In his Lenten Message this year, Pope Francis urged us to “… experience Lent with love”.

He was referring specifically to caring for those affected by the Coronavirus, but it’s a great invitation for us all to really enter into the season in a positive and meaningful way.

To be invited to “experience Lent” is to be invited into an active participation in this beautiful liturgical season. Rather than just giving up chocolate or Netflix (although there’s nothing wrong with that) the Pope is asking us to really dive in.

Lent is a time to draw nearer to God and to one another. It is a time to examine ourselves, certainly, and see what obstacles might be preventing us from getting closer to God. But it is also a time to look outward, to look to the needs of our neighbour.

And while it’s good to donate to those in need during Lent, Pope Francis never tires of inviting us into personal encounter. He wants us to “experience Lent with love” because he wants us to reach out to one another.

In his message, which focuses on the virtues of faith, hope and love, he talks of the value of simple kindness. To take time with those we meet, to give a smile of encouragement to someone who needs it, to be with those who might feel forgotten or overlooked. This type of encounter can take place in the home or in the classroom, at work or in a missionary setting. Simple kindness is an act of love.

Much of what we do as missionaries is about encounter, and, following the encounter, it’s about accompaniment. Being with people in their daily life, being a part of their struggles and their joys, sharing faith and meals and celebrations. To accompany someone is to love them by being present to them in whatever situation they find themselves.

So this Lent, I’m looking for opportunities around to me to “experience Lent with love”. Sometimes there will be small acts of sacrifice involved. Perhaps I’m in a rush but I stop and spend a few minutes talking with someone or maybe a person has different views to me about certain things, but I engage in friendly conversation nonetheless. Who know what opportunities will arise, but I can’t wait to find out.

Yours in the Word,

Fr Asaeli Rass SVD,

Provincial.

Read more of Pope Francis' 2021 Lenten Message here.