Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV called on Christians around the world to use the Lenten season as a time of purification, renewal and spiritual growth, saying the journey toward Easter is an opportunity to allow God to transform their lives into “unique masterpieces.”
Speaking during his Sunday Angelus address on the first Sunday of Lent, the Pope reflected on the Gospel account of Jesus’ forty days in the desert and His temptation by the devil. He noted that Christ experienced hunger, weakness and temptation, sharing fully in the human struggle.
By resisting evil, Pope said, Jesus shows that every person can overcome temptation and deception in their own lives.
Pope described Lent as a luminous path that helps believers renew their cooperation with God. Through prayer, fasting and almsgiving, he said, the faithful can allow the Lord to cleanse their hearts, heal the wounds caused by sin and help their lives blossom in love.
He acknowledged that the journey can be demanding and that people are often tempted by easier paths that promise satisfaction but leave them restless and empty. Such temptations, he explained, are poor substitutes for the true joy for which humanity was created.
Quoting the teaching of Saint Paul VI, Pope said penance does not diminish human dignity but enriches and strengthens it, helping believers grow in love and surrender to God. While penance reveals human limitations, it also gives strength to overcome them and deepen communion with God and others.
Pope encouraged Catholics to practice penance generously, along with prayer and works of mercy. He urged people to create moments of silence by turning off televisions, radios and mobile phones in order to meditate on the Word of God, receive the sacraments and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
He also called on families and communities to listen to one another and to show special care for those who are alone, especially the elderly, the poor and the sick.
Pope noted that by giving up what is unnecessary and sharing the savings with those in need, believers can make their prayer more authentic and fruitful.
Concluding his message, Pope Leo entrusted the Lenten journey of the faithful to the care of the Virgin Mary, asking her to support Christians in times of trial and guide them toward spiritual renewal.