“Lent is a time of grace that liberates the heart from vanity” Pope Francis said on Ash Wednesday, “It is a time of healing from addictions that seduce us. It is a time to fix our gaze on what abides”.
The Pope concluded his lenten homily inviting Christians to fix their gaze upon the Crucified one saying “Jesus on the cross is life’s compass, which directs us to heaven”.
“From the cross, Jesus teaches us the great courage involved in renunciation” he said, urging us to “free ourselves from the clutches of consumerism and the snares of selfishness, from always wanting more, from never being satisfied, and from a heart closed to the needs of the poor”.
It is difficult to live as He asks, the Pope said, but it leads us to our goal and “if we take the path of love, then we will embrace the life that never ends. And we will be full of joy”.
