(February 22, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday entrusted his annual spiritual retreat
to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, imploring her that Lent be a time lived
"with joy and fruit." The Pope said this on Sunday before praying the midday Angelus
with those in St. Peter's Square. He began his week-long spiritual exercises Sunday
evening. During the week, all his public appointments, including Wednesday’s General
Audience, will be suspended. Pope Benedict reflected on Sunday’s Gospel narration
of Christ's temptations in the desert, explaining what it means to "enter into the
Lenten journey." He said Christ came into the world to free us from sin and the dangerous
fascination of planning our lives without God, by personally struggling against the
Tempter, right up to the cross. The world, he said, improves beginning with ourselves,
changing what is not right in our lives with the grace of God." The basic teaching
of Christ’s temptation is that “If we carry the Word of God in our heart and in our
mind, if it enters into our lives, if we have confidence in God, we can reject any
sort of deception of the Tempter." In this regard, the Pope explained, Lent can
be considered a long retreat, "during which we return to ourselves and listen to God’s
voice to overcome the temptations of the Evil One and find the truth of our being.
It is a time, we could say, of spiritual 'contest' to live together with Jesus, “not
with pride and presumption, but using the weapons of faith, that is, prayer, listening
to God’s Word and penance," Pope Benedict added.