We are called to renew our hearts and minds in response to Jesus’ remarkable love this year as the Lord gives us another chance to get ready for the celebration of the great mystery of His death and resurrection. The Paschal mystery—the death and resurrection of Jesus—is central to our Christian lives and influences both our individual and collective religious experiences. This enigma necessitates our ongoing contemplation, beckoning us to accept its transforming potential and react with candor, liberty, and charity.
1. The Foundation of Conversion: The Paschal Mystery
Accepting the Good News—the account of Jesus’ death and resurrection—is the foundation of Christian pleasure. Our faith is based on this kerygma, or the proclamation of the Gospel, which encapsulates the mystery of God’s love and is “so real, so true, so concrete, that it invites us to a relationship of openness and fruitful dialogue” (Christus Vivit, 117). Believing in this message entails denying the myth that we are the only ones in charge of life. Rather, we acknowledge that God is the source of life, having created it out of love and a desire to provide us with abundant life (cf. Jn 10:10). We run the risk of sinking into a void of meaninglessness and going through a form of hell on earth when we listen to the voice of the “father of lies” (John 8:44). The terrible results of this decision are evident in both individual and societal human experiences.
We are encouraged to revisit and consider this central enigma in depth during this Lenten season. “Keep your eyes fixed on the outstretched arms of Christ crucified, let yourself be saved over and over again,” as stated in Christus Vivit (No. 123). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ Paschal mystery is made real to us today, allowing us to experience and touch Christ in other people’s suffering. We always have access to the grace and power of Jesus’ death and resurrection, which is always ready to renew and change us.
2. The Need for Conversion Immediately
Conversion is desperately needed, especially in view of the Paschal mystery. Conversion is an active encounter with Christ’s love rather than a passive one. It calls on us to approach God in prayer as a sign of our need for His love and mercy, not just as a chore. We can get closer to God’s heart via prayer, which becomes an essential element of our Lenten journey. Through prayer, we are able to experience His transforming kindness, which softens our hearts and draws us closer to Him.
Like Israel in the desert (cf. Hos 2:14), we can hear God’s voice more clearly in the silence of prayer, where He communicates directly to us and invites us to come back to Him. We encounter His mercy more profoundly the more we allow His Word to enter our lives. We have the opportunity to get closer to God and be forgiven during this time of grace. We must not let this time go by in vain, believing that we have control over the conversion moments. We are being called to repent and renew our hearts toward God at this particular season, which is the call to conversion.
3. God’s fervent desire to communicate with His children
The Paschal mystery makes clear God’s intense will to communicate with us. We should not take for granted this new season of grace, in which God presents us with the chance to be converted once more. It is an opportunity for introspection and an awakening that ought to rouse us from spiritual indolence. The Lord still offers the possibility of reconciliation in spite of the evil and suffering that appear to pervade our world. God’s compassion and desire to heal and restore humanity are demonstrated in the death of Jesus, who, while being sinless, took on our sins and became sin for us (cf. 2 Cor 5:21).
This communication with the living God is profound and transformative, not only a surface-level interaction. We have the chance to have this conversation during Lent through prayer, going beyond meaningless words or surface-level discussions. God wants genuine communication with everyone of His children, not just idle banter. This discussion is based on the Paschal mystery, which reveals God’s merciful heart and invites us to respond to His love honestly and receptively.
4. A Wealth to Be Distributed, Not Preserved for Oneself
Accepting the Paschal mystery entails acknowledging Christ’s wounds in the modern world. The numerous innocent victims of violence, whether from war, assaults on life, or natural disasters, reflect Christ’s suffering. His pain is evident in the face of human trafficking, poverty, and the avarice of profit that drives the most vulnerable to be exploited. Since the love of Christ calls us to be healers, these injustices and wounds provide us the chance to interact with the world compassionately.
We are urged by this Lenten season to give to those in need and open our hearts. An essential component of our Lenten practice, almsgiving is about more than just charity; it’s about changing our hearts and helping to build a more compassionate and just world. We run the risk of growing more aloof from people and losing the opportunity to appreciate the depth of God’s love when we hoard or keep our resources to ourselves. We become more fully human via generosity, manifesting Christ’s compassion in concrete ways.
Additionally, I will bring together young economists, entrepreneurs, and change-makers in Assisi from March 26 to 28 this year to talk about how we can create an economy that is more equitable and inclusive. The principles of the Beatitudes should guide an evangelical approach to the economy, just as they should to politics. We may build a society in which the Paschal mystery is not only commemorated in churches but also lived out in our everyday lives by means of these conversations and constructive initiatives.
In conclusion
We are urged to meditate on the Paschal mystery, open our hearts to God more completely, and answer His invitation to conversion as we proceed through Lenten. Instead of wasting this chance, let’s let it transform us and bring us closer to God’s mercy and love. We can become authentic followers of Christ—becoming the salt of the earth and the light of the world, as He urges us to be—through prayer, almsgiving, and our dedication to justice (cf. Mt 5:13-14). In order for us to develop in grace and be changed by the Paschal mystery, may Mary Most Holy intercede on our behalf and lead us on this journey of reconciliation and rebirth.