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Spirituality

Message of Pope Leo XIV for Lent 2026

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Lent 2026

Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion

Papa Leon

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

Posadas: a tradition in Mexico

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Posadas Mexico

In my experience as a Mexican, there are many traditions in this country, some of which date back a long time and have been passed down from generation to generation, such as the posadas. Beyond just attending for the sweets that are given to us at the end of each one, we remember the journey that Joseph and Mary had to take to find a place for Jesus to be born. Since they couldn’t find a posada, as they were called back then (nowadays it would be like a hotel room), all they could offer them was a stable, which they accepted with great love.

This tradition of posadas is organized and sung in different parts of the country, each place with its own customs, but with that special touch of what is really being commemorated and what it means.

In my family, we organize it this way: nine of the members take one posada per day, and it is their turn to give aguinaldos or some snacks such as a hot drink, better known as ponche, if they can afford it, since it is cold and this is one of the signs that reminds us that Christmas is coming. The rosary is prayed at the end of each mystery, and verses are sung while walking with the pilgrims.

Example:

  • Walk joyfully, dear angels of heaven, covering the roads.
  • The white snow that has worn away the lilies turns them snowy white.
  • Through those mountains goes the omnipotence, and the leopards also bow down to him.
  • Through those mountains walks Mary with her beloved husband, night and day.
  • Etc.

After several verses, they arrive at a house to ask for lodging. This is done three times during the rosary until it is finished. After making the three requests, they sing the entrance of the pilgrims into the house where they will stay that day, which is the family’s turn to provide lodging. The next day, they begin to go to the next house, and so on for nine days.

Even though we are in the same country, each state, diocese, parish, neighborhood, and family has a different way of organizing and carrying out this tradition, and the same applies to the songs, the melody, and the rhythm.

Here in Metlatonoc, where I am on mission, they are organized very differently, according to their customs. It has been a very pleasant experience because I have learned a lot from the people by observing them. The organizers of the posadas here are the stewards. Only they move the images, decide which children will carry them, and ring the bell while the images are being moved. Something curious that I noticed here is that they have the pilgrims dressed like them, in traditional regional clothing.

The singer recites part of the rosary before leaving with the pilgrims. When the litany begins, it is time to start walking. He sings in Latin and responds to himself. When he arrives at the house where he will ask for lodging, he stops singing the litany. The Guadalupana and Juquila groups read the readings and sing the petition, both the verses from outside and inside, dividing themselves to do so. In these posadas, they bring a band, give whistles to everyone, make a lot of noise, and set off fireworks. When they arrive at the house where the pilgrims will stay, it is recognizable because it is very decorated and has the portal they prepared.

The singer finishes praying the rosary there, the groups mentioned above gather and sing some Christmas carols, and then the whole parish community continues to socialize. It is customary to serve pozole and coffee, the band plays, and people are encouraged to dance. Everything ends around 11 or 12 at night. There are three groups of singers: two from Guadalupe and one from Juquila. They divide up the days on which they will sing and participate.

It has been a different experience to celebrate these holidays away from my family. As my brothers told me, now you will spend time with other people, and when you come home for vacation, it will be time to spend time with us. What keeps me going is the prayer and encouragement that my whole family, friends, and acquaintances give me. I am trying to take care of God’s things because I know that He is taking care of mine, which are mainly here on earth, me and my family.

Mariana, CLM in Metlatonoc (Mexico).