It is a journey of penitence , or of deep review of our life. It is the news that God loves us and in his incarnate Son has shown us his solidarity, redeeming us from sin and death. Thus the Gospel is a message of liberation, joy and fullness of life. But whoever takes this message seriously must also make the commitment to a new life , inspired by Gospel values. It is a question of moving from a superficial life to deep inferiority, from selfishness to love, of striving to live according to the model of Christ himself.
Prayer can have many expressions, personal and communal.
In addition to being an external practice, fasting , which consists in the moderation of food and life-style, is a sincere effort to remove from our hearts all that is the result of sin and inclines us to evil. Almsgiving , far from being reduced to an occasional offering of money, means assuming an attitude of sharing and acceptance. Thus Lent is a forceful invitation to solidarity . Dear brothers and sisters, let us look to Mary in order to draw from her motherly gaze the courage of conversion. She knows our weakness, but she also knows the infinite resources of her divine Son's mercy.