The claim of Pope Leo XIV's apostolic journey to Spain comes from the Gospel of John (4:35). Biblical context, verse and why the Spanish Episcopal Conference chose it.
The official motto of Pope Leo XIV's apostolic journey to Spain (6-12 June 2026) comes from a verse in the Gospel of John.
«¿No decís vosotros: "Cuatro meses más y llega la siega"? Pues bien, yo os digo: Alzad la mirada y contemplad los campos, que ya están dorados para la siega.»
Where: Jesús y la samaritana en el pozo de Sicar (Samaria)
Jesús, camino de Galilea, pasa por Samaria y se detiene junto al pozo de Jacob, cerca del pueblo de Sicar. Cansado del viaje, se sienta al borde del pozo alrededor del mediodía. Una mujer samaritana llega a sacar agua y se entabla un diálogo profundo sobre el agua viva, la verdadera adoración y la identidad mesiánica de Jesús. Cuando la mujer vuelve al pueblo para anunciar lo que ha vivido, los discípulos regresan con comida. Es entonces, viendo a los samaritanos acercarse en grupo hacia Jesús, cuando Él pronuncia las palabras: «Alzad la mirada y contemplad los campos, que ya están dorados para la siega» (Jn 4, 35).
La frase usa una imagen agrícola familiar para los oyentes del siglo I: cuatro meses separan la siembra de la siega. Pero Jesús invierte el tiempo ordinario al ver a los samaritanos acercarse: la mies —la humanidad lista para recibir el Evangelio— ya está madura, aunque parezca demasiado pronto.
No es sólo una observación agrícola. Es una llamada a los discípulos —y a la Iglesia en cada época— a no posponer la misión, a no mirarse los pies, a reconocer que la humanidad entera está esperando el encuentro con Cristo. "Alzar la mirada" significa salir de uno mismo, del pesimismo, del "aún no es el momento", y entrar en la urgencia evangelizadora.
Griego koiné
Ἐπάρατε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν
«οὐχ ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι Ἔτι τετράμηνός ἐστιν καὶ ὁ θερισμὸς ἔρχεται; ἰδοὺ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐπάρατε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν καὶ θεάσασθε τὰς χώρας ὅτι λευκαί εἰσιν πρὸς θερισμόν.»
Novum Testamentum Graece (Nestle-Aland 28 ed.)
Latín (Vulgata)
Levate oculos vestros
«Nonne vos dicitis: "Adhuc quattuor menses sunt et messis venit"? Ecce dico vobis: Levate oculos vestros et videte regiones, quia albae sunt iam ad messem.»
Vulgata Clementina (Vg)
Spain is going through an accelerated process of dechristianisation. "Lift up your eyes" invites Spanish Catholics —and society as a whole— not to be reduced to resignation or apathy, but to recognise the signs of hope and the maturity of the evangelising mission even in an environment perceived as hostile.
The motto connects with the magisterium of Pope Leo XIV: to look beyond the short economic, technological and political term to attend to the real needs of people. "Lifting up the eyes" is the gesture that today's social question demands in the face of artificial intelligence, migration and inequality.
The passage takes place in Samaria, outside Judea, with a woman —a foreigner— as the first missionary of her people. Leo XIV's visit includes the Canary Islands because of their status as an Atlantic migratory gateway: the Samaritan echo of the passage takes on a very concrete pastoral force.
The phrase is brief, easy to remember and can be interpreted both in terms of personal prayer ("look up, ask with hope") and community prayer (looking together at the harvest). Its very simplicity makes it translatable into 9 languages without losing force.
Unlike more abstract mottos, "Lift up your eyes" generates an immediate image —raising one's eyes— that works as a visual sign on posters, logos and audiovisuals. The Spanish Episcopal Conference has adopted this image as the graphic sign of the visit.
Español
«Alzad la mirada»
«¿No decís vosotros: "Cuatro meses más y llega la siega"? Pues bien, yo os digo: Alzad la mirada y contemplad los campos, que ya están dorados para la siega.»
