Pope Leo invites us to develop a heart that listens
They outline the fundamental attitude of the disciple: one who listens to a master to learn and to act according to his example. Lent can be this time to “listen to the voice of the Lord and renew the decision to follow Christ,” the pope writes. In this learning, “listening to the Word of God in the liturgy educates us to a more authentic listening to reality”. Listening to the Word of God teaches us to hear the Good that we can do in the situations we encounter.
Trained at the school of Saint Augustine, Leo (…) This tension in desire expands the soul, increases its capacity.” The experience of lack of justice could make us sad or discouraged but, if experienced with the Lord, it enlarges our heart; without resigning ourselves to injustice, we find strength.
Fasting is one way to do this, the Pope recalls. What benchmarks does the Church give in this matter?
- every Friday in Lent, no meat and a simpler meal (what we call abstinence).
- on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, no meat and substantial deprivation of food (fasting).
The Church specifies that while abstinence concerns all faithful over the age of 14, fasting only concerns faithful under 60!
An opportunity to escape isolation
Leo XIV finally emphasizes that Lent is a collective movement: as much as possible, let us live it connected to other faithful! “Our parishes, families, ecclesial groups and religious communities are called to undertake a common journey during Lent. » Even if the prayer of the Church embraces us, we can find ourselves isolated… Perhaps we dare to call the nearest parish to ask to be visited and receive communion? We won’t bother! In this time of Lent more than ever, communities want to put listening and availability to others at the forefront.
A path from Sunday to Sunday
How do these verbs and the Pope’s words relate to the readings that will accompany the Sundays of Lent? Here are some ideas:
- THE first Sunday of Lent asks the question: whose voice are you listening to? The cold and perverse voice of the adversary or the voice of God in his Word? We will find the call to listen to Jesus in the Gospel of the Second Sunday.
- THE second Sunday will remind us that we have our place in a whole: we are the disciples to whom Jesus made himself known; we have our part in “proclaiming the Gospel”.
- THE third Sunday asks: what is our deep desire? We can feel the silence of God as his absence and be disturbed like Israel in the desert: “Is the Lord in our midst? “. With the Samaritan woman, we will discover that God’s love lives within us like a source.
- THE fourth Sunday shows us Jesus healing the man born blind and taking the time to lead him to faith. The readings will also tell us again that no one is too small or weak, like the young David chosen by God, not to be able to carry the Good that Jesus gives to do: “in the Lord, you are light”!
- THE fifth Sunday invites us to dig, for ourselves and for the world, the desire for the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of life, by listening to the prophet Ezekiel and the letter to the Romans. We will see Jesus, in solidarity with the suffering of Martha and Mary, manifesting the Spirit of life by recalling Lazarus from the tomb.
