The collaboration continues between Monsignor Raffaello Martinelli, a priest of the Diocese of Bergamo and emeritus bishop of the Diocese of Frascati, and the blog of Shalom Publishing House.
Already coordinator of the preparatory work for the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Monsignor Raffaello Martinelli was later involved, as editor and coordinator of the secretariat, in preparing the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The author of numerous catechetical works has always made it his mission to make the contents of Catholic doctrine accessible to everyone through simple words and style.
We are proud to be able to offer our loyal readers contributions of such value, and we thank His Excellency Monsignor Martinelli for his availability.
What is Lent?
• It is a special period of the liturgical year, during which the Christian people prepare to celebrate the mystery of Easter.
• Lent is a favorable time to remain with Mary Most Holy and Saint John, the beloved disciple, beside Christ who on the Cross offers the sacrifice of his life for all humanity (cf. Jn 19:25). It is a favorable time “to remember who the Creator is and who the creature is, to strip ourselves of the presumption that we are self-sufficient, that we are top of the class, and to think that with our abilities alone we can be protagonists in life and transform the world around us” (Pope Francis, Homily, Ash Wednesday, 22-2-2023).
• “They will look upon him whom they have pierced”: this is a favorable time to look with trust upon the pierced side of Jesus, from which “blood and water” flowed (Jn 19:34)!
• “May Lent be for every Christian a renewed experience of God’s love given to us in Christ, a love that each day we in turn must give back to our neighbor, especially to those who suffer most and are in need. Only in this way will we be able to share fully in the joy of Easter” (Benedict XVI, Message for Lent 2007).
Why 40 days?
• The theology and spirituality of Lent developed in reference to events in the Old and New Testaments.
• It is the same number 40, which recalls:
– the days of the universal flood;
– the years Israel spent in the desert;
– the days Moses spent on Sinai;
– the days spent by the prophet Elijah in the desert before reaching the encounter with God at Horeb;
– the days of penance of the inhabitants of Nineveh;
– the days of Jesus’ fasting in the desert, where he is tempted by the devil at the end.
• All this has a didactic value. Lent is the time of:
– of the destruction of evil, as in the case of the people of the Flood;
– of trial and grace, as in the case of Israel;
– of prayer, which prepares one to encounter God, as in the case of Moses and Elijah;
– of penance and expiation in view of divine judgment, in imitation of the 40 days of fasting and penance through which the inhabitants of Nineveh appeased divine wrath;
– of fasting, aimed at eating the true food, which is doing the Father’s will: «Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God» (this is how Jesus answered Satan at the end of the 40 days he spent in the desert).
What are the major Lenten themes?
There are three themes in particular that the Lenten liturgy presents to us:
- The paschal theme. Since Lent is preparation for the Easter celebrations, the theme of death and life assumes primary importance. It begins as early as the second Sunday (the Transfiguration) and becomes more explicit in the final two weeks.
- The baptismal theme. In its fundamental structure, Lent developed around the sacrament of Baptism administered to adults during the Easter Vigil. Christians become more aware of their own baptism.
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The penitential theme. It is developed above all at the beginning of Lent (Ash Wednesday and the Gospel of Jesus’ temptations on the first Sunday).
During Lent, the Church, bride of the suffering and dying Christ, experiences the penitential aspect more intensely.
Next week we will publish more interesting content about Lent on the blog, prepared by His Excellency Monsignor Raffaello Martinelli. Keep following us!
The material contained in this sheet is the property of Monsignor Raffaello Martinelli, who has generously allowed it to be distributed free of charge through Shalom Publishing. All the content presented is taken from the collection “50+3 Current Topics – Fragments of Catholic Truth,” edited by Monsignor Raffaello Martinelli.
