Lent: A Spiritual Journey with Jesus

This week, with the liturgy of Ash Wednesday, we begin the journey of the forty days of Lent that will lead us to the Paschal Mystery, the commemoration of the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection, the heart of the mystery of our redemption. This is a time of grace in which the Church invites Christians to become more vividly aware of Christ’s redemptive work and to live their own baptism more deeply. In fact, during this liturgical season, the People of God, from the very beginning, has been nourished abundantly by the word of God to grow in faith, going through the entire history of creation and redemption.

In its forty days, Lent has an unmistakable, tangible power. It is intended to recall certain events that marked the life and history of ancient Israel, reminding us of their paradigmatic value: for example, let us think of the forty days of the Flood, which culminated in the Covenant sealed by God with Noah and thus with humanity, and of Moses’ forty days on Mount Sinai, which was followed by the gift of the Law. Lent is above all an invitation to relive with Jesus the forty days he spent in the desert praying and fasting before beginning his public ministry. This week, together with all Christians in the world, we too begin a journey of reflection and prayer, to set out spiritually towards Calvary, contemplating the central mysteries of faith. In this way, we will prepare ourselves to experience the paschal joy of the Resurrection after the mystery of the Cross.

In all parishes, a serious and symbolic act is performed on Ash Wednesday: the imposition of ashes; and this rite is accompanied by two meaningful formulas that represent a powerful appeal to recognize oneself as a sinner and to return to God. The first formula is: “Remember, O man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (cf. Gen 3:19). These words from the Book of Genesis recall the human condition, marked by transience and limitation, and are intended to lead us to place all hope in God alone. The second formula refers to the words of Jesus at the beginning of his public ministry: “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). This is an invitation to make firm and trusting adherence to the Gospel the foundation of personal and communal renewal.

The Christian life is a life of faith, founded on and nourished by the word of God. In the trials of life and in every temptation, the secret of victory lies in listening to the word of truth and in firmly rejecting lies and evil. This is the true and central programme of Lent: to listen to the word of truth, to live, speak and do the truth, to reject the lie that poisons humanity and is the gateway to all evil. It is therefore urgent to listen again to the Gospel during these forty days, to the word of the Lord, the word of truth, so that in every Christian, in each of us, the awareness of the truth that is given to him, given to us, may be strengthened, so that every baptized person may live it and become a witness to it. Lent encourages us to let the word of God permeate our lives and thus to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what is the path we must take in life.

Have a wonderful and uplifting Lent

Fr Joe