Lent represents a time of hope and rebirth

My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Each year as winter is fading and spring is on the horizon, our Church gives us the season of Lent as a time of hope and renewal. As Pope Francis says in his 2022 Lenten message, “Lent is a favorable time for personal and community renewal, as it leads us to the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” For us believers, Lent represents a time of hope and rebirth.

Lent is also a journey—from the darkness of sin and death to the light of Christ which shines most brightly at Easter time. We make this journey each year with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. This year, the images we use to emphasize the spiritual journey that is at the heart of Christian life are especially poignant because we are preparing for the 2023 Synod of Bishops.

This worldwide synodal process initiated by Pope Francis last year can be described as an extended Lenten journey. Its themes—Communion, Participation and Mission—call our attention to the meaning of our lives as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ. In fact, the synod’s call for prayerful listening, encounter with the person of Jesus, and discernment of God’s will for our Church, represents a kind of roadmap (or GPS system) for our life’s journey.

Lent 2022 comes at a time when our world is weary and disillusioned due to years of pandemic, economic and political turmoil, and social discord. More than ever, it seems, we need this “favorable time” to renew our spirits and to regain a vibrant hope for the future—what the Holy Father calls “a foretaste of Easter joy.”

Especially now, we are prone to weariness and discouragement, and we run the risk of losing hope in the presence and power of God. As Pope Francis says, “Bitter disappointment at shattered dreams, deep concern for the challenges ahead, and discouragement at the poverty of our resources, can make us tempted to seek refuge in self-centeredness and indifference to the suffering of others.” Still, Lent can be a graced moment for us if we use this time to “place our faith and hope in the Lord,” and to ask for forgiveness regularly in the Sacrament of Penance. 

Continue reading Cardinal Joseph Tobin’s latest newsletter in English or Spanish.