English
«Lift up your eyes»
«Do you not say, "Four months more and then the harvest"? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.»
Italiano
«Alzate gli occhi»
«Non dite voi: "Ancora quattro mesi e poi viene la mietitura"? Ecco, io vi dico: alzate i vostri occhi e guardate i campi, che già biondeggiano per la mietitura.»
Français
«Levez les yeux»
«Ne dites-vous pas: "Encore quatre mois et viendra la moisson"? Eh bien, je vous dis: Levez les yeux et regardez les champs: ils sont blancs pour la moisson.»
Deutsch
«Erhebt eure Augen»
«Sagt ihr nicht: Noch vier Monate, dann kommt die Ernte? Seht, ich sage euch: Erhebt eure Augen und schaut, die Felder sind weiß, reif zur Ernte.»
Português
«Levantai os olhos»
«Não dizeis vós: "Quatro meses e virá a ceifa"? Pois eu digo-vos: Levantai os vossos olhos e vede como os campos estão brancos para a ceifa.»
Català
«Alceu els ulls»
«No dieu vosaltres: "Encara falten quatre mesos perquè arribi la sega"? Jo us dic: Alceu els ulls i mireu els camps, que ja són rossos a punt per a la sega.»
Galego
«Erguei os ollos»
«Non dicides vós: "Catro meses máis e chega a sega"? Pois eu dígovos: Erguei os ollos e contemplade os campos, que xa están dourados para a sega.»
Euskara
«Jaso begiak»
«Ez duzue esaten: "Oraindik lau hilabete, eta uzta bilduko dugu"? Bada, nik diotsuet: Jaso begiak eta ikus itzazue soroak: horia dira uzta biltzeko.»
Benedict XVI · 2011 · WYD Madrid
«Rooted and built up in Christ, firm in the faith (Col 2:7)»
Benedict XVI · 2010 · Santiago and Barcelona
«Pilgrims in faith / Dedication of the Sagrada Familia»
John Paul II · 2003 · Madrid
«Canonisation of five Spaniards»
John Paul II · 1989 · WYD Santiago de Compostela
«I am the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6)»
John Paul II · 1982 · First visit to Spain
«Witness of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God»
The motto comes from the Gospel of John, chapter 4, verse 35 (Jn 4:35). It is a phrase spoken by Jesus to his disciples at Jacob's well, in Samaria, during the encounter with the Samaritan woman. The full version is: "Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, which are already ripe for harvest."
It is a call to hope and evangelising mission. It invites the Spanish to recognise that, despite dechristianisation or cultural pessimism, humanity is "ripe for harvest": ready to receive the Gospel. The motto encourages looking beyond the short term, going out of oneself and opening one's eyes to the real needs of one's neighbour.
It was chosen by the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) in collaboration with the host dioceses (Madrid, Barcelona, Canary Islands and Tenerife), and approved by the Secretariat of State of the Holy See before becoming official. It is traditional for the episcopal conference of the receiving country to propose the motto to the Pope.
In the Gospel of John, chapter 4, verse 35. The context is the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, near the town of Sychar. After speaking with the Samaritan woman, Jesus turns to his disciples and says: "Do you not say: 'Four more months and harvest comes'? Well, I tell you: Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, which are already ripe for harvest."
In Spanish: "Alzad la mirada". In Italian: "Alzate gli occhi". In French: "Levez les yeux". In German: "Erhebt eure Augen". In Portuguese: "Levantai os olhos". In Catalan: "Alceu els ulls". In Galician: "Erguei os ollos". In Basque: "Jaso begiak". In Latin (Vulgate): "Levate oculos vestros". In Koine Greek (original): "Ἐπάρατε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν".
WYD Madrid 2011 had "Rooted and built up in Christ, firm in the faith" (Col 2:7). WYD Santiago 1989 had "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (Jn 14:6). John Paul II's first visit in 1982 had "Witness of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God". Each motto reflects the historical and ecclesial context of the moment.