On Morning Air, Rome correspondent Ashley Noronha joined John Morales to reflect on Pope Leo XIV’s Wednesday General Audience from October 8. Continuing his catechesis on the Paschal Mystery, the Holy Father turned his attention to the Resurrection, inviting the faithful to see in it not a display of divine might, but the quiet triumph of love and humility.
Pope Leo reminded the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square that the Risen Christ did not return in splendor or spectacle. He appeared as a stranger on the road, as a gardener at the tomb, and as a companion at a simple table. The glory of His resurrection was revealed not through power, but through presence. Christ chose to draw near to His followers in their confusion and fear, meeting them with familiarity rather than astonishment. This closeness, the Pope noted, is a lesson for all believers: grace is often hidden within the ordinary gestures of life, sanctified when carried out in love.
Reflecting on the Gospel story of the road to Emmaus, the Holy Father recalled how two disheartened disciples encountered the Risen Lord without recognizing Him. As they walked, Jesus opened their eyes to the truth that pain and suffering can become the very path through which God discloses the fullness of His mercy. What seemed like defeat became the foundation of hope. Their hearts, once burdened by despair, were set ablaze by His words.
Through this mystery, Pope Leo emphasized, we are reminded that no one is ever beyond redemption. No sin is too heavy, and no night too long for God’s mercy to reach. Every life can be renewed when entrusted to the tenderness of Christ. The resurrection assures us that failure and loss do not have the final word.
The Pope concluded by encouraging all Christians to ask the Lord for the grace to recognize His gentle and hidden presence in daily life. We should not pray for a world without suffering, but for the ability to see how suffering can be transformed into communion with God. Just as the disciples discovered Christ in their discouragement, so too are we invited to find Him walking quietly beside us—in our trials, our work, our families, and our moments of uncertainty.
In the humility of the Risen Christ, Pope Leo said, we discover the pattern for our own lives: to love without seeking recognition, to serve without expecting reward, and to trust that the smallest acts of faithfulness can reveal the greatness of God.