify its understanding of the created world.

Boldness and Confidence

Sometimes, it feels like believers approach new scientific discoveries defensively, as if every advance were a threat to faith. This was not the case with Pope John Paul II. His confidence in objective truth, certainly bolstered by his philosophical background, made it so that he could never view scientific truth as an obstacle or a threat to his way of looking at the world.

If anything, new scientific discoveries can force us to rethink the way we look at certain realities of the world. Authentic faith has nothing to fear from genuine scientific discovery. Sometimes, these discoveries require believers to rethink longstanding assumptions about the natural world. But they never change the world as such. A true scientific method is more concerned with discovering the truth that is already there rather than reinterpreting the facts to fit a preconceived theory or ideology.

A New Spin on the Enlightenment

The Enlightenment period ushered in a new appreciation for knowledge and intellectual growth. It fostered much of scientific development and seemed at times to be at odds with religion. However, this exaltation of reason is not inherently threatening to religion. At its best, the Enlightenment challenged only forms of religion that were unwilling to submit their claims to the demands of reason and truth.

When some scientists during the 19^th and 20^th centuries tried to move from their scientific discoveries to make metaphysical claims, they naturally made some churchmen nervous. This was, however, never the case for Karol Wojtyła. For him, these scientific discoveries were only pushing the envelope of human knowledge and could ultimately only help us to understand humanity better and especially our place in the cosmos.

The Heavens Sing the Glory of God

Remembering Psalm 19, “the heavens declare the glory of God,” Pope John Paul II viewed scientific inquiry as an incredible ally for religion and theology.

Can theological method fruitfully appropriate insights from scientific methodology and the philosophy of science? (Pope St. John Paul II, “Letter to Reverend George Coyne, SJ”, 1 June 1988).

What does evolution mean for theological anthropology? How does astronomy deepen our understanding of creation? How might advances in neuroscience illuminate the mystery of the human person? These are not questions to be feared but welcomed. Every genuine scientific discovery enlarges our understanding of creation and therefore offers new opportunities to contemplate our Creator. When we approach the world with curiosity rather than fear, we become better able to hear what the Psalmist proclaimed long ago: “The heavens declare the glory of God.” (cf. Ps. 19)

Scientific advancements do not shrink the areas proper to faith. Rather, they widen the horizon, opening up new spaces to truth. Every genuine discovery in the natural sciences allows us to know more about the created world, and through that, the Creator. Science can explain how the world works, but philosophy seeks wisdom and religion directs the human person to the One who is the source of all truth. For Christianity, truth is not merely an abstract principle but rather a Person. The search for truth reaches its highest accomplishment in encountering Jesus Christ, who reveals both God and the human person to himself. Rather than rendering religion obsolete, scientific advances increase the reasons for wonder.

Each night, she would enter the church clandestinely, kneeling to the ground to consume one host by lowering her head to the ground and picking up the host with her tongue, as it was customary in the pre-Vatican II Church for the laity never to touch the host with their hands. Her heroic mission ended when she consumed the last host, was caught and executed by the guards, becoming a little girl martyr of the Eucharist.

When she was learning her catechism, she asked why the Eucharist had to be bread. She would have preferred rice cakes, something more familiar to her cultural background. Her catechists explained that the hosts had to be bread before consecration, so that they could be the Body of Christ afterwards. The fact that we use bread and wine for the Mass reflects that Jesus became man in a concrete cultural context, in Palestine of the first century. What we eat and how we eat it speaks to our culture. The multiplication of the loaves in today’s Gospel does more than satisfy a hungry crowd. It points toward the New Covenant that Jesus will establish through the Eucharist.

Covenant

The word “covenant” lies at the heart of salvation history. Covenants could be sealed with a sacrifice, but they were also often sealed with a meal. A covenant should not be reduced to the establishment of a law or set of norms. Rather, it establishes bonds of kinship. A new family is formed. Our Bibles speak of the Old and New Testaments because the Latin translation used the word testamentum. But the biblical idea is richer than a legal document. God is establishing a covenant relationship with his people.

In this sense, we can look at the Feeding of the Five Thousand as a preview of the New Covenant that will be established at the Last Supper. There, Jesus pronounces these words over the chalice. “This chalice which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Lk. 22:20).

Becoming a Family

A covenant has familial, legal, and liturgical dimensions. The sharing of the Passover meal, the setting for Jesus celebrating his Last Supper, implied a certain familial intimacy. Rather than being a public feast, it was a common holiday celebrated in the privacy of each family home. To invite a stranger to Passover was to establish a bond of friendship that seemed more like a family relation.

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Not Just the Law

There are also legal implications of entering into a covenant. In the Bible, the covenants are primarily between God and his people. To enter a covenant implies having a shared understanding of each party’s obligations. When we approach the Eucharistic banquet at a Catholic Mass, we recognize certain obligations. Love always requires sacrifice. Marriage vows create rights and responsibilities because they establish a family.

Similarly, approaching Holy Communion is a public profession that we belong to Christ and to his Church. Because Holy Communion expresses an already existing communion of faith and life, the Church asks that those who receive it already be united with her in faith and be spiritually prepared. When we say “Amen,” we proclaim that we accept what the Church teaches and we believe that it is truly the Body of Christ, not merely a symbol.

Liturgical Aspects

Finally, we see the liturgical dimension of the covenant. At the Mass, there are liturgical norms that we respect so that we can participate in the Lord’s Eucharistic banquet worthily. The word “liturgy” means the “work of the people,” and our work is to praise God. When we receive Communion, our communion with the household of God is deepened. The covenant established in Baptism is renewed and strengthened as we share in the sacrifice of Christ. Every covenant has its ritual expression. In the Old Testament it was the Passover. In the New Covenant, it is the Mass. The liturgy is not a collection of arbitrary rules but the way God’s family worships together.

The Eucharist is not simply food from God; it is the covenant meal through which Christ makes us members of his family. Little Li understood this instinctively. She knew that the Eucharist was not simply sacred bread but the living presence of Christ, the meal of God’s family, and the treasure worth giving everything to protect.

Every time we come forward for Holy Communion, we enter again into that New Covenant. We come not as isolated individuals but as sons and daughters gathered around the table of our Father. May we receive the Body of Christ with the same love, reverence, and faith that led Little Li to risk and ultimately give her life for the Bread of Heaven.

For John Paul II, communism failed not simply because it was economically inefficient, but because it rested on a false understanding of truth, human dignity, and freedom. Once truth is denied, freedom loses its direction. Once freedom is distorted, human dignity is threatened. Economic and political systems ultimately collapse when human dignity is threatened.

Truth

Communist regimes frequently subordinated truth to ideology. News and information were often manipulated to preserve the image of the state and advance the goals of the party. Marxist thought inherited from Hegel the conviction that history unfolds according to an intelligible process. Marx transformed this idealist framework into a materialist one but retained the tendency to interpret reality through a predetermined theory of historical development. Ideology is imposed upon society rather than tested against reality. In his social encyclical Centesimus Annus, John Paul II said that

Obedience to the truth about God and man is the first condition of freedom, making it possible for a person to order his needs and desires and to choose the means of satisfying them according to a correct scale of values, so that the ownership of things may become an occasion of growth for him (Pope St. John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, 41).

Because Soviet Communism was explicitly atheistic, it rejected any public consideration of the truth about God. Yet it also distorted the truth about man. In its emphasis on praxis and production, the human person was often viewed primarily as a worker contributing to the historical project of building socialism. Human beings were valued less for who they were than for their role in transforming society.

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Human Dignity

When truth is subordinated to ideology, human dignity is inevitably endangered. Karol Wojtyła had seen in his experience as a priest and bishop that the authorities were more than ready to trample human rights to achieve their own goals. From his classes at the Jagiellonian University to his walks and outings with the students, Wojtyla loved to affirm the dignity of every human person. His conversations and musings took form as doctrine, building on truths expressed in the Pastoral Constitution of the Church, Gaudium et Spes.

In constantly reaffirming the transcendent dignity of the person, the Church’s method is always that of respect for freedom (Pope St. John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, 46).

