2008-02-11 15:25:28

Pope says Lent means fighting evil that is in us


(Feb. 11, 2008) Facing the evil that is present in each one, recognising one's own responsibilities, without attributing the causes to others – this is the real meaning of entering into Lent which Pope Benedict XVI proposed on the first Sunday of Lent. He was addressing some 40,000 people present in St Peter's Square for the recitation of the midday Angelus prayer, on a bright day. Commenting on Sunday’s Gospel reading on the temptation of Christ by Satan, the Pope said the struggle to be faced together with Christ - against evil, against Satan, which represents the meaning of Lent - assumes a distinctive aspect this year, in that it falls on the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin of Lourdes. The Madonna’s message - "Convert and believe in the Gospel, pray and do penance" – Pope Benedict recalled, echoes that of Jesus, and is the path to be followed in this period. Hence, entering into Lent, according to Pope Benedict, means waging a spiritual warfare against the evil present in the world, within each one of us and around us. Above all it means fighting against its causes and its effects. It does not mean blaming it on others, on society or God, but acknowledging our own responsibilities and taking them upon ourselves deliberately.
Lent is the annual period of 40 days (excluding Sundays) when Christians pray, fast and engage in good works, sacrifices and penance in preparation for their greatest feast, Easter, which commemorates Jesus’ triumphant rising from the dead. This year’s Lent began with Ash Wednesday, Feb. 6 and concludes with Easter, March 23.








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