Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to resist hatred and remain faithful to Christ’s way of love during Mass at the Church of Maria Santissima del Lago in Castel Gandolfo on August 29th.

The Holy Father reflected on the Gospel account of Jesus walking on the water, using the disciples’ struggle against the storm as an image of Christian life. When suffering, violence, and division create “contrary winds,” Christians are called to trust the Lord rather than surrender to fear or discouragement.

The Pope connected this lesson to Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. After performing miracles and feeding the crowds, Jesus prepared His disciples for His Passion, teaching them that His mission would reach its fulfillment through self-giving love.

Pope Leo emphasized that Christians are called to follow the same path. Even when confronted with injustice, hatred and violence cannot bring lasting good. Instead, they produce further destruction and allow evil to take root within the human person.

The Pope encouraged the faithful not to allow wrongdoing or injury to corrupt their own humanity. Families, communities, and nations all need hope and peace, and forgiveness should not be dismissed as weakness. Faith in God offers another way forward, one grounded in charity and communion.

Pope Leo also praised simple expressions of devotion passed down through generations. Such traditions, he explained, can strengthen faith by bringing communities together in prayer and directing them toward Jesus and Mary.

Following Mass, the Holy Father joined the traditional procession honoring Our Lady of the Lake. The statue was carried through the streets before being taken onto Lake Albano.

Pope Leo then boarded the Falco alongside the Marian image, becoming the first Pope to participate in the historic procession on the lake itself.