5569(III)_2021 Lenten Message of Pope Francis
Faith - Hope - Love
February 16, 2021
Vatican City, 14 February 2021 -- Pope Francis released a short 2021 Lenten season message (17 Feb: Ash Wednesday to 4 Apr: Easter Sunday) inviting us to renew our Faith-Hope-Love during these 40 days.
The Pope's message ends with his summary: "Dear brothers and sisters, every moment of our lives is a time for believing, hoping and loving. The call to experience Lent as a journey of conversion, prayer and sharing of our goods, helps us – as communities and as individuals – to revive the faith that comes from the living Christ, the hope inspired by the breath of the Holy Spirit and the love flowing from the merciful heart of the Father."
The threefold message the Pontiff focus on the theological virtues of faith, hope and love:
...Lent is a time for believing, for welcoming God into our lives and allowing him to “make his dwelling” among us (cf. Jn 14:23). Fasting involves being freed from all that weighs us down – like consumerism or an excess of information, whether true or false – in order to open the doors of our hearts to the One who comes to us, poor in all things, yet “full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14): the Son of God our Saviour.
... In Lent, may we be increasingly concerned with “speaking words of comfort, strength, consolation and encouragement, and not words that demean, sadden, anger or show scorn”. In order to give hope to others, it is sometimes enough simply to be kind, to be “willing to set everything else aside in order to show interest, to give the gift of a smile, to speak a word of encouragement, to listen amid general indifference” (cf. Fratelli tutti 223-224)
...To experience Lent with love means caring for those who suffer or feel abandoned and fearful because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In these days of deep uncertainty about the future, let us keep in mind the Lord’s word to his Servant, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you” (Is 43:1). In our charity, may we speak words of reassurance and help others to realize that God loves them as sons and daughters."
As good sons and daughters of Don Bosco let take also this Pope's Lenten message and share it!
