Pope Leo: Going to Church on Sunday Isn’t Enough

At his Wednesday audience, Pope Leo stressed that Christianity is lived out in daily deeds of love, not just by warming a pew on Sunday.

Sunday isn’t enough — Pope Leo is asking Christians to live out their faith full time.

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Pope Leo is making it clear that being a Christian is a full-time calling, not a weekend pastime.

In his general audience this past Wednesday, he challenged the faithful not to treat faith as a Sunday-only sport.

The Eucharist may be the “source and summit” of Christian life, but Pope Leo stressed that it can’t stop at the church door.

“The Eucharist is not celebrated only at the altar, but also in daily life,” he explained, meaning that every day of the week is an opportunity to live out the gratitude and self-giving the Mass teaches.

If you’re only holy for one hour on Sunday and a jerk to your neighbor by Monday, you’ve missed the point entirely.

Leo’s catechesis reflected on how Jesus prepared the Last Supper for his disciples even as they faltered. Christ didn’t ask if his followers were worthy before kneeling to wash their feet and offering himself — he just loved them.

This, the pope said, is how we need to “prepare” for God in our lives: not with showy displays or unrealistic “illusions” of piety, but by removing selfish clutter from our hearts and making room for genuine love.

Pope Leo reminds us: wearing devotion on the outside doesn’t mean it’s real inside.

True Christian preparation isn’t about fancy ceremonies or perfect piety; it’s about everyday acts of sacrifice and kindness that make an encounter with God possible.

That message couldn’t be more timely. In an age of MAGA-hat Christianity — where some parade faith as a political performance — Pope Leo is drawing us back to basics.

Case in point: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spent this week publicly cozying up to a self-proclaimed Christian nationalist pastor as if draping religion in extremism proves devotion.

But Leo’s point is that real faith is measured not by Instagrammable piety or partisan posturing, but by humble service and love.

Going to church on Sunday is a start, not a finish line.

If we aren’t striving to love our neighbors, forgive those who wrong us, and help those in need the rest of the week, have we truly understood what we celebrate on Sunday?

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