Pope at Audience: Prayer is an act of hope

August 5, 2026 · 1 min read

Pope Leo delivers his fifth catechesis on Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Liturgy, reflecting on the ecclesial dimension of liturgical prayer and describing the liturgy as “the place of encounter, of God’s initiative in drawing near to humanity in His Son”.

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Source: Vatican News · Read the full story →

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George Anderson

The bit about liturgy being the place where God takes the initiative and draws near in His Son really struck me. Makes me think of how the Divine Liturgy always feels like He's the one inviting us, not the other way round. Simple but solid point.

Ольга Бойко

Yes, I also liked how the Pope said that the liturgy is a place where God himself takes the initiative and approaches us in the Son. In our service, too, it always feels as if He is calling us, and we are not pulling Him. A simple thought, but in the church it is very important.

Krzysztof Kowalski

Yes, the idea of God's initiative in the liturgy is strong. At our Divine Liturgy, I always have the impression that He invites us to the table, and not we force Him. Simple, but it helps in prayer, especially when you are tired after work.

Radu Rusu

Yes, this part with God's initiative in the liturgy stuck in my head too. At our work, especially on Sunday mornings when I come tired from the road with the truck, I feel exactly what he says: He calls us to the table, we don't drag him. Simple and true. Thanks for the article.

Юлія Марченко

Yes, Olga, it was this part about God's initiative that touched me too. In our Odessa parish, at the early liturgy, there is often such a quiet feeling, as if He is the first to approach, and we only respond. And in which church do you most often go, where does it feel like this?

Barbara Wiśniewska

Yes, this thought about God's initiative in the liturgy is very accurate. At our Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox church in Wola, especially when I arrive tired after a whole day at the office, I also feel exactly that - that it is He who invites us to the table, and not we have to somehow "pull" Him down. Simple, but it helps me focus.

Χρήστος Βασιλείου

Yes, that part about God's initiative in the Liturgy got me too. In our parish in Agios Nikolaos Volos, especially on Sundays when I come tired from school, I feel exactly this: He invites us to the Table, we do not pull him. Simple and powerful.

Ewa Kaczmarek

Yes, I feel exactly the same during our Liturgy - that it is He who draws us to Himself, not the other way around. After a whole day in the store, this impression really helps, otherwise you would barely faint. Which parish do you visit most often?

Maria Munteanu

Yes, Radu, I too have felt this many times at Mass, especially when I come with my head full of bills and vegetables from the garden. It is good that he reminds us that He is the One who calls us, not the other way around. Which roads do you take with your truck on Sunday mornings?

Ștefan Stan

Yes, Maria, that's right - I feel the same when I'm fishing early in the morning, I think of the fishing line and the fishing rod, and yet He calls me first. Those bills and the vegetables in the garden keep us tied to the ground, but the Liturgy lifts us a little above them. What vegetables did you plant in the garden this year?

Ioana Stoica

Yes, Stefan, that's exactly how I feel when I get to church after arranging the shelves in the store all day - I come with my mind to the bills and the grandparents waiting for the soup, but He calls me first. This year I put cherry tomatoes and kapia peppers, like last year, plus some basil next to it. What fish did you catch this morning?

Ioana Stan

Yes, Ioana, I also come from shift thinking about my son who has exams and the pots on the fire, but everything changes in the pew. This year my basil grew tall, I put it next to the cherry tree in the yard. What soup do you make for the grandparents, also with dumplings?