Santo Domingo.– On the occasion of the beginning of the season of Lent, the Catholic Church invites the faithful to live a period of reflection, penance and spiritual renewal, in line with the message of Pope Leo XIV for this year, entitled “Listen and fast. Lent as a time of conversion”, according to the press release from the Holy See.
In his message, the holy father remembers that Lent is a privileged time to once again put God at the center of personal and community life.
He points out that this spiritual itinerary constitutes an opportunity to hear the voice of the Lord and renew the decision to follow Christ, symbolically accompanying him on the path to Jerusalem.
The pope exhorts the faithful to ask for the grace of living a Lent that makes their ears more attentive to God and the needs of others, allowing the person to allow themselves to be instructed by the Lord and learn to listen like him.
In his reflection, the pontiff highlights two practices: listening, explaining that giving space to the word of God is essential, since the willingness to listen is the first sign of the desire to enter into a relationship with others and with God. Regarding fasting, he affirms that it constitutes a concrete practice that prepares the heart to welcome the word.
The call
— To take care of the language
Leo XIV calls for taking care of language and human relationships, inviting people to refrain from using words that harm or harm others. He highlights that Lent should also be a space to build.
