Guwahati, First Sunday of Lent 2026: Pope Leo XIV invited the faithful to see Lent as a “luminous path” of renewal, urging them to allow God to cleanse, purify, and transform their lives into “unique masterpieces.”

Speaking during his Sunday Angelus address, the Pope reflected on the Gospel account of Jesus’ forty days in the desert (Mt 4:1–11), noting that Christ experienced hunger and temptation, sharing in the human struggle against evil. By resisting the devil, he said, Jesus shows that all believers can overcome deception and sin through trust in God.

The Holy Father described Lent as a season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that enables deeper cooperation with God. “By means of prayer, fasting and almsgiving,” he said, “we can renew our cooperation with the Lord in the crafting of our lives as a unique masterpiece.”

While acknowledging that the Lenten journey is demanding, Pope Leo warned against seeking “easy substitutes” for happiness. Such temptations, he said, ultimately leave the human heart “dissatisfied, restless and empty.”

Citing Saint Paul VI, the Pope explained that penance does not diminish humanity but “enriches, purifies and strengthens it,” directing life toward love and communion with God.

He encouraged practical steps during Lent: creating space for silence, turning off televisions and mobile phones for periods of reflection, meditating on Scripture, approaching the Sacraments, and listening to the Holy Spirit. He also urged attention to the elderly, the poor, and the sick, reminding the faithful that giving up what is superfluous allows greater solidarity with those in need.

Concluding, Pope Leo entrusted the Lenten journey to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking her to assist believers in times of trial.