Vatican City (AsiaNews) – While the world continues to pray for his health, even from the Gemelli Hospital Pope Francis continues to indicate the path of the downtrodden as the way of the Gospel, through his magisterium.
In his message for Lent, the pontiff says that, “It would be a good Lenten exercise for us to compare our daily life with that of some migrant or foreigner, to learn how to sympathize with their experiences and in this way discover what God is asking of us so that we can better advance on our journey to the house of the Father.”
The pope’s latest medical report released last night reads: “The clinical conditions of the Holy Father in their criticality show a slight improvement”. This morning, the Holy See Press Office reported that Pope Francis had a restful night. Before that he made his usual phone call to the Holy Family Parish in Gaza.
The message the pontiff prepared for the upcoming Lent was released today; in the spirit of the jubilee year, it was titled "Let us journey together in hope".
In it, remembering the long journey of the people of Israel to the promised land, described in the Book of Exodus, Francis turned his thoughts again to “those of our brothers and sisters who in our own day are fleeing situations of misery and violence in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones.”
“A first call to conversion thus comes from the realization that all of us are pilgrims in this life; each of us is invited to stop and ask how our lives reflect this fact. Am I really on a journey, or am I standing still, not moving, either immobilized by fear and hopelessness or reluctant to move out of my comfort zone? Am I seeking ways to leave behind the occasions of sin and situations that degrade my dignity?”
For the pontiff, a journey is always made "together” in the synodal style that he says the Church should follow.
“This Lent, God is asking us to examine whether in our lives, in our families, in the places where we work and spend our time, we are capable of walking together with others, listening to them, resisting the temptation to become self-absorbed and to think only of our own needs.
“Let us ask ourselves in the presence of the Lord whether, as bishops, priests, consecrated persons and laity in the service of the Kingdom of God, we cooperate with others. Whether we show ourselves welcoming, with concrete gestures, to those both near and far. Whether we make others feel a part of the community or keep them at a distance.”
Pope Francis said that the "hope that does not disappoint" (cf. Rom 5:5) is the central message of the jubilee, as well as “the focus of our Lenten journey towards the victory of Easter” because in the resurrection of Jesus, “Death has been transformed into triumph, and the faith and great hope of Christians rests in this: the resurrection of Christ!”
“Am I convinced that the Lord forgives my sins? Or do I act as if I can save myself? Do I long for salvation and call upon God’s help to attain it? Do I concretely experience the hope that enables me to interpret the events of history and inspires in me a commitment to justice and fraternity, to care for our common home and in such a way that no one feels excluded?”
At the end, Francis said: “May the Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope, intercede for us and accompany us on our Lenten journey.”
