Pope Leo’s recent visit to Spain left us with much to ponder and pray about. He visited Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands, but the words that have most touched me personally were his responses to the testimonies of the young people at the prayer vigil in Barcelona, and his concluding homily.

                  A young man shared his journey of conversion and being baptized this past Easter, and ended by asking the Holy Father: “How can we keep our gaze lifted up toward what really matters, when society pressures us constantly to look at the ground or only at ourselves? How can we discover our true vocation in the midst of this strong current?”

                  The Pope thanked him for sharing this story and expressed his joy in taking “this significant step”. Then, he made reference to our experience of thirst, which we may try to satisfy with finite things, but “our deepest thirst will only be quenched by a different kind of water.” To encounter this water we must “cultivate that healthy sense of restlessness,” resisting the urge to numb it with profit, performance, success, self-image, and other forms of modern idolatry that serve as anesthetics. We need to “look within… cultivate moments of silence, and walk this inner path with others.”  This will allow us to discover God’s footprints in our current reality. (Dialogue of the Holy Father with Young People, June 9, 2026)

                  The theme of looking back to discover God’s footprints in our lives, how he was present in all that has happened to us, has a long tradition in salvation history. Often, we are not able to behold God’s glory, how he was present and at work, until he has passed, and we are able to see it in retrospect. Moses asked God, “If I have found favor in thy sight… show me thy glory,” to which God replies, “You cannot see my face… I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by, then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back” (Ex 33: 17–23). Perhaps this image of seeing God’s back is a spiritual experience for all of us. It builds up our confidence, and we are able to face the present realities of our lives with greater theological hope. This prayer of “remembering the good things the Lord has done” (Ps 77:11) provides us comfort and hope.

Yours in the heart of Jesus,

Glory Darbellay