Pope Francis, in his message to Lent, invites the Church to “live with joy and enjoy this time of grace”; and we must reflect on a verse from the Gospel of Matthew (24,12): “If evil is to grow, love in the majority will face” (24,12). The Pope emphasises: “Once we sold the Easter Bunny. To prepare the receipt, Providence of God offers us every year Lent, “a sacramental sign of our conversion”, [1] which announces and gives an account of the possibility of returning to the Lord with all our heart and our whole life”.

Message of the Holy Father Francis for Lent 2021, 12.02.2021

As members of the Saint Arnold´s family we to strive to:

– Accompany people in their moments of pain and difficulty,

– Help heal wounds that remain, especially those of the most vulnerable

– Let us open our eyes and look to the future with hope, with the attitude of someone who believes in the strength of the Risen One.

The words of Saint Arnold Janssen encourages us on this path:

“The Lord has already allowed you some suffering, but surely he has also given you moments of joy. Let us accept both situations with the same disposition. Both joys and pain, everything redounds to our authentic good … So keep your filial trust in God! “

“Let’s kiss the cross … so that we will be transformed, as soon as possible, as a source of joy and blessing.”

“The Lord challenges our faith to do something new, precisely when so much is collapsing in the Church.”

May the season of Lent help us to seek and fulfil God’s will in these difficult times!