On the August 13 edition of Morning Air, Ashley Noronha joined John Morales to reflect on Pope Leo XIV’s general audience from earlier that day. Because of the intense summer heat in Rome, the audience was moved indoors. The Holy Father’s catechesis focused on a passage from Mark 14 recounting the Last Supper. In this moment, Jesus tells His friends, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”
Pope Leo noted how the Lord’s words were not an outburst of anger. He did not shout, point fingers, or rebuke anyone. Instead, His statement became an invitation for the apostles to look within themselves. One by one, they responded, “Surely, it is not I,” revealing an honest self-examination prompted by their Master’s calm yet piercing truth.
The Holy Father reminded the faithful that belief in Christ does not shield us from temptation or the risk of sin. Faith, however, shows us the sure path out of sin through God’s mercy. In this sense, every Christian has, in some way, betrayed the Lord through personal sin. Yet Jesus does not react as the world often does when offended. He is never scandalized by our failings. Evil does not have the final word for the one who repents. As long as we turn back to Him in sincerity, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are restored.
Pope Leo called on the Church to follow the example of the apostles in the Upper Room. Each of us should ask with humility, “Surely, it is not I, Lord?” This is not a question born of despair but of honest self-awareness before God. We must not fall into condemning ourselves or becoming paralyzed by guilt. Instead, we are to make a deliberate effort to examine our souls, acknowledge where we have strayed, and, if necessary, make amends.
By doing so, our hearts remain open to Christ’s love. The Pope stressed that reconciliation with God is not merely a removal of guilt but a return to communion with the One who loves us perfectly. Each confession becomes an act of trust, a declaration that we believe His mercy is greater than our weakness. In this way, even the sting of betrayal can be transformed into an occasion for grace.
The audience concluded with a call to vigilance and hope. Our examination of conscience should be a daily practice, not out of fear, but in order to protect the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit within us. Just as the apostles searched their hearts that night in Jerusalem, so too should we, trusting that Christ desires not to condemn but to restore. In His presence, evil is never victorious. For the one who returns to Him, there is always a place at His table.