2nd SUNDAY OF LENT

Through prayer, reflection, and acts of love, we are invited to bring our personal burdens, as well as the brokenness of our world, to God. As we do so, we open our hearts to the transformative power of Easter, where death gives way to life, despair to joy, and sorrow to HOPE.

In all my many years, I have not known a world so broken, so burdened with discord, and so lacking faith, and HOPE. Yet it is Hope that reminds us that even in the darkest moments, God’s presence shines as a beacon of light and renewal.

It is a hope that sustains, heals, and restores us, and as Christians (followers of Jesus Christ) we are called to embody and extend this hope to others, especially to those who wander aimlessly or those who have given up. We must journey with Jesus, knowing that hope empowers us to face life’s challenges with courage, faith, and above all, love.

Continuation of message from Pope Francis for Lent 2025.

Second, to journey together. The Church is called to walk together, to be synoda Christians are called to walk at the side of others, and never as lone travellers. The Holy Spirit impels us not to remain self-absorbed, but to leave ourselves behind and keep walking towards God and our brothers and sisters. Journeying together means consolidating the unity grounded in our common dignity as children of God (cf.Gal3:26-28). It means walking side-by-side, without shoving or stepping on others, without envy or hypocrisy, without letting anyone be left behind or excluded. Let us all walk in the same direction, tending towards the same goal, attentive to one another in love and patience.

This Lent, God is asking us to examine whether in our lives, in our families, in the places where we work and spend our time, we are capable of walking together with others, listening to them, resisting the temptation to become self-absorbed and to think only of our own needs. Let us ask ourselves in the presence of the Lord whether, as bishops, priests, consecrated persons and laity in the service of the Kingdom of God, we cooperate with others. Whether we show ourselves welcoming, with concrete gestures, to those both near and far. Whether we make others feel a part of the community or keep them at a distance. This, then, is a second call to conversion: a summons to synodality.”