Dear brothers and sisters ,

Today we focus on a scene that marks the beginning of Jesus' Passion: the moment of his arrest in the Garden of Olives. The evangelist John, with his usual depth, does not present a frightened Jesus, fleeing or hiding. Instead, he shows us a free man, who steps forward and speaks, facing head-on the hour when the light of the greatest love can be revealed.

"Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went forward and said to them, 'Whom are you looking for?'" ( Jn 18:4). Jesus knows. However, he decides not to retreat. He surrenders. Not out of weakness, but out of love. A love so full, so mature, that it does not fear rejection. Jesus is not taken: he lets himself be taken. He is not the victim of an arrest, but the author of a gift. This gesture embodies a hope of salvation for our humanity: knowing that, even in the darkest hour, we can remain free to love to the end.

When Jesus answers, "I am he," the soldiers fall to the ground. This is a mysterious passage, since this expression, in biblical revelation, recalls the very name of God: "I am." Jesus reveals that God's presence manifests itself precisely where humanity experiences injustice, fear, and loneliness. Precisely there, the true light is willing to shine without fear of being overwhelmed by the advancing darkness.

In the dead of night, when everything seems to be falling apart, Jesus shows that Christian hope is not evasion, but determination. This attitude is the fruit of a profound prayer in which we ask God not to be spared from suffering, but to have the strength to persevere in love, knowing that life freely offered for love cannot be taken from us by anyone.

"If you seek me, let these men go their way" ( John 18:8). At the moment of his arrest, Jesus isn't concerned with saving himself: he only wants his friends to be free. This shows that his sacrifice is a true act of love. Jesus allows himself to be captured and imprisoned by the guards only so that they can set his disciples free.

Jesus lived every day of his life as preparation for this dramatic and sublime hour. Therefore, when it arrives, he has the strength not to seek escape. His heart knows well that losing one's life for love is not a failure, but possesses a mysterious fruitfulness. Like the grain of wheat that, falling to the ground, is not left alone, but dies and becomes fruitful.

Even Jesus is troubled by a path that seems to lead only to death and the end. But he is equally convinced that only a life lost for love is ultimately found. This is where true hope lies: not in trying to avoid pain, but in believing that, even in the heart of the most unjust suffering, lies the seed of a new life.

And what about us? How often do we defend our lives, our plans, our certainties, without realizing that, in doing so, we remain alone. The logic of the Gospel is different: only what is given flourishes, only love that becomes gratuitous can restore faith even where all seems lost.

The Gospel of Mark also tells us of a young man who, when Jesus is arrested, runs away naked ( Mark 14:51). It is an enigmatic but profoundly evocative image. We too, in attempting to follow Jesus, experience moments when we are caught off guard and stripped of our certainties. These are the most difficult moments, when we are tempted to abandon the path of the Gospel because love seems an impossible journey. Yet, it is precisely a young man, at the end of the Gospel, who announces the resurrection to the women, no longer naked, but dressed in a white robe.

This is the hope of our faith: our sins and our hesitations do not prevent God from forgiving us and restoring in us the desire to resume our following, to enable us to give our lives for others.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us too learn to surrender ourselves to the good will of the Father, allowing our lives  be a response to the good we have received. Life doesn't need to have everything under control. It's enough to choose to love freely every day. This is true hope: knowing that, even in the darkness of trial, God's love sustains us and allows the fruit of eternal life to mature within us.

Last Friday, we accompanied our brothers and sisters suffering because of war with prayer and fasting . Today, I return to make a strong appeal to both the parties involved and the international community to end the conflict in the Holy Land, which has caused so much terror, destruction, and death.

I implore that all hostages be released, a permanent ceasefire be reached, the safe entry of humanitarian aid be facilitated, and humanitarian law be fully respected, in particular the obligation to protect civilians and the prohibitions on collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations. I join in the Joint Declaration of the Greek Orthodox and Latin Patriarchs of Jerusalem , who yesterday called for "an end to this spiral of violence, an end to the war, and a priority for the common good of the people."

Let us implore Mary, Queen of Peace, source of consolation and hope: may her intercession obtain reconciliation and peace in that land so dear to all!

I am happy to welcome, this morning, the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors, especially those from England, Ireland, Scotland, Malta, South Africa, Indonesia, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, Canada and the United States of America.  With prayerful good wishes that the present Jubilee of Hope may be for you and your families a time of grace and spiritual renewal, I invoke upon you all the joy and the peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Finally, my thoughts turn to the young people, the sick, and newlyweds. Look with indomitable trust to Christ, light in difficulties, support in trials, and guide in every moment of human existence.

My blessing to everyone!

27.08.25