The Lenten season is a reminder that Christians are called to bear witness to Christ through authentic witness, not self-righteous indignation, Norwegian Trappist Bishop Erik Varden told the pope and Vatican officials.
Lent
As Lent begins, Catholic leaders across Eastern Africa are urging prayers — and action — for millions facing a deepening drought crisis.
When I was in seminary, I decided to do something I had never done before: run a half marathon. I had run a little in high school, but never more than two miles, so I knew this was going to stretch and challenge me. I did the research, got the right shoes, and began training. I ran several times a week at a slow pace, slowly building strength and endurance.
Ignorance of sacred Scriptures is ignorance of Jesus Christ, Pope Leo XIV said during his weekly general audience.
This Lent, God calls upon us to once again grow in our prayer, fasting, and charity.
Aid to the Church in Need’s call to the faithful to reflect this Lenten season on the persecution of Christians has taken on more urgency with the news that a Nigerian priest was found murdered on Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.
The journey of Lent “unfolds amid the remembrance of our fragility and the hope that, at the end of the road, the Risen Lord is waiting for us,” Pope Francis wrote in his homily for Ash Wednesday.
Lent is a season dedicated to conversion. It is a period of self-reflection, resolution, and anticipation. We must change our ways and grow. Easter is dedicated to celebrating the revelation of God’s infinite mercy, the new life and grace He showers upon us as He forgives us all our sins, heals all our infirmities, and even enables us to pass through death to share in His divine love forever.
This Lent, Christians should become “seekers of light” by keeping their sights set on the light of Jesus through prayer and participating in the sacraments, Pope Francis said.
Catholic couples and liturgical experts are advising how to observe Ash Wednesday — the beginning of the Latin Church’s penitential season of Lent leading up to Easter — which falls on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, this year.