“I invite every Christian community to do just this: to offer its members moments set aside to rethink their lifestyles, times to examine their presence in society and the contribution they make to its betterment.”
In his 2024 Lent Message Pope Francis outlines this season as a time to make decisions that are capable of making meaningful changes for life. He writes:
“The Church’s synodal form, which in these years we are rediscovering and cultivating, suggests that Lent is also a time of communitarian decisions, of decisions, small and large, that are countercurrent. Decisions capable of altering the daily lives of individuals and entire neighbourhoods, such as the ways we acquire goods, care for creation, and strive to include those who go unseen or are looked down upon. I invite every Christian community to do just this: to offer its members moments set aside to rethink their lifestyles, times to examine their presence in society and the contribution they make to its betterment. Woe to us if our Christian penance were to resemble the kind of penance that so dismayed Jesus. To us too, he says: “Whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting” (Mt 6:16). Instead, let others see joyful faces, catch the scent of freedom and experience the love that makes all things new, beginning with the smallest and those nearest to us. This can happen in every one of our Christian communities.”
Read the complete Lent 2024 message HERE
Readings
Jer 31:31-34 The days are coming when I will make a new covenant with Israel and I will forgive their iniquity.
Psalm 50:3-4, 12-15 R: Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Heb 5:7-9: He learnt to obey and became for all the source of eternal salvation.
Glory to you, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ!
If you serve me, follow me,
Says the Lord; and where I am my servant will also be.
Glory to you, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ!
Jn 12:20-30: If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it yields a rich harvest.
Music suggestions
Now the green blade riseth by John MacLeod C Crum
Unless a grain of wheat by Bernadette Farrell
Be not afraid by Bob Dufford
Homily Studio podcast
Listen to a 30-minute conversation about the scriptures for Sunday. The podcast can be located during the week leading up to 17 March at this link. HERE
Stations of the Cross
Participating in the Stations of the Cross this week is a profound way to connect with the heart of Lent. This devotion invites us to walk with Jesus to Calvary, meditating on His suffering and the encounters He had along the way. This practice deeply immerses us in the reality of Jesus’ sacrifice, helping us to reflect on the depth of His love and the cost of our salvation. It’s a tradition which can transform our understanding of sacrifice, suffering, and redemption, drawing us closer to Jesus as we prepare for the solemnity of Holy Week.
Prayer
E te Atua o tenei Wa Tonu, God of the present moment, hep us to see You through your Word and time with others today. Draw us closer to You so that we will hear Your voice and recommit ourselves to serve and follow you.
Āmene (from Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand Prayer card 2024.)
Photo images of the green shoot from Freepic
Photo of the Stations of the Cross by C. Gibbs
