The Pope's Message for Lent: a reflection

The cleansing power of baptism, conversion and a renewal of the faith – these are the focus of this year’s Lenten Message issued by the Pope’s charity office Cor Unum. The message was presented at a press conference in the Vatican in February.

The Message draws from the quote from Colossians “You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him.” Through the Sacrament of Baptism, it reads, “man dies to sin,” and “is made a sharer in the new life of the Risen Christ.”

“By immersing ourselves into the death and resurrection of Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are moved to free our hearts every day from the burden of material things, from a self-centered relationship with the ‘world’ that impoverishes us and prevents us from being available and open to God and our neighbour.”

The Message highlights “a particular connection” that binds Baptism to Lent as “the favourable time” to experience God’s saving Grace and reminds the faithful that the Church has always associated the Easter Vigil with the celebration of Baptism.

Inviting the faithful to solemnly reflect on the Gospel readings over the five Sundays of Lent, the Message calls us to “undertake more seriously our journey towards Easter and prepare ourselves to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord.”

“Through the traditional practices of fasting, almsgiving and prayer which are an expression of our commitment to conversion,” the message continues, “Lent teaches us how to live the love of Christ in an ever more radical way.”

An official with Cor Unum, Msgr. Anthony Figueiredo says “Lent is a propitious time to help us relive what we received in baptism which is wiping out original sin and the consequences of our sins and receiving God’s grace to live a new life… it needs constantly reliving, rekindling.”

Listen to Tracey McClure’s interview with Msgr. Figueiredo: