Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for Lent
2. To take seriously the way to Easter and prepare to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord - the most joyous and solemn celebration of the liturgical year - what could be more suitable to be led by the Word of God? For this reason the Church, in the Gospel texts of the Sundays of Lent leads us to a particularly intense encounter with the Lord, making us retrace the path of Christian initiation: for the catechumens, the prospect of receiving the sacrament of rebirth for those who is baptized, in view of new and decisive steps in following Christ and the gift more fully to Him
the first Sunday of the Lenten journey highlights our human condition on this land. The victorious battle against the temptations, which begins the mission of Jesus is an invitation to become aware of its fragility to receive the grace that frees us from sin and gives new strength in Christ, way, truth and life (cf. Ordo Initiationis Christianae Adultorum , n. 25). It 'a strong reminder to remember how the Christian faith involving the example of Jesus, in union with him, a struggle "against the rulers of this dark world" (Eph 6:12), in which the devil is at work and not get tired, even today, groped the man who wants to get closer to the Lord Christ comes out victorious, to open our hearts and lead us to hope to win the seductions of evil.
The Gospel of the Transfiguration of the Lord places before our eyes the glory of Christ, the resurrection and anticipates announcing the deification of man. The Christian community is aware of being carried out, as the apostles Peter, James and John, "aside, on a high mountain" (Mt 17:1), to welcome again in Christ, as sons in the Son, the gift of grace God: "This is my Son, my beloved in him I am well pleased. Listen to him" (v. 5). E 'invitation to move away from the noise of everyday life to plunge into God's presence: He wants to send, every day, a word that penetrates the depth of our spirit, which discerns the good and evil (cf. Heb 4:12) and strengthens the will to follow the Lord.
The question of Jesus to the Samaritan woman: "Give me a drink" (Jn 4:7), which is presented on the third Sunday in the liturgy, expressing the love of God for every man and wants to arouse in our hearts the desire of the gift of '"water welling up to eternal life" (v. 14) is the gift of the Holy Spirit, which Christians "true worshipers" able to pray to the Father "in spirit and truth" (v. 23). Only this water can quench our thirst for goodness, truth and beauty! Only this water, given to us by the Son, irrigates the deserts soul restless and dissatisfied, "until they rest in God," the celebrated words of St. Augustine.
The "Sunday of the man born blind" presents Christ as the light of the world. The Gospel challenges each of us: "You believe in the Son of Man?". "I believe, Lord!" (Jn 9,35.38), says the man born blind with joy, speaking on behalf of every believer. The miracle of healing is the sign that Christ, with the view, wants to open our inner eye, because our faith to become ever deeper and we acknowledge him as our only Saviour. He lights up all the darkness of life and leads man to live as "children of light".
When, in the fifth Sunday, there was proclaimed the resurrection of Lazarus, we are faced with the ultimate mystery of our existence: "I am the resurrection and the life ... Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26). For the Christian community is the time to put all sincerity, together with Martha, all the hope in Jesus of Nazareth: "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world" ( v. 27). Communion with Christ in this life prepares us to overcome the limits of death, to live without him in the end
faith in the resurrection and the hope of eternal life, open our eyes to the ultimate meaning of our life: God created man for the resurrection and the life, and this truth gives the true dimension and definitive history of the men in their personal lives and their social life, culture, politics, economics . Without the light of faith, the whole universe ends up locked inside a tomb with no future, no hope.
The Lenten journey is fulfilled in the Paschal Triduum, especially in the Great Vigil in the Holy Night: renewing our baptismal promises, we affirm that Christ is Lord of our life, the life that God has told us when we are born again "by 'water and the Holy Spirit, "and we reaffirm our firm commitment to respond to the action of grace to be his disciples.
Benedict XVI
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