Today’s jewel: Confuse your enemies with your cheerfulness.
Today, Pope Leo XIV was presented with the round mosaic featuring his official papal portrait — the 267th papal portrait to be placed in the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls — which will be installed at the end of the right nave of the basilica. The presentation took place in the presence of Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, and Cardinal James Harvey, Archpriest of St. Paul Outside the Walls, along with the Abbot of St. Paul’s, the Right Reverend Donato Ogliari. The mosaic is composed of over 15,000 tiles, including some dating back to the 1800s. At the end of the presentation, the Holy Father invited all those present to join him in a moment of prayer before the image.
https://x.com/EWTNVatican/status/2011410300466074076
This is where it will be placed, in the black space to the left of Pope Francis. After Pope Leo’s mosaic is installed, there remain 10 empty spaces for “roundels.” (JFL photo)
POPE LEO’S MOSAIC PORTRAIT READY FOR BASILICA OF ST. PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS –
In keeping with tradition, the Vatican Mosaic Studio completes the mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV destined for the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, and reveals the work to the Pope before his Wednesday General Audience in the Vatican.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov (Vatican News)
The Vatican Mosaic Studio of the Fabric of Saint Peter has completed the mosaic medallion dedicated to Pope Leo XIV, the Holy See Press Office announced on Wednesday. In accordance with the ancient tradition that accompanies the election of every Pope, just over eight months after the election of Pope Leo XIV, the studio has completed the mosaic portrait destined for the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, at the request of the Basilica’s Archpriest, Cardinal James Michael Harvey.
The mosaic roundel, with a diameter of 137 centimeters, was created using glass enamels and gold on a metal structure at the studio of the Fabric of Saint Peter. The tesserae (individual pieces of glass or tile) were produced using the ancient cut-mosaic technique and were set with the traditional oil-based mastic of the Vatican tradition.
The execution of the work was based on a painted preparatory sketch by Master Rodolfo Papa—an oil on canvas of the same dimensions as the mosaic roundel—specifically conceived for its translation into mosaic.
The work will be installed in the space next to the portrait of Pope Francis, in the right nave of the Basilica, at a height of approximately 13 meters.
The painted sketch, on the other hand, will be preserved—together with the entire series of portraits of the Pontiffs—at the Fabric of Saint Peter in the Vatican
POPE AT AUDIENCE: VATICAN II CALLS US TO FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST
During his weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV continues his catechesis series on the Second Vatican Council, looking more closely at “one of the most beautiful and important of the Council,” namely the Dogmatic Constitution ‘Dei Verbum,’ on Divine Revelation.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov (Vatican News)
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends.”
Pope Leo XIV recalled Jesus’ words in the Gospel passage according to St. John during his Wednesday General Audience on January 14, as he continued his new catechesis series, which is dedicated to the Second Vatican Council and a rereading of its Documents.
READ POPE LEO’S FULL CATECHESIS HERE
Focusing on the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, on Divine Revelation, the Pope called it one of the most beautiful and importantDocuments of the Council.
The Holy Father noted that the text recalls Jesus’ invitation for us to be His friends.
“This is a fundamental point of Christian faith, which Dei Verbum reminds us of: Jesus Christ radically transforms man’s relationship with God, which is henceforth a relationship of friendship. Therefore, the only condition of the new covenant is love.”
God makes us sons and daughters
He acknowledged that we are not equal to God, and the relationship between God and humanity always remains asymmetrical, as we are only creatures of the Creator.
In spite of this, the Holy Father said, with the coming of the Son in human flesh, God’s Covenant opens up to His final purpose.
“In Jesus,” he said, “God makes us sons and daughters, and calls us to become like Him, albeit in our fragile humanity.”
With this in mind, Pope Leo reminded us of our need to listen, “so that the Divine Word may penetrate our minds and our hearts,” and also “to speak with God,” “not to communicate to Him what He already knows, but to reveal ourselves to ourselves.”
Must make time for prayer each day
This, he explained, is why prayer is so important for us to live and to cultivate friendship with the Lord. We do so first of all, he said, in liturgical and community prayer, “in which we do not decide what to hear from the Word of God, but it is He Himself who speaks to us through the Church.”
This liturgical prayer, he continued, is “achieved in personal prayer, which takes place in the interiority of the heart and mind.”
For these reasons, the Holy Father insisted, “time dedicated to prayer, meditation, and reflection cannot be lacking in the Christian’s day and week.”
Finally, Pope Leo XIV pointed out that we know from experience how friendships easily end through a ‘rupture’ or neglect.
“Jesus calls us to be friends,” he said. “Let us not leave this call unheeded.” By welcoming and caring for this relationship, the Holy Father insisted, “we will discover that friendship with God is our salvation.”
Joan's Rome 