Karol Wojtyła had a deep respect for the truth and a clear vision of what he believed to be true. This never pushed him to be dogmatic with others, however. He was always happy to engage in religious dialogue and was fascinated by people who did not agree with him. He believed firmly in Jesus Christ, and precisely because of that faith, he believed just as firmly in the inviolable dignity of every human being.

Respect for human dignity naturally led Wojtyla to reflect on the meaning of freedom. If the person possesses an inviolable dignity, then society must create conditions in which that dignity can be exercised through authentic freedom.

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Freedom

Having lived under both Nazi occupation and Soviet domination, Karol Wojtyla understood firsthand how political systems can suppress authentic freedom. These experiences convinced him that freedom cannot mean solely the ability to choose. Freedom must be directed toward what is true and good. Although he recognized the economic shortcomings of communism, he believed that the deeper problem was anthropological: freedom detached from truth ultimately destroys itself.

Although John Paul II regarded democratic institutions and the free economy more favorably than communist systems, he never viewed them as self-sufficient. Freedom detached from truth could corrupt capitalism just as ideology had corrupted communism.

Both capitalism and communism require a foundation in truth if they are to respect the freedom that characterizes the human person. While ultimately judging the free market to be more conducive to human flourishing, he also recognized the corrupting effects of unbridled capitalism.

But freedom attains its full development only by accepting the truth. In a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation and man is exposed to the violence of passion and to manipulation, both open and hidden. The Christian upholds freedom and serves it, constantly offering to others the truth which he has known (cf. Jn 8:31-32), in accordance with the missionary nature of his vocation (Pope St. John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, 46).

To understand the value of any system, it is important to analyze whether it lends itself to manipulation, and thus to corruption. Corrupt systems never serve the truth, human dignity, or freedom. Karol Wojtyla was convinced that there is a stable human nature and that social structures must be built according to that reality. When these structures are well-built, they foster the flourishing of all the individuals involved. The truth sets us free, and Christians are called to proclaim this good news to others.

For much of the twentieth century, Soviet communism seemed to be a permanent fixture on the world stage. Pope John Paul II remained convinced that a system built upon false assumptions about God, man, and freedom could not endure indefinitely. It would crumble under the weight of its own false presuppositions.

As human beings, we long for the truth about God, the world, and ourselves. Truth safeguards human dignity, and dignity demands authentic freedom. Freedom, in turn, must be directed toward what is good and lived according to the truth. When we do so, we help to build a civilization of love, with freedom for all.

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1. Why Truth Matters

2. Faith and Reason: Two Ways of Knowing

3. The University and the Search for Wisdom

4. Freedom Requires Truth

What treasure is so valuable that it is worth risking everything else to possess? The kingdom of heaven is that treasure. Jesus is not asking us to gamble with our lives. He is inviting us to recognize the only treasure whose value can never diminish. Everything else passes away. The kingdom alone is worth staking our lives upon. We need to learn to make the only investment that truly matters: investing our lives in eternity.

We live in a world that often knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. This leads us to focus on the price tags of things and fosters a materialistic way of looking at the world. A strong brand exists when people believe its value exceeds the price. A few weeks ago, I met a business owner who was proud to show off his company’s Cybertruck. I was surprised to learn that the first generation of Tesla Cybertrucks cost more than subsequent versions. People were willing to pay a premium because they valued being among the first owners.

We follow prices continually when we fill up our gas tanks or buy milk at the supermarket. Yet we spend far less time appreciating the value of what surrounds us, especially the gift of human life. If we can recognize hidden value in brands and investments, how much more should we recognize the value God has placed in every human person?

Pope John Paul II reminded us of the value of human life in his encyclical, Evangelium Vitae.

Life is entrusted to man as a treasure which must not be squandered, as a talent which must be used well. Man must render an account of it to his Master (Pope St. John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 52).

Health crises remind us how fragile life is. We rarely appreciate our health until we lose it. How much would the use of your hands be worth if they suddenly stopped working? How valuable is a single breath when breathing becomes difficult? We often take these gifts for granted. Yet the Gospel reminds us that the health of the soul matters even more than the health of the body.

Peter Kreeft was recently asked what advice he would give newly married couples. His answer surprised me.

The last view I had of my wife after she died… I fell in love with her again. Here is a wasted, emaciated, wrinkled, suffering body. It’s as beautiful as a crucifix. Because that body ain’t gonna last, but the soul is. So if you don’t love her soul but just love her body, then don’t get married (Peter Kreeft, Pints with Aquinas Podcast).

His answer reveals that true love sees beyond the physical to the person’s eternal dignity. His answer reminds us that the soul possesses a beauty the body can never lose. In a culture that often prizes the physical above the spiritual, he points us toward what truly lasts.

Faith teaches us to recognize what is truly valuable. We spend so much time and effort to improve our health or acquire new possessions, but we can’t lose sight of what is most important. Your salvation is the pearl of great price and the treasure hidden in the field. It is worth selling everything else to possess that treasure.

The merchant sold everything because he finally recognized what was truly valuable. Every day we make similar choices with our time, our money, our careers, and our relationships. The question is not whether we are investing our lives. We all are. The question is whether we are investing them in what lasts forever.

Bringing Polish Experience to the World Stage

Upon being elected Pope in 1978, Karol Wojtyła faced the challenge of bringing his experience of Poland to the universal Church. He had developed a strong voice demanding freedom. He had long supported the aspirations that would later find expression in the Solidarity Movement. He had advocated for building a church in the fully socialist city of Nowa Huta. He felt the hand of God, however, in the votes of his fellow cardinals and took up the papal mantle in an attitude of obedience.

He witnessed firsthand how Communist authorities controlled the press, censored publications, and restricted public discourse. His own appointment as bishop had been a miscalculation by Soviet authorities trying to place an innocuous candidate as auxiliary bishop of Krakow in 1958. He would end up being a great champion of truth and oppose the Communist authorities with every fiber of his being.

Although he had to leave Poland behind, his observation of his home country continued from the Apostolic Palace in Rome. Upon witnessing the breakup of the Soviet Union, he celebrated the newfound freedom of Poland. He did lament, however, certain corruptions of freedom he perceived in his homeland.

Freedom in Catholic Social Doctrine

1991 marked one hundred years since the publication of Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII’s groundbreaking document articulating Catholic Social Doctrine in the face of the Industrial Revolution. Several Popes of the 20^th century had written encyclicals building upon Rerum Novarum, responding to the social ills of their own days. Pope John Paul II had already written about the value of work in Laborem Exercens. He had responded to other social problems in Sollicitudo Rei Socialis.

In Centesimus Annus, he spoke out about freedom and truth once again, but sobered by some of the negative tendencies from the West flooding the former Soviet republics, particularly Poland. Instead of true freedom, license was spreading in the formerly oppressed places. John Paul II believed that both totalitarianism and license ultimately stem from a rejection of truth. In his encyclical, he reminded the world of the

essential bond between human freedom and truth, so that freedom which refused to be bound to the truth would fall into arbitrariness and end up submitting itself to the vilest of passions, to the point of self-destruction (Pope St. John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, 4).

Truth over Tyranny

It can be hard for us to understand, as we are so inundated with the idea that absolute freedom is a basic value. However, even when standing up to totalitarianism and rejecting the claims of Marxist socialism, Karol Wojtyła recognized that the greatest evil was not the overt oppression of freedom but rather the suppression and manipulation of truth. Truth exposes the lies upon which totalitarian systems depend.

Pope John Paul II witnessed it from afar when the Solidarity Movement achieved a peaceful revolution in the Gdansk shipyard. Lech Wałęsa led the independent trade union and pressured the authorities to concede real freedom. The union would grow to have 10 million members and played a pivotal role in the eventual downfall of Communist rule in Poland. Freedom flourishes when society acknowledges reality rather than ideology.

