“God drives history, even if He sometimes seems distant or hidden,” – Pope Leo at First Audience

Vatican City, May 21, 2025: In his first General Audience as Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV continued with Pope Francis' Jubilee series on the theme of “Jesus Christ, Our Hope”. The new pope carried on with his predecessor's reflection on the parables of Jesus, which Pope Leo said “help us to rediscover hope because they show us how God acts in history.”

A Unique Parable

Pope Leo focused on the parable of the sower—“a rather unique parable, as it serves as a kind of introduction to all the others.” He pointed out how this story reveals how Jesus communicates, and it can give us guidance on how to proclaim the Gospel today.

While parables are taken from everyday life, their goal is to convey something more profound. They encourage us all to “raise questions within us; they invite us not to stop at appearances.”

Reflecting on the story, the Pope urged everyone to ask themselves two questions: Where am I in this story? What does this image say to my life?

A Sower Goes Out to Sow

In this parable of the sower, Pope Leo XIV explained that we can see God’s power and the impact it has on us.

“Every word of the Gospel is like a seed sown in the soil of our lives,” he shared, highlighting that the soil is not only our heart but also the world, the community, the Church.” There is no aspect of life that remains untouched by the Gospel.

People from all walks of life and backgrounds came out to listen to Jesus tell this parable. This shows us that “Jesus’ word is for everyone, but it works in each person differently,” which Pope Leo explained helps us understand the parable better. Each of us can draw something from the parable, no matter our situation in life.

Jesus is the Seed

In the story, where the seeds fall seems to be of little concern to the sower, which the Pope pointed out symbolises how God loves each and every one of us. “We are used to calculating and planning things, but love doesn’t work that way,” he said.

Pope Leo emphasised that God “scatters the seed of His word on every kind of soil—meaning, in every one of our situations.” Whether we receive it with enthusiasm, superficiality, or fear, God trusts that at one point or another the seed will bear fruit.

God “does not wait for us to become the best soil.” Rather, He gives us His word over and over again, and His word is Jesus.

Van Gogh and his sunset

Closing his reflection, Pope Leo XIV pondered Vincent van Gogh’s painting, The Sower at Sunset.

“What strikes me”, he shared, “is that, behind the sower, van Gogh painted the grain already ripe.” The Pope called this an image of hope that somehow the seed has borne fruit.

In the centre of the painting is the sun, not the sower, which reminds us that “God drives history, even if He sometimes seems distant or hidden.”

Remembering Pope Francis

Before praying the Our Father in Latin, Pope Leo XIV remembered his predecessor, Pope Francis, on the one-month anniversary of his passing.

“And we cannot conclude our encounter without remembering with such gratitude our beloved Pope Francis, who exactly one month ago returned to the house of Our Father.”

By Kielce Gussie

Courtesy: Vatican News