The Gospel of the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time in the words of the Popes

The liturgy of the day. Sunday 25 October 2026, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40. First reading: Exodus 22:20-26; Psalm 18; second reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10 (Vatican News, Word of the day).

The Gospel. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." (Mt 22:36-40).

Pope Benedict XVI. "Before being a command — love is not a command — it is a gift, a reality that God allows us to know and experience, so that, like a seed, it can also germinate within us and develop throughout our life." And: "Love of God and love of neighbour are inseparable and are mutually related." Angelus, St Peter's Square, 4 November 2012, on the parallel in Mark (vatican.va).

Pope Francis, 2020. "Moral and religious life cannot be reduced to anxious or forced obedience, but must have love as its precept." And: "What is not expressed in love of neighbour is not true love of God; and, likewise, what is not drawn from one's relationship with God is not true love of neighbour." Angelus, St Peter's Square, 25 October 2020 (vatican.va).

Pope Francis, 2023. "You cannot truly love others if you do not have this root, which is God's love, Jesus' love." And he recalls Mother Teresa's words: "I only wanted to be a drop of clean water, through which God's love could shine." Angelus, St Peter's Square, 29 October 2023 (vatican.va).

For prayer. In the words of Pope Francis: "You cannot truly love others if you do not have this root, which is God's love" (Angelus, 29 October 2023). Tomorrow at noon Pope Leo XIV prays the Angelus from the Apostolic Palace.

#LeoXIV #SundayGospel