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Value of Christian Anthropology

Because the defense of truth requires a correct understanding of the human person, Karol Wojtyła devoted much of his philosophical work to Christian anthropology. Knowing who we are as human beings helps to determine so many other questions of life. It is true that

from the Christian vision of the human person there necessarily follows a correct picture of society (Pope St. John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, 14).

Through Christian anthropology, we know that man is naturally social. He is called to support the Common Good. These anthropological principles help us build a society that promotes authentic human flourishing and development.

Relation of Anthropology to Ethics

Ethics “has occupied itself very earnestly with the act and with man” (Karol Wojtyła, Person and Act, p. 104). All of ethics is primarily the study of acts that imply the person as agent. Man’s acts determine his moral character. Our human nature invites us to know truth and to do good. By recognizing this, we are able to build up the society that will be most effective at promoting true human development and flourishing.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, one of Pope John Paul II’s masterpieces, describes freedom in the following way.

Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1731).

This ability to act or not to act is inseparable from moral responsibility because every human action proceeds from a person who freely chooses. Here Wojtyła’s understanding of action differs sharply from Marxist approaches that emphasize historical processes and collective force over personal agency.

Refutation of Marxism

Marxist thought tends to evaluate actions primarily according to their historical or economic effects rather than the moral responsibility of the acting person. Wojtyła objected that every action originates in a person who remains morally accountable for what he chooses. By removing the person from the moral calculation, there is a risk in such thought to detach from truth and to judge all actions as morally neutral. When truth about the human person is obscured, power can replace morality as the measure of action. The result is often some form of totalitarianism.

Realism helps us to see that

man, who was created for freedom, bears within himself the wound of original sin, which constantly draws him towards evil and puts him in need of redemption (Pope St. John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, 25).

Thus, it is not surprising when human beings use their freedom to commit evil deeds. We all bear the wound of original sin. When evaluating the freedom afforded to its population by a society, there should be consideration for the moral character of the people. They should be using their freedom to choose what is good, not what is evil. Freedom does not survive by casting off all limits. It endures only when it remains rooted in the truth about God, man, and the moral order. Detached from truth, freedom becomes license. United to truth, freedom becomes the path to authentic human flourishing.

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Faith and Reason Series

Why Truth Matters

Faith and Reason: Two Ways of Knowing

The University and the Search for Wisdom

Economic Freedom Requires Truth

If today’s Gospel were stitched into a quilt, each square would contain another image from Jesus’ parable: good seed, weeds, bundles, fire, and finally a barn full of wheat (cf. Mt. 13:24-30). The first square speaks about an enemy. Too often, we forget that there is an enemy involved in our search for God. He often works quietly, unobserved. We see this in the weeds that grow among the good seed. It is too easy for us to justify ourselves. This is just the way I am. Part of this comes from the fact that we are ashamed of the brokenness in our own lives. We don’t want to admit that weeds have taken root in our hearts. We would like to just tear it out, but this is impossible. Until the harvest, the weeds remain mixed with the wheat. We need to allow Christ to root it out of our hearts.

Opening your heart

God continually sows good seed in our hearts, and we cooperate with his grace by reading good books, spending time in adoration, and surrounding ourselves with friends who help us grow in faith. But the enemy is wily, and he can sneak in with his insidious seed. The seed grows up, and we might be ashamed of it. Sometimes we discover temptations, habits, thoughts, or actions that surprise us. We ask ourselves, “Where did that come from?” The enemy often works quietly, but Christ is never surprised by our weakness. Retreats are great opportunities to gather the weeds and put them in bundles that we can set on fire. This first square of the quilt has good seed, bad seed, bundles, and fire. What is the good seed in your life? How do you open your heart so that God can speak to you?

Going on Retreat

When you go on a retreat, you get an opportunity to reflect on your life in the presence of God. He can help you see the good and bad things that are going on, especially where you have moral responsibility. Sometimes, there are bad things in our lives that are beyond our power to change. Maybe we have a difficult relationship we have tried to improve, but there seems to be just no way to move forward. We reflect first whether or not we have done what we can. Then, we give it over to God. Don’t be too easy to say “there is nothing I can do,” because too often this is a subterfuge that is simply covering up a desire to give up.

As the retreat goes on, you begin gathering those weeds into bundles. Maybe I notice that I am often distracted with unhealthy fantasies or destructive thoughts. Well, I need to see what the sources could be. Maybe I am reading stories and watching things on my phone that feed these bad images. I start to bundle all of this up and prepare a bonfire for these weeds, and then I go for a good confession. I get God’s grace and, hopefully, some good advice so I can move forward. The beautiful thing is that Jesus is the gardener. He knows exactly what is wheat and what is weed, and he never stops working patiently in our hearts.

Good Wheat

That quilt square is not all about burning. Jesus talks about gathering up the good wheat into the barn. A retreat is not primarily about beating ourselves up for our moral failings. Rather, it is a time to recognize God’s grace and blessings in our lives. We are able to walk through the field of our minds and grow in gratitude towards God who watches out for us at every turn. He desires our happiness because he desires our holiness.

Tying it all together

Take some time this week and think of the 5 most significant events of the past year. Maybe some of them even have T-shirts. Think of each event and figure out what was good seed and what was bad seed. Think about what needs to be bundled and burned, and what you should gather in for eternal life. Go to Jesus and tell him what is going on in your heart. When you look honestly at the quilt of your life, don’t be surprised if you find both wheat and weeds. When you bring the quilt of your life to Jesus, don’t hide the torn pieces. He already knows where every patch came from. Bring him the whole quilt, because he is patient, merciful, and committed to stitching every square into the masterpiece he intends your life to become.

Visiting the Church’s Eldest Daughter

His first pastoral visit to France marked the first time a Roman Pontiff had visited France since 1814. The Enlightenment had shaped French intellectual life profoundly, and many modern currents questioned whether objective truth could be known at all. Pope John Paul II would choose the setting of a Catholic university in France to remind academia of its fundamental need to pursue the truth.

The French Revolution and subsequent secularization of society seemed to wrest France from the bosom of the Church. Pope John Paul II’s visit showed the Church’s maternal concern and France’s desire to remain connected. Love for truth characterized Karol Wojtyła, and throughout his life, he sought to share this love with others.

Against this backdrop, he summarized the university’s mission in a single sentence:

Love for truth is the foundation of intellectual freedom without which there cannot be a university worthy of the name (Pope St. John Paul II, Discourse to the Students and Professors of Institut Catholique de Paris).

This affirmation may surprise those who assume that the Church is hostile to intellectual freedom. Catholic teaching is often caricatured as an obstacle to scientific progress or independent thought. Yet John Paul II emerged as one of the twentieth century’s most vigorous defenders of the university and of the freedom necessary for authentic inquiry.

He noted the value of human knowledge but also pointed out a potential weakness. The sciences provide remarkable knowledge about the world, while the humanities illuminate the richness of human experience. Yet neither automatically answers the deepest questions: What is the human person? What is the purpose of life? How should we live? Knowledge alone does not guarantee wisdom.

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Self-knowledge

Yet knowledge of the world is not enough. The deeper question is whether we understand ourselves. A university fulfills its mission not merely by producing experts but by helping men and women discover who they are and what their lives are for. The specific mission of these institutions is to introduce students to intellectual pursuits, answering the thirst for truth and certainty. We seek truths about the world, but we also seek the ultimate truth that gives coherence and meaning to all particular truths. We seek not only particular truths but also the source and unity of truth itself.

From St. Paul of Tarsus to Einstein, the greatest minds have shared a conviction that reality is intelligible and worth exploring. It is not enough to simply gather data. We have to learn the meaning of the data. A Catholic university has a privileged position within the larger panorama of higher education, as faculties of theology and philosophy can foster a deeper learning for their students. A Catholic university offers lay men and women the opportunity to pursue intellectual excellence while remaining rooted in the truths of the faith.

Problem of Splintering Disciplines

The Jesuit theologian Jean Danielou identified a tendency toward intellectual fragmentation within the modern university. The positive sciences have increasingly come to dominate university life, often at the expense of philosophy, theology, and the humanities. When this is the case, there is no true intellectual freedom, since there is no pursuit of a higher truth.

