Imagine being able to sit at the feet of the apostles and hear their stories of life with Jesus from their own lips. Imagine walking with those who had walked with Jesus, seen him, and touched him. That was what Polycarp was able to do as a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist. But being part of the second generation of Church leaders had challenges that the first generation could not teach about. What did you do when those eyewitnesses were gone? How do you carry on the correct teachings ...

The Lenten Spiritual Exercises for Pope Leo XIV, Cardinals residing in Rome, and heads of Dicasteries open on Sunday afternoon with the meditation of Trappist Bishop Erik Varden on the theme of “Entering Lent.”

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ROME (CNS) -- While Satan tempts humanity with the lie of gaining unlimited power, God offers the gift of true freedom that leads to real love, relationships and fulfillment, Pope Leo XIV said.

Beginning with the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, humankind has had to face "the age-old dilemma: can I live my life to the fullest by saying 'yes' to God? Or, to be free and happy, must I free myself from Him?" the pope said in his homily during a morning Mass celebrated in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome Feb. 22.

Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, shows the world "the new man, the free man, the epiphany of freedom that is realized by saying 'yes' to God" and "opposing the snares" of the devil, he said.

The pope also urged the faithful to turn off all devices during certain moments of the day in order to create "space for silence," prayer, listening and the sacraments. 

"Let us dedicate time to those who are alone, especially the elderly, the poor and the sick. By giving up what is superfluous, we can share what we save with those in need," he said before praying the Angelus at noon with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.

"Let us create space for silence by turning off televisions, radios and cell phones for a while," he added.

Early in the morning, Pope Leo visited a Salesian-run 19th-century basilica in the city's center, near the main train station, where more than 450,000 people travel each day, Father Javier Ortiz Rodríguez, the parish priest, told the pope.

This heavy stream of people during the day is "like a full river in a storm," the priest said, which then turns into devastating "landslides" in the dead of night with increased violence, exploitation, drug use and prostitution. 

"Your visit is like a healing ointment" for the community, which includes numerous students, immigrants, people lacking housing and employment, as well as the elderly, the priest told the pope. 

It was Pope Leo's second of five pastoral visits in the Diocese of Rome in the run-up to Easter April 5. The visits include private meetings with members of each parish's pastoral council, local priests, volunteers and the people they serve.

The Lenten season is a time to rediscover the beauty of Baptism as a grace that does not negate, but that "encounters our freedom," the pope said in his homily on the first Sunday of Lent.

"The story in Genesis brings us back to our condition as creatures, tested not so much by a prohibition, as is often believed, but by a possibility: the possibility of a relationship" with God the Creator and all his creatures, he said. "Human beings are free to recognize and welcome the otherness of the Creator."

But the devil, in the form of the serpent, tempted Adam and Eve with the illusion of becoming like God, deceiving them that God was actually seeking to deny them of something "to keep them in a state of inferiority," the pope said.

Jesus, however, shows how freedom comes from finding fulfillment in loving God and one's neighbor, he said.

"This new humanity is born from the baptismal font," which is "the source of life that dwells within us and that, in a dynamic way, accompanies us with the utmost respect for our freedom," Pope Leo said.

Baptism is "dynamic," he said, "because it sets us on a journey again and again, since grace is an inner voice that urges us to conform ourselves to Jesus."

Baptism is about building a relationship, he said, as it "calls us to live in friendship with Jesus and, in this way, to enter into his communion with the Father."

"This grace-filled relationship enables us to live in authentic closeness with others, a freedom that -- unlike what the devil proposes to Jesus -- is not a search for power, but love that one gives and makes us all brothers and sisters," he said. 

Pope Leo noted the many challenges facing the neighborhood and praised the work of the Salesians and other church-run organizations ministering to young people and those in need.

It was his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, who asked St. John Bosco to build the basilica dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus that Pope Pius IX wanted built near the then-new railway station.

He encouraged the parish to continue to be "the leaven of the Gospel," a sign of "closeness and charity," and "a small flame of light and hope."

"May Mary, Help of Christians, always support our journey, make us strong in times of temptation and trial, so that we may fully live the freedom and fraternity of the children of God," he said.

Before praying the noonday Angelus, the pope again reflected on the day's Gospel reading of Jesus in the desert, where he fasted and resisted the temptations of the devil, showing "how we, too, can overcome the devil's deception and snares." 

"By means of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we can renew our cooperation with the Lord in the crafting of our lives as a unique masterpiece," he said. "This involves allowing him to cleanse the stains and heal the wounds of sin, as we commit to letting our lives blossom in beauty until they attain the fullness of love -- the only source of true happiness."

"This is a demanding journey," he said, especially when there are promises of "easier paths to satisfaction, such as wealth, fame and power."

However, these temptations, which Jesus himself faced, "are merely poor substitutes for the joy for which we were created. Ultimately, they leave us dissatisfied, restless and empty," he said.

That is why penance, "far from impoverishing our humanity -- enriches, purifies and strengthens it," he said. "Indeed, while penance makes us aware of our limitations, it also grants us the strength to overcome them and to live, with God's help, in deeper communion with him and with one another."

Four years into the conflict, around ten million Ukrainians live away from their homes. Among the internally displaced and refugees abroad, the need for humanitarian assistance is growing, while economic and psychological difficulties are increasing. Despite everything, the desire to return home remains strong.

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After celebrating Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Castro Pretorio neighborhood in Rome, Pope Leo XIV met with members of the community founded by Saint John Bosco, to whom the parish is entrusted, expressing appreciation for their service towards young people, especially foreigners.

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Margaret of Cortona, penitent, was born in Loviana in Tuscany in 1247. Her father was a small farmer. Margaret's mother died when she was seven years old. Her stepmother had little care for her high-spirited daughter. Rejected at home, Margaret eloped with a youth from Montepulciano and bore him a son out of wedlock. After nine years, her lover was murdered without warning. Margaret left Montpulciano and returned as a penitent to her father's house. When her father refused to accept her and her ...

After the Angelus prayer, the Pope strongly renewed his appeal for the silencing of arms and the cessation of bombings. "Let an immediate ceasefire be reached, and let dialogue be strengthened to pave the way toward peace," said the Pope, marking four years since the start of the war against Ukraine. Peace cannot be postponed, he emphasized: "Every war is truly a wound inflicted upon the entire human family; it leaves in its wake death, devastation and a trail of pain that marks generations."

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During his Sunday Angelus address on this first Sunday of Lent, Pope Leo XIV says the Lenten season offers the faithful the opportunity to let the Lord cleanse them, cooperate better with God, and, in doing so, craft their lives as unique masterpieces.

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Muslim and Catholic communities began the period of Ramadan and Lent simultaneously on Wednesday, 18 February. At the Sacred Heart Parish in Abobo Anador, within the Archdiocese of Abidjan, this spiritual coincidence was marked early Wednesday evening by a collective breaking of the fast in an atmosphere of fraternity, reflection, and conviviality. Prayers were offered for peace, unity, and social cohesion in Côte d’Ivoire.

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Pope Leo XIV visits the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the neighbourhood of Castro Pretorio in Rome, close to the Termini train station and meets the parish community. In his homily, he invited them to be “the yeast of the Gospel in the dough" of an area marked by many difficulties.

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