In his letter to the faithful at the beginning of this Lent, Pope Francis offered some advice on how to walk the journey of Lent considering the current Jubilee of Hope. The Holy Father calls us to “journey together in hope,” and to make that project the program for our Lenten walk together. Francis breaks that phrase into three parts, and I think that it would be useful for us to consider each of them in the light of our Scriptures this weekend.
First, Lent is a “journey.” In other words, it is not a time to stand still or to be self-satisfied. We are always on a journey in this world, since our true home is heaven, and we are pilgrims in time and space. Francis proposes this reflection:
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? 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. This would be a good “examination of conscience” for all of us wayfarers.
We encounter Jesus in today’s Gospel also on a journey of sorts. He is out in the desert – a place of scarcity, solitude, and prayer. The Lord knew that He had a big job ahead of Him in His ministry, and these forty days of communion with God were meant to focus Him more deeply on the Father’s will and the movement of the Holy Spirit. In imitation of the Lord, we too take these forty days to make a journey. As sinners, we know that we need to move “from here to there”; and “there” is a place of greater grace and life that God offers us through our Easter faith. We cannot, therefore, be content to just stay where we are. An honest look at those things that hold us back from fully following Jesus and loving others is necessary to get us going on that journey.
Second, Francis points out that Lent is a “journey together.” We are not alone. We share this way through the desert of life with fellow disciples – people from all walks of life who also know that they are sinners in need of God’s merciful care. Recognizing that we are together on that way, we must realize that we share a common origin and a common goal.
This was the point of Moses’ admonition to the Israelites to come and worship together and to acknowledge that they had a shared heritage: “My father was a wandering Aramean who went down to Egypt with a small household and lived there as an alien. But there he became a nation great, strong, and numerous.” We are not freed from our sinful way of life to be isolated; nor are we absolved from caring about the problems of others. As Christians, we are a family of faith, and no one is more important than another – especially when there are poor and needy among us. We are all “wandering Arameans,” and God has called us to journey together.
Finally, the pope encourages us to “journey together in hope.” Christian hope is not naïve optimism; rather it is rooted in the Lord Himself. Saint Paul witnesses to this today in our Second Reading, saying, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. For the Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”
Sometimes, making the journey of Lent is very difficult; often, living the Christian call to holiness is difficult; certainly, Jesus promises us the Cross. However, He also promises us the Resurrection. Lent is the Christian journey from darkness, sin, and death, toward light, mercy, and life. Anyone on that journey should know that Jesus intends to be faithful to His promises to those who believe. In light of that promise, the Holy Father writes,
This, then, is the third call to conversion: a call to hope, to trust in God and his great promise of eternal life. Let us ask ourselves: 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?
So, brothers and sisters, let us journey together in hope! This Lent is an opportunity to renew our personal commitment to grow in faith and holiness, to acknowledge our brothers and sisters who make that journey with us, and to renew our hope in the good things that God has in store for us all.
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