When universities abandon the search for transcendent truth, they become vulnerable to ideological capture. Intellectual life narrows, and education risks becoming an instrument of power rather than a pursuit of wisdom. “To forget God is the perversion of intelligence, if to be intelligent is to know reality.” Intellectual sloth risks cultural death.

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Faith Seeks Understanding

As Augustine observed, “faith should think.” Faith is not meant to bypass reason but to engage it. A Catholic university provides a privileged setting where faith and reason can challenge, purify, and enrich one another. This is why the Church never has to fear the advances of science that come as a result of intellectual research and study. There will never be a newly discovered truth that disproves the truths of the Catholic faith. We may have to revisit assumptions we have made, but truth cannot contradict itself.

The conviction that truth is one and that faith has nothing to fear from reason shaped Karol Wojtyła’s entire intellectual life. It also explains his deep interest in fostering dialogue among theologians, philosophers, and scientists. Because truth is one, the university cannot isolate disciplines from one another. Philosophy, theology, and the sciences must remain in conversation. This conviction led John Paul II to invest significant energy in fostering dialogue among scholars from other fields.

Intellectual Freedom

The Catholic faith has never been afraid of true science. The Church’s understanding of the world has often developed alongside advances in human knowledge. While Christians have sometimes embraced incomplete explanations of reality, the Church has remained open to deeper insights into creation. For this reason, the Catholic Church defends intellectual freedom vigorously.

This is one of the problems for fundamentalist interpreters of Scripture and of the Church. Intellectual freedom is not the same as intellectual isolation. Errors often arise when individuals or groups become convinced that they alone possess the whole truth and no longer remain open to correction. Genuine inquiry requires both conviction and humility.

John Paul II rejected the false choice between Catholic identity and intellectual rigor. A Catholic university should form men and women who love the truth enough to follow it wherever it leads. Intellectual rigor and Catholic identity are not competing goods; each strengthens the other when both are ordered toward truth. In the end, the university remains worthy of its name only when it can say, with confidence and humility: “We are not afraid of the truth.”

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Reflecting on Technology and Humanity

The more powerful our technology becomes, the more urgent the question of human identity becomes. This paradox illustrates a recurring theme of Catholic Social Teaching. In 1891, Pope Leo XIII wrote the seminal encyclical, Rerum Novarum, in response to the upheaval of the Industrial Revolution by defending the dignity of workers. In Pacem in Terris (1963), Pope St. John XXIII addressed the moral challenges posed by the nuclear age. Pope St. John Paul II reflected on the collapse of atheistic Communism while reaffirming that economic systems must remain at the service of the human person in his encyclical Centesimus Annus (1991). The Church has consistently responded to technological, political, and economic upheaval by returning to the human person.

Principle of the Common Good in Catholic Social Teaching

Desiring to defend the human person in the face of various ideologies, Catholic Social Teaching has developed principles to help judge new social realities and weigh their value for humanity. One of these is the principle of the common good, highlighted by Pope Leo XIV in his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (2026). The common good is understood as “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1906).

The common good is a principle that provides decision-makers with an objective measure as they seek practical solutions to complex problems. Both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV have engaged directly with the world’s discussion on AI. Since artificial intelligence possesses a particular capacity to affect people far beyond its direct users, its development and deployment must be judged not merely by profitability and technological capacity, but by whether it promotes the common good.

Applying the Principle of the Common Good to Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence raises political as well as technological questions. Decisions made by a handful of governments and corporations can profoundly affect the lives of billions of people. For this reason, Pope Francis proposed a “healthy politics” to the G7 Summit in 2024. The principle of the common good requires broad participation in the decision-making process. Otherwise, we risk creating an oligarchic world society.

From the first days of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV gave clues that he would help further reflection on the moral value of artificial intelligence. He spoke about the need to consider the effects of emerging technology on all of society, not merely the primary beneficiaries. He encouraged those who, “through research, entrepreneurship, and pastoral vision, seek to ensure that emerging technologies remain oriented toward the dignity of the human person and the common good” (Pope Leo XIV, 6 November 2025).

For months before its publication, authors speculated that Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical would focus on artificial intelligence. They were partly right, as Magnifica Humanitas will be largely remembered for its focus on emerging technologies and how they affect humanity. It is much more about what it means to be human in an evolving landscape of technology.

Common Good in Magnifica Humanitas

The pursuit of the common good “gives life to a people, understood not as a mere collection of individuals, but as a living reality in which people learn to recognize that they themselves are interconnected and jointly responsible for the res publica” (Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, 62).

To foster the common good in relation to artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, it is important to reflect on truth, the dignity of work, and the value of freedom.

Need for Truth

Truth needs to be reflected in communication and in education if artificial intelligence is going to serve the common good instead of the interests of a privileged few. The common good requires truthful communication and educational opportunities for all people. Many of our spontaneous concerns about AI spring from the area of truth. We worry about misinformation and deepfakes, allowing manipulation of the masses and a hollowing out of the value of education.

If we lose confidence in the information that we consume, we make it much more difficult to have an educated dialogue about what is going on in the world. I am occasionally surprised when students make me aware that I have been taken in by some deepfake appearing on the internet. If we cannot distinguish fact from fiction, our pursuit of the common good risks becoming impossible.

Value of Work

Work must be valued so that more people can participate in society. There is a risk that some strata of society end up serving artificial intelligence, as happens when people have to mine for the rare earth minerals or become subordinate to the demands of machines. Artificial intelligence should free humans for more creative, relational, and meaningful work, rather than simply replacing them. In a time of digital transition, the economy needs to value the dignity of the human person and the common good, rather than be manipulated in favor of those already possessing power. Work exists for man, not man for work (cf. Pope St. John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, 6).

Safeguarding Freedom

Every design choice by developers reflects a vision of humanity. Those developing and employing artificial intelligence have a particular responsibility to respect freedom and avoid imposing the chains of new forms of slavery on others. Regulation is part of the solution but is not the entirety of the solution. The moral value of those developing artificial intelligence is required for it to be a force for good and not for evil.

A significant part of the digital economy’s functioning relies on the silent work of millions of people engaged in essential yet largely unseen activities, such as data labeling, model training and content moderation, often involving disturbing material (Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, 173).

If we are concerned about the common good, we should work to “disarm” artificial intelligence, wanting to avoid further proliferation of war through advancing technology.

Conclusion

When Ted Hoff introduced the Intel 4004, he could never have imagined the panorama of technology today. Yet the essential question remains the same. The future of AI will be determined less by the speed of processors or the sophistication of algorithms, and more by the commitment of its developers to the dignity of the human person and the common good. Technology is one of humanity’s greatest accomplishments when it remains a servant of the human person rather than its master.

When I got back home, I decided to plant my own vegetable garden. I went to Home Depot and picked up some seedlings and some seeds. When I got home, I saw a patch of free space in our backyard and laid down some topsoil. I planted carrot seeds, as well as some cherry tomato and broccoli seedlings. The most established plant was a head of lettuce that came in its own pot.

The garden had some real obstacles to survival. I was not as regular as necessary in watering the garden. The soil was made of clay. Finally, the deer, rabbits, and other critters I had never seen in our backyard came to claim their spoils of my poor, defeated vegetable garden. Sometimes it is good to have an experience like that to understand some of the parables that Jesus preaches. Jesus preaches in parables because he wants us to understand.

In the parable of the Sower, Jesus talks about four types of soil.

It is always a good invitation to us to see how we respond to God’s Word in our lives. The first reading gives us the key. Isaiah compares God’s Word to rain that waters the earth (cf. Is. 55:10-11). Jesus takes that same image a step further. The rain may fall generously, but the harvest depends on the condition of the soil. Pope Benedict XVI even called the Parable of the Sower (Mt. 13:1-23) an “autobiographical” parable because Jesus himself is the Sower who scatters God’s Word throughout the world.

