The Successor of Peter traditionally writes a letter for the start of Lent, giving certain guidelines to the 1.4 billion Catholics for this season of preparation for Easter.
This year, 9 months into his pontificate, Pope Leo has written his first Lent letter.
The letter has only 12 paragraphs, and we suggest that you take a few minutes to read it in its entirety (it’s two pages printed, and you can take it to Mass tomorrow and arrive 5 minutes early and you’ll have it read).
But, to help us go deeper, and acknowledging that so many of us are too busy, we offer a few key points. Start with skimming the summaries in blue and bold, and as time permits, take time to read the reflection of each section.
Overall goal of Lent: Place the mystery of God back at the center of our lives
With just one phrase, Pope Leo reminds us of something important: The Church offers us Lent because the Church is our mother. It is one of those motherly gifts which might seem less-than-appealing, but which is truly good for us.
And, there will be a good consequence to living a good Lent: our hearts won’t be consumed with anxiety and distraction. We all feel the need for this!
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.
Conversion always includes 1 thing: The Word of God
In order to turn toward God — conversion literally means a “turning toward” — we need the Word of God. How can you incorporate welcoming and accepting God’s Word this Lent? That is the key to transformation.
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.
A Pope Leo favorite: Focus on listening (and a great insight about God)
Readers of Aleteia will know that we’ve found a thread already in Pope Leo’s pontificate: A focus on the importance of listening.
For Lent, he is again emphasizing this point. The Lenten letter has three sections, and one of them is listening
He invites us to listen to God’s Word, and recalls that listening is the first way we show we want a relationship with someone.
But then, the Pope makes a really interesting observation. Listening is actually a way to imitate God. Leo says that the burning bush account shows that “God himself teaches us that listening is one of his defining characteristics.” Would you have defined God as the “one who listens?” Reflect on that.
Who does God listen to? He listens to me. He listens to the cry of the suffering.
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.
To get fasting right The food part is just a small part
Pope Leo even links fasting to the Word of God. He says “fasting is a concrete way to prepare ourselves to receive the word of God.”
“Those who are unable to nourish themselves with the word of God do not fast properly.”
But, importantly, he also links fasting to how we treat others: not just because we grow in an ability to resist our selfishness, but because it keeps “our hunger and thirst for justice alive and free(s) us from complacency.”
Referring to St. Augustine, he says that fasting not only permits us to govern our desire … but also to expand it “so that it is directed towards God and doing good.”
His 1 concrete suggestion Watch your words
The Pope’s main, practical suggestion — and check out all the settings he points out:
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.
God’s Word and fasting: Not just for and about me
Finally, the Pope emphasizes the community aspect of Lent: “conversion refers not only to one’s conscience, but also to the quality of our relationships and dialogue.”
[O]ur 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.
He concludes with 3 invitations to prayer:
Greater attentiveness (to God and others)
Strength (that comes from fasting, also fasting from hurtful words)
Striving (to make communities welcoming and listening leading to civilization of love)
Read (and/or print) the letter here