Pope Francis during a Mass to mark the beginning of Lent said, “What matters is the truth and the love that God sees, not what is superficial, showy and self-centred.”

The pope continued, “Lent is the time to proclaim that God alone is Lord, to drop the pretence of being self-sufficient and the need to put ourselves at the centre of things, to be the top of the class, to think that by our own abilities, we can succeed in life and transform the world around us.”

“How many distractions and trifles distract us from the things that really count! How often do we get caught up in our own wants and needs, lose sight of the heart of the matter, and fail to embrace the true meaning of our lives in this world!” he said.

“Lent is a time of truth, a time to drop the masks we put on each day to appear perfect in the eyes of the world,” he said, and to “reject lies and hypocrisy. Not the lies and hypocrisies of others, but our own.”

Pope Francis, dressed in the purple vestments of the Lenten season, celebrated an Ash Wednesday Mass on Feb. 22 at Rome’s Basilica of Santa Sabina.

The liturgy began with a procession from the nearby Church of St. Anselm on the Aventine Hill. However, Pope Francis did not do the traditional walk because a painful knee limited his mobility.

At the Basilica of Santa Sabina, the pope received ashes on the top of his head from Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, who also was the main celebrant at the altar.

Cardinal Piacenza, who is head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, distributed ashes to several cardinals, bishops and others attending the Mass.

ALSO READ: Catholic Editors in Singapore Wins US Literary Award