Jesus recounts to the crowd the well-known Parable of the Sower. In a certain way, it is an “autobiographical” passage, for it reflects the very experience of Jesus, of his preaching. He identifies himself with the Sower who scatters the good seed of the Word of God and notes the different effects it obtains, in accordance with the way in which people hear the proclamation (Pope Benedict XVI, 10 July 2011).

Some of the seed falls on the hard path. Closed people refuse to open their ears to the Gospel. They never hear the Gospel message because they decide it is irrelevant. There are good and bad people who live this way. This is a temptation for people who write off religion as a superstitious practice that is beneath their dignity. Sometimes my heart becomes hard. Have I already decided that God has nothing new to say to me?

Other seeds fall on rocky ground. This refers to shallow people. Maybe they go to church, but it does not penetrate their lives effectively.

The thorny soil represents the distracted people who live chasing after the things of this world. They never have time to worry about Heaven, because they seek to find Heaven on earth. They may pursue fame and fortune, pleasure and power. So much of today’s world pressures us to stay distracted, so we miss the deeper things in life. The thorns are not necessarily bad things. Work, sports, social media, success, entertainment: even good things can crowd out the voice of God.

Finally, the good soil represents those who are receptive. We are receptive when we make the Word of God a practical part of our lives. We are called to be a receptive people. We do this when we allow the Word of God to enter our lives and to be the water that refreshes the desert of our souls. Good soil is not perfect soil. It is soil that remains open. Good soil listens, prays, repents, forgives, and keeps returning to the Lord.

This week, spend just ten minutes each day with Sacred Scripture. First, read and reflect on Isaiah 55:10-11. Then, read the daily Gospel from the liturgy. Before you close your Bible, ask two questions.

“What is God saying to me?”

“What will I do differently today because of it?”

Every garden depends on good soil. Every Christian life does too.

Luther

While the tension has many historical causes, the Protestant Reformation marked an important moment in the growing separation between faith and reason. In the spiritual realm, Luther was critical of reason. We could look at this superficially and assume that he is opting for a fideistic understanding of truth. God becomes arbitrary when we take faith on its own, divorced from reason. Is this what Luther wanted?

No, rather he was reacting to some tendencies within Scholastic philosophy and theology that wanted to apply logical methods without discernment to the Bible. Logical syllogisms could seem to take precedence over the gift of faith that comes through Revelation.

Although Luther did not intend a complete separation of faith and reason, some trajectories unleashed by the Reformation contributed to a growing distinction between the domains of faith and rational inquiry. The Enlightenment would deepen this divide. Reason increasingly sought autonomy from faith, while faith was often relegated to the sphere of personal conviction. It was into this intellectual climate that Karol Wojtyla was born.

As a man of deep faith and at the same time a champion of reason, his pontificate would be a stronghold for truth in a world sliding towards relativism.

Tensions Between Faith and Reason

He saw that modern culture often forced people to choose between faith and reason, as if one had to be sacrificed for the other. His response was not to diminish either, but to show how each depends upon the other in the search for truth. This is why he wrote the encyclical Fides et Ratio, exploring the relationship between faith and reason, always with the important mission of achieving the truth. The opening paragraph makes a bold claim, which he develops throughout the encyclical.

Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word, to know himself – so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves (Pope St. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, introduction).

The quest for truth is an important element of the human experience. There are many paths that help arrive at the truth.

Men and women have at their disposal an array of resources for generating greater knowledge of truth so that their lives may be ever more human (Pope St. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, 3)

Importance of Philosophy

This search for truth corresponds to something we desire naturally, as we learn through philosophy, the love of wisdom.

Born and nurtured when the human being first asked questions about the reason for things and their purpose, philosophy shows in different modes and forms that the desire for truth is part of human nature itself. It is an innate property of human reason to ask why things are as they are, even though the answers which gradually emerge are set within a horizon which reveals how the different human cultures are complementary (Pope St. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, 3).

Philosophy serves as a help for understanding truths of the faith. Some of the same behaviors of the Scholastics that bothered Luther were actually a route for a genuine deepening of the faith. Although his criticism of simply applying syllogisms indiscriminately to the truths of faith may have been warranted, the use of rigorous philosophical and theological methods to go deeper into revealed truth has borne great fruit in the succeeding centuries.

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Splintering of the Truth

Karol Wojtyła was aware of a certain splintering of the truth with the rise of the modern age. With the impressive and noteworthy expansion of human knowledge, there is a tendency to neglect the search for ultimate truth. This is regrettable, and through this encyclical, Pope John Paul II helps to remedy the situation.

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Already the First Vatican Council taught that “the truth attained by philosophy and the truth of Revelation are neither identical nor mutually exclusive” (Pope St. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, 9). There is a twofold order regarding the object of knowledge, not their source. All truth comes ultimately from God, but some of this truth can be attained only by him revealing it to us. This is the truth that we know primarily through faith, although it is never contrary to reason.

The truth made known to us by Revelation is neither the product nor the consummation of an argument devised by human reason (Pope St. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, 15).

Avoiding an Over-Rationalization of the Faith

This helps to avoid a rationalization of faith, reducing the faith to a series of principles from which all of its truths can be logically deduced. The relationship between faith and reason is important, and can be threatened by some modern ways of thought, particularly nihilism.

As a philosophy of nothingness, it has a certain attraction for people of our time. Its adherents claim that the search is an end in itself, without any hope or possibility of ever attaining the goal of truth (Pope St. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, 46).

For John Paul II, nihilism emerges when reason loses confidence in its ability to know objective truth. The result is not greater freedom but skepticism about whether truth can be known at all. Having a strong trust in reason, Pope John Paul II argued that faith and reason can achieve a proper harmony. He suggested

that faith and philosophy recover the profound unity which allows them to stand in harmony with their nature without compromising their mutual autonomy. The parrhesia of faith must be matched with the boldness of reason (Pope John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, 48).

The question of faith and reason is not merely academic. Every person seeks meaning, purpose, and truth. Wojtyla believed that we were made for this search. Faith without reason risks becoming superstition; reason without faith risks becoming trapped within its own limits. Together, they are the two wings by which the human spirit rises toward the fullness of truth.

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Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” (Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus”)

The Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island is one of the most iconic images of the United States. The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France dedicated in 1886, became one of America’s enduring symbols of freedom, inspiration, and hope. This image welcomed over 12 million immigrants during the 62 years that Ellis Island served as the main port of entry to the United States.

Emma Lazarus’ poem, “The New Colossus,” captures the essence of the statue. Making a callback to classical themes, it nevertheless echoes the words of Jesus Christ in today’s Gospel.

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light (Mt. 11:29-30).

Jesus does not promise an easy life. He does, however, promise a purposeful life. When we live each day for Jesus, he unlocks untold treasures that we can receive and that will fill our hearts with joy and peace.

We live in a time of both light and shadow. There is much to celebrate. As Americans, we commemorate the 250^thanniversary of our nation’s founding. Yet there are also deep shadows. Wars rage abroad, polarization continues at home, and within the Church, we are witnessing fresh wounds to her visible unity. These joys and hopes, these griefs and anxieties, are profoundly human, and therefore profoundly important to the Church.

These are precisely the kinds of joys and hopes, griefs and anxieties that the Church makes her own. At the beginning of the Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, we read:

The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ (Gaudium et Spes, 1).

There is no human suffering that is completely alien to the concerns of the Catholic Church. We are living now in a time of turmoil for some of our brethren. Those who have chosen the path of schism have broken the visible bonds of ecclesial communion. Their call to preserve Catholic tradition ultimately loses credibility when it is accompanied by a rejection of the visible unity Christ entrusted to Peter and his successors. Fidelity to tradition can never be separated from communion with the successor of Peter.

Christ’s invitation is not merely addressed to individuals burdened by sin or suffering. It also extends to those who find themselves separated from full communion with his Church. The same heart that welcomes the weary also seeks the return of those who have wandered.

What does Christ think in such a moment? The Church, while being clear about the consequences of the illicit episcopal consecrations, also stretches out her hand to the priests and faithful, offering them a way back. They must, however, reaffirm their faith, especially their adherence to the Roman Pontiff. The Pope reflects the meekness of Christ: firm in defending the truth while never closing the door to reconciliation.

