Lent, the liturgical season preceding Easter, is a time of deep reflection and spiritual renewal for Christians. During this period, the Church invites us to undertake a journey of conversion, preparing us to fully experience the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Lent: an echo of the Gospel
Lent calls us on a journey and, through specific commitments, helps us give concrete form to that desire for conversion that we hold in our hearts.
What can we do?
Listening to, meditating on, and more regularly engaging with the Word of God: meditating on the Holy Scriptures draws us closer to God and guides us on our journey of faith.
Faithfully dedicating time each day to intense prayer: dialogue with God through prayer strengthens our bond with Him and gives us comfort, inner strength, and hope.
Putting into action gestures, thoughts, and words that tell the brother and sister beside me: “I love you, you matter to me, you are important to me”: putting evangelical love into practice by helping others and showing them sincere and selfless love is a tangible sign of our desire for inner renewal.
Setting aside some of our needs to make room for something else and for the “Other”: Giving up food, social networks, sin, gossip, and addictions that make the body and spirit ill purifies us deeply, makes us stronger, and makes us more receptive to God's grace.
Lent is an opportunity
We must not think of Lent as a gloomy and sad time, but as an opportunity to be heart to heart with God and with our brothers and sisters; to rediscover ourselves, our relationships with the people who walk beside us every day, and to open our eyes wide to find, amid the folds of everyday life, the wonders that God works in our lives.
To do so, the Church, our mother and teacher, gives us the tools we have just mentioned, which represent our desire to return to Jesus; so let us not let them slip away!
A formidable aid
This year, a priest dedicated to evangelization and youth ministry, Fr. Ivan Licinio, reflecting on the importance of the Word of God, has created a very simple yet effective tool to help, day by day, Christians who want to embrace a new way of putting themselves to the test.
That is why he has commented on all the Gospels of Lent, through to Easter, so that no one will feel alone during the forty-day journey.
With his words, which explain the Word each day and introduce us to personal prayer with a short prayer, the journey toward Easter will be easier.
It will be easier to read the Gospel, easier to understand it, and easier to pray!
Just as Jesus distributed bread to his disciples, priests are called to “distribute” the Word, nourishing the people of God.
The guide by Fr. Ivan Licinio thus becomes a tool to help us draw closer to God, reflect on his message, and prepare ourselves for the joy of Easter.
Full of food for thought and prayers, this guide accompanies us day by day along the Lenten journey, helping us to grow in faith and rediscover the true meaning of this time of grace.
And you, have you ever used a little guide to help you make your way toward Easter more quickly?
