Pope Francis: ‘True wealth is being loved by God’

Vatican City, Oct 13, 2024 / 11:12 am

Happiness is not found in material things but in God himself, who shows us the joy found in making our lives a gift for others, Pope Francis said in his Sunday Angelus address.

“Let us remember this: True wealth is not the goods of this world. True wealth is being loved by God and learning to love like him,” Francis said Oct. 13.

Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace, the pope reflected on how many people “carry in [their] hearts an irrepressible need for happiness and for a life full of meaning.”

“However,” he added, “we can fall into the illusion of thinking that the answer is found in the possession of material things and earthly securities.”

“Jesus wants to bring us back to the truth of our desires and to make us discover that, in reality, the goodness we yearn for is God himself, his love for us and the eternal life that he and he alone can give us.”

The pope offered this reflection in response to the Sunday Gospel reading from Chapter 10 of the Gospel of Mark, which will be read aloud in every Roman Catholic church around the world at Mass this Sunday.

The Gospel tells the story of a rich man who knelt before Jesus and asked him: “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Pope Francis noted that although this man “has many riches, he is dissatisfied. He feels restlessness inside. He is searching for a fuller life.”

“As the sick and the possessed often do, [the rich man] throws himself at the Master’s feet; he is rich yet in need of healing,” the pope said. “Jesus looks at him with love and then proposes a ‘therapy’ — sell everything he has, give it to the poor, and follow him.” The Gospel recounts that the rich man went away sad because he had many possessions.

Jesus was trying to help the man realize that “true wealth is being looked at with love by the Lord — this is great wealth,” Pope Francis explained. 

“And loving each other by making our lives a gift for others,” he added. 

“Selling everything to give it to the poor means stripping ourselves of … our false securities, paying attention to those in need and sharing our possessions — not just things, but what we are — our talents, our friendship, our time, and so on,” he said.

Pope Francis encouraged people to pray for the intercession of the Virgin Mary “to help us discover the treasure of life in Jesus.”

Appeal for peace

After praying the Angelus prayer in Latin and offering his blessing to the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the pope renewed his call for an immediate cease-fire in the Middle East, urging all parties to halt violence and seek peace through dialogue.

“I am close to all the populations involved, in Palestine, Israel, and Lebanon, where I ask that the United Nations peacekeeping forces be respected,” he said. 

The pope offered prayers for victims of the conflict, displaced persons, and the hostages, calling for their swift release. He condemned the cycle of hatred and revenge fueling the violence, describing war as “an illusion” and “a defeat for everyone, especially for those who believe they are invincible.”

“Stop, please!” he urged, emphasizing that war will “never bring peace” nor “security.”

Pope Francis broadened his appeal to include other regions facing violence, including Ukraine, where he called for an end to air attacks on civilians and the protection of those most vulnerable as the weather turns cold, “so that the Ukrainians are not left to freeze to death.” 

He also spoke about the escalating violence in Haiti, where citizens are fleeing their homes due to gang violence, and he urged the international community to support peace and reconciliation efforts in the country.

“Let us never forget our Haitian brothers and sisters,” the pope said, praying for an end to violence and a defense of the dignity and rights of all.

(Story continues below)

The pope also highlighted a global prayer initiative scheduled for Oct. 18, organized by the Aid to the Church in Need foundation, which asks 1 million children to recite the rosary for peace. 

Noting that this Sunday marks the anniversary of the last apparition of Our Lady of Fátima, Pope Francis entrusted to the intercession of the Virgin Mary “tormented Ukraine, Myanmar, Sudan, and the other populations suffering from the war and every form of violence and misery.”