See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth (Zech. 9:10).

The tragedy of schism is that it wounds the visible unity Christ desires for his Church. Whenever Catholics separate themselves from full communion, even while preserving much of the Church’s tradition and liturgy, they deprive themselves of the fullness of ecclesial life.

The Church stands as a new Colossus, offering those who have wandered a way back, a way to peace. Those who may be torn and pressured by the confusing times in which we live are called to rekindle their hope and come home to the Catholic Church.

Emma Lazarus imagined a colossal woman lifting a lamp beside the golden door, welcoming the weary to a new home. The Church carries an even greater light: not one that leads to a new nation, but to a new creation. She welcomes not merely immigrants but sinners, pilgrims, and all who seek reconciliation with God. Her invitation remains the same as that of Christ himself: “Come to me”. Come home.

Eventually, the vocational pull grew too strong, and he decided to join the seminary. This meant abandoning his government-ordered job to disappear from the world in his pursuit of the priesthood. To avoid detection, Archbishop Sapieha required clandestine formation, with seminarians living and studying at the bishop’s palace under conditions of strict secrecy. The Nazis were right to fear the formation of future priests. Truth ultimately outlasts totalitarianism.

Struggle Against Totalitarianism

The close of the war meant simply exchanging one sort of oppression for another for the Poles. The Soviets replaced the Nazis, establishing Poland as a puppet state. Lies ruled once again. Wojtyła’s priesthood and episcopacy would be marked by playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with the new regime. His strong philosophical and theological background ensured that he would not cave to their desires to obfuscate the truth. Rather, it hardened his conviction to seek the truth above all else.

As a philosophy professor at Jagellonian University, he helped young people reflect on truth. As a pastor, he proclaimed the Gospel from the pulpit. Yet, as a priest living under communist rule, he constantly had to sift through propaganda and deception to discern what was really happening.

The Soviets famously manipulated information and tried to rewrite history. After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, history itself “became an area of strict political control. It was supposed to serve the current political interests of those in power and the Soviet Empire” (Anna Zofia Cichocka, “Historical Fallacies in Communist Propaganda”).

Every totalitarian regime depends on a series of lies and deceptions. Karol Wojtyła knew from his own experience that totalitarianism cannot survive the truth. His own life would become a sustained witness to reality against ideology. His thought on the subject would also span the question of the relationship between faith and reason.

Theological Reflection

He wrote extensively on the topic in his 1998 encyclical, Fides et Ratio, “On Faith and Reason.” The first lines of the encyclical are some of the most poignant of all his years of the pontificate.

Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word, to know himself – so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves (Pope St. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, 1).

He had already reflected on truth regarding moral theology in Veritatis Splendor, “The Splendor of Truth.” However, his opening to Fides et Ratio always strikes me as a veritable homage to truth. Veritatis Splendor focuses on truth in moral action, while in Fides et Ratio, Pope John Paul II focuses on truth in intellectual knowing. God himself has placed in the human heart the desire for truth. Knowledge of self and others, leading ultimately to knowledge of God, is a recurring theme in the thought of Karol Wojtyla.

Philosophical Grounding

Wojtyla’s commitment to truth was not merely political or pastoral. It was grounded in a philosophical vision of the human person and our capacity to know reality. A realist epistemology recognizes the existence of objective truth, at the same time that it admits that this objective truth can be difficult to attain. Truth is objective, but our access to it is personal. Each of us approaches reality through our own experiences, knowledge, and limitations. My experience, my past knowledge, and even my emotions can color the data that I perceive from the outside world.

This does not imply any opposition or contradiction between faith and reason. Both modes of knowing can be modes of arriving at the truth, and they even build on one another.

The human spirit is called to rise to the contemplation of truth. This imagery reminds us that truth is a good to be pursued. There is a fundamental relationship, even between what is true and what is good. The transcendentals remind us that truth and goodness belong together. To pursue the good fully, we must also seek the truth about it.

Wojtyła’s engagement with phenomenology, especially through the work of Max Scheler, deepened his appreciation for the world of human experience and value. Value is inherently related to good. Value arises when a good is recognized and freely affirmed by a person. Increasingly, narrative, not truth, becomes the organizing principle of public discourse.

Looking to Today

Rather than truth-telling, much of our public discourse seems to become marketing. Social media rewards attention, not necessarily accuracy. Political discourse rewards loyalty to tribes more than fidelity to reality. In such an environment, Wojtyła’s insistence on seeking truth together becomes increasingly relevant.

Karol Wojtyła understood the value of truth his entire life. Being subjected to totalitarian regimes sharpened his awareness of the danger of lies. If we are going to be truly disciples of truth, we need to learn to question the narratives that whirl around us and go to the heart of the matter. Not only will this help us have a firmer grasp on reality, but it will also make possible a civilization of love. Totalitarian regimes fear the truth because the truth exposes reality. Free societies need the truth because only truth can sustain genuine freedom. For Wojtyła, truth was not an abstraction to defend but a reality to live. Without it, neither freedom nor love can endure.

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Supremacy of Charity

We love our family with a right order when we recognize that God is more important than any human relationship.

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me (Mt. 10:37).

We are called to love others radically by giving our lives generously. We can perform outwardly good actions for the wrong reasons. We may seek recognition, approval, or a sense of moral superiority. Charity purifies our motives and directs our actions toward genuine love of God and neighbor. Pope Francis reflected on the virtue of charity as the virtue that makes sure that other moral virtues develop correctly. They are always supposed to foster openness and union with others.

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That is made possible by the charity that God infuses. Without charity, we may perhaps possess only apparent virtues, incapable of sustaining life in common. Thus, Saint Thomas Aquinas could say – quoting Saint Augustine – that the temperance of a greedy person is in no way virtuous (Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, 91).

Charity places God first. When God is first, every other relationship finds its proper place. This is why Jesus can say that whoever loves father or mother more than him is not worthy of him.

Right Order in Family Relations

It would be a mistake to assume that Jesus wants to cause division in families. Even when he uses such language in other passages, he is warning rather about making our earthly relationships into idols that draw us away from God and what is most important. We are called to treat our family members with love and respect, but this can never be an excuse to abandon the things of God.

I remember hearing a conversation once about whether it is better to go to family brunch or to Sunday Mass. This is a false dichotomy. Hopefully, we can find ways to spend quality time with our family, and ideally that would include time spent praying together, especially at Mass. I know that sometimes it can be challenging and we have to sometimes meet people where they are, while at the same time giving witness to our priorities in life.

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Carrying the Cross

Putting God first inevitably involves sacrifice. Jesus never promised it would be easy. In fact, we might even consider him a terrible salesman. Following Christ means doing things we don’t want to do, for Someone we have never seen, in expectation of a reward we cannot yet see. Yet those who have trusted him for two thousand years testify that this unseen Christ is more real than many of the things they can touch, and that his promised reward is worth every sacrifice.

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Mt. 10:39).

Serving and Loving Our Neighbor

Pope Benedict XVI framed his teaching on social doctrine in the context of the Christian virtue of charity.

The originality of his contribution lies in showing that development, justice, institutions and the market are not neutral realities, but spaces where charity in truth must find historical expression (Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, 41).

Social structures matter, but Christianity never allows us to outsource charity to institutions. We live in a society that assumes the necessity of various social institutions and expects them to solve the ills of society. While this may be a valid use of resources, it can never exonerate us of the duty that we have towards the poor and suffering.

Once the demands of necessity and propriety have been met, the rest that one owns belongs to the poor (Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 22).

He is introducing the theme from Catholic Social Doctrine called the universal destination of goods. It is not a denial of private property. Rather, it is a reminder that God created the goods of the earth for the benefit of all, and therefore we have a responsibility to use them wisely and generously.

Whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple – amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward (Mt. 10:42).

Jesus invites us to love more. It is not, however, just a demand on us. Rather, it is an invitation to imitate him. He placed obedience to his Father above every earthly attachment. He carried his cross until the end. He served others, giving them even living water. Jesus invites us to love as he loved: to place God first, to carry the cross faithfully, and to serve those entrusted to us. The question is not whether we admire his love, but whether we will imitate it.

