By Devin Watkins

As the Church begins the holy season of Lent, Pope Francis celebrated Mass for Ash Wednesday, with the blessing and imposition of ashes.

In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on Lent as a journey of return to God and as an opportunity to deepen our love of our brothers and sisters.

God, said the Pope, is appealing to our hearts and our entire being, inviting us to Him.

“It is a time to reconsider the path we are taking,” he said, “to find the route that leads us home and to rediscover our profound relationship with God, on whom everything depends.”

From slavery to freedom

He urged Christians to evaluate the direction our lives are headed and how steadfastly we walk along our path toward God.

“The journey of Lent is an exodus from slavery to freedom,” he said.

As we progress, we will feel tempted to return to our old habits and illusions. But, noted the Pope, we can rediscover our way by looking to the Word of God, no matter how many times we stumble.