Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion.
Lent is a time when the Church, guided by pastoral care, invites us to place the mystery of God back at the center of our lives, so that we may find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from the worries and distractions of daily life. Every path toward conversion begins by allowing the word of God to touch our hearts and by receiving it in a spirit of obedience. There is a connection between the word, its reception, and the change it brings about. For this reason, the Lenten journey is a welcome opportunity to listen to the voice of the Lord and to renew our commitment to following Christ, accompanying him on the way to Jerusalem, where the mystery of his passion, death, and resurrection is fulfilled.
Listening
This year, I would first like to reflect on the importance of making space for the word through listening. The readiness to listen is the first way we show our desire to enter into a 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 seen the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry” (Ex 3:7). Hearing the cry of the oppressed is the beginning of the story of liberation, in which the Lord calls Moses and sends him to open the way of salvation for his children who have been led into slavery.
Our God is one who seeks to involve us. Even today he shares with us what is in his heart. Therefore, listening to the word in the liturgy teaches us to listen to the truth of reality. Amid the many voices present in our personal lives and in society, Sacred Scripture helps us to recognize and respond to the cry of those in anguish and suffering. To foster this inner openness to listening, we must allow God to teach us how to listen as he does. We must acknowledge that “the condition of those in need is a lamentable one, which throughout the whole of human history continually challenges our lives, our societies, our political and economic systems, and, not least, the Church.” [1]
Fasting
If Lent is a time of listening, then fasting is a concrete way to prepare ourselves to receive the word of God. Abstaining from food is an ancient ascetical 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 consider necessary for our sustenance. It also helps us to identify and order our “desires,” keeping our hunger and thirst for righteousness alive and freeing us from self-satisfaction. Thus it teaches us to pray and to act responsibly toward our neighbor.
With spiritual insight, Saint Augustine helps us understand the tension between the present moment and future fulfillment that characterizes this disposition of the heart. He notes: “In this earthly life, men and women have the duty to hunger and thirst for righteousness, but satisfaction belongs to the next life. The angels are satisfied with that bread, that food. Humanity, on the other hand, hungers for it; all of us are drawn to it in our desires. This stretching outward in desire enlarges the soul and increases its capacity.” [2] Understood in this way, fasting allows us not only to master our desires, to purify them and make them freer, but also to broaden them so that they are directed toward God and doing good.
However, in order to practice fasting according to its evangelical character and to avoid the temptation that leads to pride, it must be lived in faith and humility. It must be rooted in communion with the Lord, for “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, with the help of grace, to turn away from sin and evil, fasting must also include other forms of self-denial aimed at helping us adopt a more sober way of life, since “only moderation makes Christian life strong and authentic”. [4]
In this regard, I would like to invite you to a very practical and often underestimated form of abstinence: refraining from words that offend and wound our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our tongues, avoiding harsh words and hasty judgments, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are absent and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to use our words with moderation and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media, and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred 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 highlights this dimension in various ways. For example, the Book of Nehemiah recounts how the people gathered to listen to the public reading of the Law, preparing through fasting to profess their faith and worship, in order to renew the covenant with God (see 9:1-3).
Likewise, our parishes, families, church groups and faith communities are called to undertake a common journey during Lent, where listening to the Word of God, as well as to the cry of the poor and of the earth, becomes part of our communal life, and fasting becomes the foundation for sincere repentance. In this context, conversion refers not only to conscience, but also to the quality of our relationships and dialogue. This means allowing ourselves to be challenged by reality and recognizing what truly guides our desires – both within our church communities and in humanity’s longing for justice and reconciliation.
Dear friends, let us ask for the grace of Lent, which leads us to greater attentiveness to God and to the least among us. Let us ask for the strength that comes from such fasting, which also extends to our use of language, so that hurtful words may fall silent and make room for the voice of others. Let us strive to make our communities places where the cry of the suffering is welcomed and where listening opens the way to liberation, making us ready and eager to contribute to building a civilization of love.
I give my blessing to all of you and to your Lenten journey.
Pope Leo XIV
From the Vatican, 5 February 2026,
Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
Sources:
[1] Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te (4.10. 2025), 9.
[2] Saint Augustine. On the Practice of Fasting 1, 1.
[3] Benedict XVI, Catechesis (9.03. 2011).
[4] Paul VI, Catechesis (8.02.1978).