Pope Francis marked the beginning of the Christian Lenten period with a homily that encouraged people to cast off their “dictatorship” of heavy agendas and superficial needs on Ash Wednesday. Due to a knee problem, Francis did not participate in the traditional Ash Wednesday procession between two churches on Rome’s Aventine Hill, but instead presided over an early evening mass at the hilltop St Sabina Basilica. During the service, faithful gathered to receive ashes, which are meant to serve as reminders of people’s mortality. Lent is a period of sacrifice, reflection, and preparation for Easter, which this year is on April 9.
In his homily, Francis emphasized the importance of self-reflection and service. He urged people to drop the pretence of being self-sufficient and to put others before themselves, saying that “every presumption of self-sufficiency is false and that self-idolatry is destructive, imprisoning us in isolation and loneliness.” Instead, Lent serves as a reminder that the world is bigger than our narrow personal needs, and that true joy comes from caring for those who are poor and afflicted. Francis also circled back to his long-standing theme of attention to the individuality of those in need, particularly the poor, and emphasized the importance of alms-giving as a way of touching the sufferings of the poor with one’s own hands and heart.
Pope Francis (Via Pope Francis/Twitter)
Francis’s message encouraged people to take stock of themselves and to free themselves from the burdens of heavy schedules, crowded agendas, and superficial needs, choosing instead to focus on the things that truly matter. This call to self-reflection and service is a key part of the Pope’s nearly 10-year-old papacy, and is central to his message of attention to the individuality of those in need, particularly the poor. As Holy Week services approach, starting with Palm Sunday on April 2, Francis’s message is likely to resonate with pilgrims and tourists who will gather to commemorate the events leading up to Easter.
