Family passed away just because they did it… See more

This year, the Lord grants us, once again, a propitious time to prepare ourselves to celebrate with a renewed heart the great mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the cornerstone of our personal and communal Christian life. We must continually return to this mystery in mind and heart, for it will continue to grow within us to the extent that we open ourselves to its spiritual power and respond with freedom and generosity.

Christian joy springs from hearing and accepting the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection. This kerygma encapsulates the mystery of a love “so real, so true, so concrete, that it invites us to a relationship of openness and fruitful dialogue” (Christus Vivit, 117). Those who believe in this message reject the lie that our life is ours to do with as we please. Rather, life is born from the love of God the Father, from his desire to give us life in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10). If, on the other hand, we listen to the tempting voice of the “father of lies” (Jn 8:44), we run the risk of sinking into the abyss of absurdity and experiencing hell here on earth, as too many tragic events in personal and collective human experience sadly attest.

In this Lent of 2020, I would like to share with every Christian what I wrote to young people in the Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit: “Keep your gaze fixed on the outstretched arms of Christ crucified, let yourself be saved again and again. And when you come to confess your sins, believe firmly in his mercy that frees you from your guilt. Contemplate his blood poured out with such love and let yourself be purified by it. Thus you will be able to be reborn forever” (no. 123). The Passion of Jesus is not a past event; rather, by the power of the Holy Spirit, it is always present, allowing us to see and touch with faith the flesh of Christ in those who suffer.

It is good to contemplate more deeply the Paschal Mystery through which God’s mercy has been granted to us. Indeed, the experience of mercy is only possible in a face-to-face relationship with the crucified and risen Lord, “who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20), in a sincere dialogue among friends. This is why prayer is so important during Lent. More than a duty, prayer is an expression of our need to respond to the love of God that always precedes and sustains us. Christians pray knowing that, although unworthy, we are still loved. Prayer can take various forms, but what truly matters in God’s eyes is that it penetrates deep within us and weakens our hardness of heart, so that we may convert ever more fully to God and his will.

Related Posts

🚨Breaking news: 🚨Body found confirmed to be…See more

Blood covered the walls. Six family members lay lifeless on the floor. Two of them were children. When police entered the quiet Chicago home, they described it…

BREAKING: just 1hour ago Israel finishes

Reports claim Iran has used cluster munition warheads in strikes targeting areas including Tel Aviv, raising international concern. These weapons are controversial because they can spread explosives…

Unbelievable: …Woman caught having…See first Comment…

What began as an ordinary afternoon quickly turned into something residents would talk about for days. People in the neighborhood described the moment as strange not only…

Michelle Obama Finally Opens Up About Divorce Rumors. See Below 👀

Former First Lady Michelle Obama and Former President Barack Obama met in 1988 and married in 1992. The pair share two daughters, Sasha and Malia, and always…

May God comfort the whole family, he was found dead inside the R… see more

Community Mourns After Heartbreaking Discovery of Local Man A wave of grief has swept through the community following the tragic discovery of a man found dead inside…

Discover this beautiful ranch home nestled on 0.63 acres in Elkins, West Virginia…

Beneath its durable metal roof and weathered wood siding stands a ranch home that quietly invites imagination. Built in 1982 and tucked into a peaceful country setting,…