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Mental disorders and anxiety will never be eliminated purely through spirituality, but a healthy spirituality among the population could well reduce the number of people struggling with these challenges. While spiritual reading cannot cure clinical anxiety disorders, it can help address many of the habits, fears, and spiritual misconceptions that often intensify our experience of anxiety and worry.

The book begins by establishing Jesus as the face of mercy. So many of our spiritual problems boil down to a misunderstanding of who God is and who God is for me. These guided reflections help the reader to grow in understanding of God and love for Him. When so many people think of God as an examining judge, it is refreshing to hear about Him as a Shepherd who looks to guide His beloved souls back to His flock. He is a healer of hearts and a friend of sinners.

After coming to understand Jesus as the face of mercy, we are invited to leave the world’s false “safe spaces” in favor of the refuge found only in Christ. So much of what we read and hear on the news tries to make us feel anxious and worried. Much of today’s media environment rewards content that provokes strong emotional reactions. As a result, we are constantly exposed to stories that can leave us feeling anxious, fearful, or overwhelmed. They are selling our attention to attract commercials, so their strategy is understandable, if perhaps also a little diabolical.

Christ wants true freedom for us, and He wants to be our refuge. He does not want to see us leave Him in pursuit of pleasure and comfort in places that will only leave us more vulnerable and afraid.

The book ends with a florilegium, a collection of sayings from the saints that can encourage us on the journey to holiness.

Each chapter begins with a verse from Scripture that helps to frame its content. It is a simple book, designed to foster devotion in our hearts. In a world where we feel more exposed to violence, division, and hatred, it is comforting to be reminded of the eternal truths that have lasted through centuries.

Throughout the book, he brings his own experience to bear, giving witness to the transformative power of Christ.

I encountered the person of Jesus Christ. And though it’s difficult to put into words, the experience was like stepping into color for the first time. Everything around me seemed to pulse with meaning and beauty, as if the world had suddenly come alive (Matt Fradd, Jesus Our Refuge, p. 5).

He shares personal stories about getting distracted that will resonate with all of us. The need to constantly multitask divides our attention and leaves us feeling more anxious and worried, never allowing us to fully rest. Rather than resting, we just get distracted. (cf. p. 59)

It is not merely a series of pious reflections. His chapter on repentance helps the reader want to turn away from sin. As good as it is to focus on holiness, we must first take out the trash. We need to get rid of the garbage in our souls if we are going to advance along the path of holiness that Christ had prepared for us.

Fradd combines contemporary examples with timeless spiritual wisdom. For Christians seeking peace in an anxious age, Jesus Our Refuge offers more than encouragement. It offers an invitation to encounter Christ, the one refuge that never fails.

Pope John Paul II was convinced that the world today needs to understand what it means to be human. In this sense, it almost seems as though all the subsequent Popes keep commenting along the same lines. This does not mean departing from Christianity in favor of secular humanism. Rather, it means going deeper into the mystery of Christ as the only way to get to know who we are called to be as human beings.

In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV comments on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence. I suppose there could be a risk of losing sight of Christ and descending into secular humanism. He avoids this by citing in the very first paragraph, Gaudium et Spes 22, easily Pope John Paul II’s favorite phrase from the entire Second Vatican Council. He goes on to declare that:

In Jesus Christ, this humanity in its grandeur becomes the Way, the Truth and the Life, opening the path for each of us to grow toward fullness (Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, 1).

Working with young people, I see a real crisis in how we understand what it means to be human. I think the thought of Pope John Paul II can help us now, just as it helped us in the perhaps even more bewildering times of his pontificate.

Faith and Reason

I propose to write about faith and reason during July and August. It is crucial to understand the importance of truth. Why does it matter? Are faith and reason opposed, or can they work together. What is the role of the university? Can science explain everything? I am excited about going deeper in his thought to prepare reflections on these topics. He did much to respond to the crisis of relativism by responding with a clear and beautiful witness to hope and truth.

Far from the reduction of the human person to secular categories, Karol Wojtyła was rooted in a profound love for the person of Jesus Christ. During September and October, I hope to explore his reflections on Christ the Redeemer. After encouraging the world to open their hearts to Christ the first time he stepped out on St. Peter’s Square, he wrote his first encyclical on Christ as the Redeemer of Man: Redemptor Hominis.

Gaudium et Spes 22

Central to Pope John Paul II’s thought is Gaudium et Spes 22. As a Council Father, Wojtyła contributed to the drafting of the document, and he remained deeply attentive to its Christological vision of the human person. While he was not able to achieve as much reference to truth in the document as he had hoped, he remained deeply attentive to the phrasing of Gaudium et Spes 22, reminding us that only in Christ can we know our true meaning and purpose.

Advent and Christmas invite us to walk beside Pope John Paul II to contemplate the Incarnation. God became man, so that we might become more like him. One of the great loves of Pope John Paul II is the Eucharist. I was privileged to witness him both celebrating the Eucharist and adoring humbly, the pastor who was pastored by the Good Shepherd. I look forward to reflecting on these themes in January and February.

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Gospel of Life

March and April will allow us to reflect on the Gospel of Life. He spoke often about the culture of death, while he was an outspoken witness to a culture of life. Every human life matters and we have much to learn from him to see how to stand up for life when it is unpopular and uncomfortable.

Human beings need ritual, and in May I look forward to speaking about liturgy. The year will conclude by turning to creation itself, and John Paul II’s vision of the human person’s responsibility within it.

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You pay God a compliment when you ask great things of him (St. Teresa of Avila).

Blessed Stanley Rother was a diocesan priest from Oklahoma. Studies did not come easy to him, but perseverance paid off and he was ordained a priest in 1963. A few years later, in 1968 he volunteered to go as a missionary priest to Guatemala. Facing a tense political situation, his life was constantly in danger, as he ministered to the Mayan people of his parish.

When his name eventually appeared on a right-wing death list, he obeyed his bishop, who ordered him home. However, it was not long before he was begging to go back to Guatemala, saying famously that “the shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger.”

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Living Out the Gospel

It is one thing to read the Gospel, and another thing to live it out. Jesus said, “Fear no one” (cf. Mt. 10:26). It is hard to live without the shadows of fear overpowering our lives. Blessed Stanley was able to do this because he trusted completely in God. We learn to trust God by learning and living in his divine providence. We get a clue about his concern for each one of us when Jesus talks about his Father with great love.

Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge (Mt. 10:29).

God is not merely watching us from afar. He continually sustains us in existence and guides all things through his providence.

Our Goodness Comes from God

Like all created things, we are good simply because God created us (cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I.22.1c.) Yet we are also made for a purpose, and God guides us toward the fulfillment for which he created us. We discover part of the purpose he gives to us through the natural law that is inscribed on all of our hearts (cf. Rm. 2:14-16). Because God is the author of all creation, everything ultimately falls under his providential care (cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I.22.2.) You and I make plans and use various means to accomplish them. We use the virtue of prudence to do this. He is leading us to something great. Jesus knows this and uses the example of the sparrows to show that God loves each one of us individually.

What does it mean to live according to divine providence when I am worried about my future? I need to learn to see how God works through the circumstances of my life.

How God’s Providence Works

God’s providence works ordinarily through establishing the nature of things. (cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I.22.3). We can distinguish between God’s positive will and his permissive will. He never positively wills evil or suffering, but he does permit these things as part of the way the world functions. So, some sparrows will die, and this does not mean that God doesn’t care or can’t do anything about it. But he typically rules the world through the natural laws that exist. We can ask ourselves why things are able to die if we all depend on God’s providence. However, he is the final cause of all things that exist. Material things are not meant to last forever in this world. Their fragility reminds us that our ultimate destiny is not found here, but in God.

We worry about grades, medical conditions, finances, or vocational decisions. Yet Jesus reminds us that the Father who knows every sparrow also knows every detail of our lives.

