On the eve of Ash Wednesday—which this year marks the beginning of Lent on February 18—Pope Leo XIV released his annual message for this liturgical season of preparation for Easter. Under the theme “Listen and Fast: Lent as a Time of Conversion,” the American pontiff—the first in the history of the Church—proposes a spiritual journey that unites the docile reception of the Word of God with concrete practices of austerity and solidarity.

The Holy Father reminds us that “Lent is the time when the Church, with maternal solicitude, invites us to place the mystery of God once again at the center of our lives.” He emphasizes that every path of authentic conversion begins with listening: “There is a link between the gift of the Word of God, the space of hospitality we offer it, and the transformation it brings about.”

Leo XIV dedicates a special section to  listening , presenting it as the first sign of relationship with others and with God. Citing the episode of the burning bush, he emphasizes that God “has seen the oppression of my people […] and has heard their cries of anguish” (Ex 3:7). This divine listening translates today into attending to suffering and injustice: among the many voices that surround us, the Scriptures teach us to recognize “the voice that cries out from suffering and injustice.” The Pope quotes verbatim a phrase that summarizes the prophetic core of the message:  “The condition of the poor represents a cry that, in the history of humanity, constantly challenges our lives, our societies, our political and economic systems, and especially the Church . ”

In the section dedicated to  fasting , the Pope presents it as an ascetic exercise that engages the body to discern true “appetites” and keep alive “the hunger and thirst for justice.” Drawing on St. Augustine, he explains that fasting purifies and expands the desire for God and the good of one’s neighbor. However, he warns against pride and reminds us that “one does not truly fast who does not know how to nourish oneself on the Word of God.”

One of the most innovative and concrete proposals is to extend the fast to language: “I would like to invite you to a very concrete form of abstinence […]: abstaining from using words that affect and hurt our neighbor.” The Pope urges us to “disarm language,” renouncing immediate judgments, gossip, slander, and hurtful words—especially on social media, in political debates, and in Christian communities—to make way for “words of hope and peace.”

Finally, Leo XIV highlights the  communal dimension  of Lent, recalling the example of the people in the Book of Nehemiah who listen to the Law and fast together to renew the covenant. He invites parishes, families, and ecclesial groups to share this journey, making listening to the cry of the poor and the earth a common way of life.

The message concludes with a prayer and blessing: “Let us ask for the grace to live a Lent that makes our ear more attentive to God and to those most in need. Let us ask for the strength of a fast that also extends to our tongues […]. And let us commit ourselves to making our communities places where the cry of those who suffer finds welcome […], making us more willing and diligent to contribute to building the civilization of love.”

Listening and Fasting:
Lent as a Time of Conversion

 

Dear brothers and sisters,

Lent is a time in which the Church, guided by a sense of maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life.

Every path towards conversion begins by allowing the word of God to touch our hearts and welcoming it with a docile spirit. There is a relationship between the word, our acceptance of it and the transformation it brings about.  For this reason, the Lenten journey is a welcome opportunity to heed the voice of the Lord and renew our commitment to following Christ, accompanying him on the road to Jerusalem, where the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection will be fulfilled.

Listening

This year, I would first like to consider the importance of making room for the word through listening. The willingness to listen is the first way we demonstrate our desire to enter into relationship with someone.

In revealing himself to Moses in the burning bush, God himself teaches us that listening is one of his defining characteristics: “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry” (Ex 3:7). Hearing the cry of the oppressed is the beginning of a story of liberation in which the Lord calls Moses, sending him to open a path of salvation for his children who have been reduced to slavery.

Our God is one who seeks to involve us. Even today he shares with us what is in his heart.  Because of this, listening to the word in the liturgy teaches us to listen to the truth of reality. In the midst of the many voices present in our personal lives and in society, Sacred Scripture helps us to recognize and respond to the cry of those who are anguished and suffering. In order to foster this inner openness to listening, we must allow God to teach us how to listen as he does. We must recognize that “the condition of the poor is a cry that, throughout human history, constantly challenges our lives, societies, political and economic systems, and, not least, the Church.” [1]

Fasting

If Lent is a time for listening, fasting is a concrete way to prepare ourselves to receive the word of God. Abstaining from food is an ancient ascetic practice that is essential on the path of conversion. Precisely because it involves the body, fasting makes it easier to recognize what we “hunger” for and what we deem necessary for our sustenance. Moreover, it helps us to identify and order our “appetites,” keeping our hunger and thirst for justice alive and freeing us from complacency. Thus, it teaches us to pray and act responsibly towards our neighbor.

With spiritual insight, Saint Augustine helps us to understand the tension between the present moment and the future fulfilment that characterizes this custody of the heart. He observes that: “In the course of earthly life, it is incumbent upon men and women to hunger and thirst for justice, but to be satisfied belongs to the next life. Angels are satisfied with this bread, this food.  The human race, on the other hand, hungers for it; we are all drawn to it in our desire. This reaching out in desire expands the soul and increases its capacity.” [2] Understood in this way, fasting not only permits us to govern our desire, purifying it and making it freer, but also to expand it, so that it is directed towards God and doing good.

However, in order to practice fasting in accordance with its evangelical character and avoid the temptation that leads to pride, it must be lived in faith and humility. It must be grounded in communion with the Lord, because “those who are unable to nourish themselves with the word of God do not fast properly.” [3] As a visible sign of our inner commitment to turn away from sin and evil with the help of grace, fasting must also include other forms of self-denial aimed at helping us to acquire a more sober lifestyle, since “austerity alone makes the Christian life strong and authentic.” [4]

In this regard, I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.

Together

Finally, Lent emphasizes the communal aspect of listening to the word and fasting. The Bible itself underlines this dimension in multiple ways. For example, the Book of Nehemiah recounts how the people gathered to listen to the public reading of the Law, preparing to profess their faith and worship through fasting, so as to renew the covenant with God (cf. 9:1-3).

Likewise, our parishes, families, ecclesial groups and religious communities are called to undertake a shared journey during Lent, in which listening to the word of God, as well as to the cry of the poor and of the earth, becomes part of our community life, and fasting a foundation for sincere repentance.  In this context, conversion refers not only to one’s conscience, but also to the quality of our relationships and dialogue. It means allowing ourselves to be challenged by reality and recognizing what truly guides our desires — both within our ecclesial communities and as regards humanity’s thirst for justice and reconciliation.

Dear friends, let us ask for the grace of a Lent that leads us to greater attentiveness to God and to the least among us. Let us ask for the strength that comes from the type of fasting that also extends to our use of language, so that hurtful words may diminish and give way to a greater space for the voice of others. Let us strive to make our communities places where the cry of those who suffer finds welcome, and listening opens paths towards liberation, making us ready and eager to contribute to building a civilization of love.

I impart my heartfelt blessing upon all of you and your Lenten journey.

 

From the Vatican, 5 February 2026, Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

 

LEO PP. XIV

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[1] Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te (4 October 2025), 9.

[2] Augustine The Usefulness of Fasting, 1, 1.

[3] Benedict XVI, Catechesis (9 March 2011).

[4] Paul VI, Catechesis (8 February1978).