With less than a week until Ash Wednesday [March 5], the Lenten season is about to begin. These 40 days leading up to Holy Week and Easter are a time when the Church recalls Christ’s fasting and prayer in the wilderness, his triumph over temptation, as well as the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the desert and Noah’s 40 days in the flood. For the faithful, fasting marks the beginning of this journey of conversion, a time to confront sin through repentance and acts of penance.
On Ash Wednesday, Catholics observe fasting and receive ashes as a visible sign of their commitment to repentance. During the liturgy, the celebrant marks the forehead of each person with ashes, saying: “Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
This simple yet profound phrase is a call to action—a summons to acknowledge one’s sins, turn back to God with sincerity, and make tangible changes in one’s life. It is an invitation to resist the fleeting pleasures of the material world as worldly possessions have their value but cannot offer lasting fulfillment. Only in God can one truly discover their identity, break free from the burdens of the heart, and find genuine peace, freedom, and joy.
Lent is a season that calls all Christians to self-examination, fervent prayer, heartfelt repentance, self-discipline, and acts of penance. It is a time to renew relationships—with God, family, others, and oneself. The season carries a spirit of letting go of the old and embracing the new, of passing through death into eternal life. It is the season to repent, abandon harmful habits, and extend greater compassion to those around us, especially those in need.
In line with the Jubilee Year 2025 and Pope Francis’ apostolic letter, Spes non confundit [Hope Does Not Disappoint], the diocese has identified eight groups for special pastoral care: the elderly [especially the sick, lonely, and poor], prisoners and those seeking reintegration, children and families, youth, hospital patients, healthcare workers, caregivers, individuals with mental illnesses and those in recovery, the environment, refugees and new immigrants, and people living in poverty.
The faithful are encouraged not only to remember these groups in their prayers but also to show practical compassion through concrete actions. This outreach goes beyond material assistance—it calls for a spirit of empathy, listening to the voices of these brothers and sisters, and standing in solidarity with them. In doing so, we encounter Christ himself and witness his loving presence in their midst.
May all the faithful come to understand the deeper significance as they fast and engage in acts of charity and love during Lent. Joining the catechumens who are preparing for baptism, let us embrace this season as a time of spiritual renewal and conversion—transforming Lent into a journey filled with joy and hope. SE
