This Lent invites us once again to pause, reflect, and open our hearts to the deep mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection—the very heart of Christian life. It’s not just a story from the past, but a living call to transformation, joy, and mercy.

True Christian joy comes from hearing and accepting the Good News: Jesus gave His life out of love so we could live in fullness. Believing this reshapes how we see our lives—not as something we own, but as a gift from God. When we listen instead to fear, selfishness, or lies, we risk falling into despair and losing sight of that truth.

Lent is a time to return to God, to pray, to ask for forgiveness, and to be renewed by His mercy. As Pope Francis once told young people: Look at Jesus on the cross. Let His love wash over you. Believe in His mercy. Be reborn again and again.

Prayer during Lent is more than a ritual—it’s about reconnecting with the God who never stops reaching out to us. Through honest conversation with Him, we open our hearts and begin to change.

This season is also a time to look outward. The wounds of Christ are visible in the world around us—in war, injustice, poverty, and the abuse of our planet. Lent calls us to act, to share what we have, and to build a more just and compassionate world.

Pope Francis reminds us that both politics and economics, when led by love and justice, can become powerful forms of charity. That’s why he’s gathering young leaders this Lent to reimagine a more humane economy.

As we journey through Lent, may we allow God to speak to us, heal us, and guide us. With open hearts, we can become the salt of the earth and the light the world so desperately needs.