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Finding Our Purpose

When we realize that we live for a greater purpose, peace flows into our hearts. We become more concerned about the mission of our life, and are less likely to engage in selfish pursuits of pleasure and honor. Peace is one of the greatest gifts we can receive, and does not depend on getting our way. Blessed Stanley Rother surely did not desire to die at the hands of three assassins. Yet, when the moment came, he even tried to go quietly so as to avoid causing danger for the people of his congregation.

We need to learn to have a daring confidence in God. St. Teresa of Avila said that we pay God a compliment when we ask great things of him. Nothing is too big for God, yet often we are afraid to ask. Really, we are afraid that we and our problems are insignificant to God. This is never the case. Blessed Stanley asked for big things, such as the salvation of his people. The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger because he knows that his life, his mission, and even his death rest securely in the hands of God. The question remains: Do we trust God’s providence enough to follow him wherever he leads?

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It’s a great question, and one we should be able to answer. If I had to recommend one realistic starting point for most young adults, it would be this: commit to thirty minutes of daily prayer, participate faithfully in Sunday Mass, and go to confession regularly.

The goal is not to do everything at once. The goal is consistency. A simple prayer routine practiced faithfully over months and years will bear far more fruit than an ambitious plan abandoned after a few weeks.

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Daily Mass

Daily Mass seems to be one of the most effective ways to grow deeper in our faith. It guarantees contact with Sacred Scripture, and if we are in a state of grace, we can receive Communion. Hopefully, the words the priest shares in the homily edify, encourage, and nourish us spiritually. Arriving a few minutes early and staying a few minutes afterward helps us to receive more spiritual fruit from the experience. I like it because even when we are distracted, we are sure to be growing.

Rosary

This is an example of vocal prayer – praying with our lips with pre-fabricated prayers – that has a deep tradition within Christianity. The Rosary invites us to meditate on the mysteries of Christ’s life, so it serves as a constant anchoring of our spiritual lives in the Word of God. It invites Mary to accompany us on the path of holiness. St. Bernard of Clairvaux coined the phrase, de Maria numquam satis (you can never get enough of Mary), and I am inclined to agree.

Lectio Divina

Taking Sacred Scripture in hand each day and praying with it opens a powerful path to transformation. By reading, meditating on, and applying God’s word to our lives, we gradually learn to think with God’s mind and conform our lives to his will. Down through the centuries, this has been a preferred mode of prayer for the saints.

Adoration

“Eucharistic adoration” refers to spending time in front of the consecrated host. Jesus is truly there, either in the tabernacle or solemnly exposed in the monstrance. Spending time in front of the Eucharistic Lord always bears fruit, even when we do not immediately perceive it. Pope John Paul II would speak frequently of his experience of the Eucharist. He tried to communicate some of his own devotion to the faithful in his Encyclical Letter, Ecclesia de Eucharistia.

It is pleasant to spend time with him, to lie close to his breast like the Beloved Disciple (cf. Jn 13:25) and to feel the infinite love present in his heart. If in our time Christians must be distinguished above all by the “art of prayer”,⁴⁸ how can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual converse, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament? (Pope Saint John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 25).

Our time in front of the Blessed Sacrament can be flexible. We might apply some of the other spiritual practices, such as lectio divina or praying the rosary. We may also simply rest in silence before the Lord, pouring out our hearts before him and leaving silent spaces for him to speak to us.

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Examination of Conscience

Before we go to confession, we try to examine our consciences to see how we have failed to correspond to God’s love. We repent of the evil we have committed, and we go before God’s representative to ask for pardon and peace. The practice of examination of conscience can be fruitful in other moments as well. I like to examine my conscience every day. It helps me to see what is going on in my life, hopefully before I go too far off the rails.

Getting Started

All of these practices have borne fruit in the lives of countless saints and ordinary Christians. Of them, daily Mass has had the greatest impact on my own spiritual life. If I wanted to start tomorrow, I would look for how many daily Masses I can fit into my weekly schedule, then assign the other spiritual practices to the remaining days.

There are obviously many more things we could do to jumpstart our spiritual lives. Some people would suggest that we need to spend much more than 30 minutes a day. I suggest starting with 30 minutes, and then talking to a mentor in the spiritual life before increasing the daily commitment. I have seen too many people try to take on longer commitments, only to fail and end up doing nothing to take care of their spiritual lives. 30 minutes might not seem like much, but over the course of a year it adds up to over 180 hours. If that is 180 hours more than last year, you can be sure it is going to affect your spiritual life.

The important thing is to start and persevere. God does not ask us to become saints overnight. He simply asks us to meet him each day. Thirty minutes may not seem like much, but over time those small daily encounters can transform an entire life.

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Imagine being a Catholic doctor pressed into service for a Communist army. This is what happened to Pere Tarres, a Catalonian doctor from Barcelona who served during the Spanish Civil War. Ideologically, he did not align with the army, but he could still live out his fundamental vocation of healing. He recorded his thoughts and reflections in Mi Diario de Guerra. Beyond chronicling the war, he consistently reflects on how God was speaking even amid chaos, uncertainty, and suffering. At the recent youth prayer vigil in Madrid, Pope Leo exhorted the young people to learn to listen to God’s voice. Today’s liturgy helps us home in on God’s voice.

When the people of Israel fled Egypt into the desert, God gave them a message to show his special love for them.

If you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine (Ex. 19:5).

God spoke through Moses to Israel in the desert. Today, God still speaks to his people, though often through different means: prayer, Scripture, the Church, and the events of daily life. We need silence, confidence in God, and God’s Word.

Silence

If we are to hear God’s voice, we must actively choose which voices deserve our attention and which only create static in our souls. The habit of silence helps us to discern what is true from what is false. “When we seek silence, we choose what not to listen to and which noises not to let distract us” (Pope Leo XIV, 6 June 2026). The more experience we have, the more we need to learn what is helpful and what is detrimental to our inner peace.

We must be careful to seek truth. “It is in silence that we come to understand that ideologies pass away, while the truth always remains” (Pope Leo XIV, 6 June 2026). When we come to recognize the value of truth, we begin to realize how much of current society revolves around ideologies that are not ultimately life-giving. The more we recognize that truth leads us to God, the more we grow in our confidence and hope in him.

Confidence in God

We need to cultivate confidence in God. Be sure that God knows your voice. Before we learn to recognize God’s voice, it helps to remember that he already knows ours. Prayer is not an attempt to gain God’s attention; it is a response to the loving attention he already gives us. How wonderful it is to know that God knows who we are and what we desire most deeply. “Our inner voice becomes prayer, praise, and supplication when we direct it to the one who alone can hear it” (Pope Leo XIV, 6 June 2026). So often, we can feel alone and isolated, but God always wants to know what is on our hearts. Even when we fail often, God still cares for us. St. Paul marveled at the fact that God loves us even from before the time of our conversion.

But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Rm. 5:8).

Christ died for us precisely because of our sins. Far from ostracizing us for our moral failings, Jesus invites us into a personal relationship with him. One of the primary ways he speaks to us in that relationship is through Sacred Scripture.

Listening to the Word

We must listen to the Word. God reveals himself to man through Sacred Scripture. “The Word of God is alive because it is Jesus Christ, whose voice continues to resound in the Church, his Body” (Pope Leo XIV, 6 June 2026). We hear his words through the Church, which extends his revelation through time. We run the risk of being spiritually illiterate if we do not know the Word of God. We can engage in culture wars and discussions, but if we do not know Christ through the Word, we risk losing sight of what is truly important.

The life of Pere Tarres shows that we do not have to be living in a perfect time or under perfect circumstances to live for God. We can learn to listen to God’s voice in whatever circumstances God permits in our lives. God does not promise to give us an easy time during this life. But he can give us his grace so that we develop the virtue needed to give witness to him in a world desperately in need. Spend five minutes every day this week in silence before the Lord and try to discern between ideology and truth in the news that you receive. If you grow daily in your ability to listen to God’s voice, you will discover that he has been speaking all along, inviting you to be a witness of his love and grace in the world.