Illustration: A cross marked in ash on a worshiper’s forehead
Pope Leo’s homily for Ash Wednesday
Basilica of Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill – 18 February 2026
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First Reading Joel 2:12-18
Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks – come back to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning.’
Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn, turn to the Lord your God again,
for he is all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, and ready to relent.
Who knows if he will not turn again, will not relent, will not leave a blessing as he passes, oblation and libation
for the Lord your God?
Sound the trumpet in Zion! Order a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, call the people together, summon the community,assemble the elders, gather the children, even the infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his bedroom and the bride her alcove.
Between vestibule and altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, lament. Let them say, ‘Spare your people, Lord!
Do not make your heritage a thing of shame, a byword for the nations. Why should it be said among the nations,
“Where is their God?”’ Then the Lord, jealous on behalf of his land, took pity on his people.
Gospel Reading (Matthew 6:1-6,16-18)
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward.
But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’
Pope Leo’s homily
Dear brothers and sisters,
At the beginning of each liturgical season, we joyfully rediscover the grace of being the Church, namely a community gathered to listen to the Word of God.
The voice of the prophet Joel speaks to us, bringing each of us out of our isolation and showing us the urgent need for conversion, which is always both personal and public: “Gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast” (Joel 2:16).
He mentions the most fragile and least suited to large gatherings – those whose absence would be easy to justify.
The prophet refers to husbands and wives: calling them from the privacy of their marital lives, so that they will feel part of a larger community.
Then he turns to priests, who already find themselves between the vestibule and the altar” —by duty They are invited to weep and to express these fitting words on behalf of all: “Spare your people, O Lord!”.
Even today, Lent remains a powerful time for the community: “Gather the people. Sanctify the congregation” (Joel 2:16).
We know that it has become increasingly difficult to bring people together and make them feel like a community — not in a nationalistic and aggressive way, but in a communion where each of us finds our place.
Indeed, during Lent, a people is formed who recognize their sins.
These sins are evils that do not come from supposed enemies, but afflict our hearts, and exist within us. We must respond by courageously accepting responsibility for them.
Furthermore, we must acknowledge that, although this attitude is countercultural, it is an authentic, honest, and appealing alternative, particularly in our time, when it is easy to feel powerless in the face of a world in crisis.
The Church truly exists as a community of witnesses who recognize their sins.
Sin is naturally personal, but it takes shape in the real and virtual contexts of life.
It manifests in the attitudes we adopt toward each other, which impact us mutually.
Often, it exists within real economic, cultural, political, and even religious “structures of sin.”
Scripture teaches us that opposing idolatry by worshipping the living God means daring to be free, and rediscovering freedom through an exodus – a journey, where we are no longer paralyzed, rigid or complacent in our positions, but rather gathered together to move and change.
It is rare to find adults who repent—individuals, businesses, and institutions that admit they have done wrong.
Today, we reflect on the possibility of repentance.
It is no coincidence that many young people are open to the invitation of Ash Wednesday even in secularized contexts. Young people especially clearly understand that a just lifestyle is possible and that wrongdoings in the Church and in the world should be accounted for.
Therefore, we must start where we can, with those around us.
“Now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor 6:2).
Let us therefore embrace the missionary significance of Lent, not in a way that distracts us from our individual efforts, but in a way that introduces this season to the many restless people of good will who are seeking authentic ways to renew their lives, within the context of the Kingdom of God and his justice.
“Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” (Joel 2:17).
The prophet’s question is a warning.
It reminds us of how others perceive us, particularly those who observe the people of God from the outside.
Lent urges us towards a change of direction — conversion — that makes our proclamation more credible.
Sixty years ago, a few weeks after the Second Vatican Council concluded, St. Paul VI decided to publicly celebrate the Rite of Ashes during a General Audience in Saint Peter’s Basilica, so that the gesture that we are about to perform today would be visible to all.
He described it as a “severe and striking penitential ceremony” that defies common sense and at the same time responds to the demands of our culture.
He said: “In our own day we may ask ourselves whether this pedagogy is still understandable.
We answer in the affirmative, because it is realistic.
It is a severe reminder of the truth. It brings us to an accurate perception of our existence and our destiny.”
According to Paul VI this “penitential pedagogy surprises modern man in two ways”.
The first aspect is in “his tremendous capacity for delusion, self-suggestion and systematic self-deception about the reality of life and its values.”
The second aspect is “the fundamental pessimism” he discovered everywhere:
He said, “Most of the material offered to us today by philosophy, literature and entertainment, concludes by proclaiming the inevitable vanity of everything, the immense sadness of life and the metaphysics of the absurd and of nothingness. This material is a vindication of the use of ashes.”
Paul VI said that this “penitential pedagogy surprises modern man in two ways”.
The first aspect is in “his tremendous capacity for delusion, self-suggestion and systematic self-deception about the reality of life and its values.”
The second aspect is “the fundamental pessimism” that Paul VI discovered everywhere:
He said, “Most of the material offered to us today by philosophy, literature and entertainment, concludes by proclaiming the inevitable vanity of everything, the immense sadness of life, the metaphysics of the absurd and of nothingness. This material is a vindication of the use of ashes.”
Today, we can recognize that his words were prophetic as we perceive in the ashes imposed on us the weight of a world that is ablaze, of entire cities destroyed by war.
This is also reflected in the ashes of international law and justice among peoples, the ashes of entire ecosystems and harmony among peoples, the ashes of critical thinking and ancient local wisdom, the ashes of that sense of the sacred that dwells in every creature.
“Where is their God?” the peoples ask themselves.
Yes, dear friends, history and our conscience ask us to acknowledge death for what it is and carry its marks within us while bearing witness to the Resurrection.
We acknowledge our sins so that we can be converted. This acknowledgment itself is a sign and testimony of resurrection. Indeed, it means that we will not remain among the ashes but will rise and rebuild.
Then, during the Easter Triduum—the culmination of our Lenten journey—we will experience its full beauty and meaning.
This will happen if we participate in the passage from death to life and from powerlessness to the possibilities of God through penance.
The ancient and contemporary martyrs shine as pioneers on our journey towards Easter.
The ancient Roman tradition of the Lenten stations — which begins today with the first station — is instructive
It refers to both moving as pilgrims and stopping, or statio, at the “memories” of the martyrs, where the basilicas of Rome stand.
Perhaps this is an invitation to follow in the footsteps of the admirable witnesses to the faith who can now be found throughout the world.
Let us remember the places, stories, and names of those who chose the way of the Beatitudes and lived them to the fullest.
Their lives are countless seeds that were buried in the earth and prepared the abundant harvest we are called to gather, even when they seemed to be scattered.
As we have seen in the Gospel reading, Lent frees us from the desire to be seen at all costs (cf. Matthew 6:2, 5, 16) and instead teaches us to recognize what is growing and to serve it.
This establishes a profound harmony with the God of life, our Father and the Father of all, in the hearts of those who fast, pray, and love.
Let us redirect our entire lives and hearts towards God with sobriety and joy.
