Lent encourages us to let the Word of God penetrate our life … Lent offers us an ascetic and liturgical route which, while helping us to open our eyes to our weakness, opens our hearts to the merciful love of Christ… Lent, therefore, as a time of listening to the truth ... to convert to love, because the deep truth, the truth of God, is at the same time love.

By converting to the truth of God, we must necessarily be converted to love; a love that knows how to make its own the Lord's attitude of compassion and mercy...

… May Lent also be a time of fasting, penance and watchfulness of ourselves, and may we be convinced that the fight against sin is never-ending, because temptation is a daily reality....

through alms-giving and doing good to others, may Lent be an opportunity for sincere sharing with our brethren of the gifts that we have received, and of attention to the needs of the poorest and most abandoned people. 

For the full text from His Holiness Pope Francis, click here.

"Lent is a time for greater Love. " - St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

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