Lent offers a time to confront the central claim of Christianity that Jesus was raised from the dead and offered the world a different vision, a vision that has inspired countless men and women to throw everything away to follow him. Lent is a time to eschew the shallow Christianity that offers a saccharine and sanitized faith that doesn’t challenge us to live the Gospel message with integrity and intentionality.
At the opening of the Jubilee Year dedicated to the virtue of Hope, Pope Francis observed that hope, “is a summons not to tarry, to be kept back by our old habits, or to wallow in mediocrity or laziness. Hope calls us – as Saint Augustine would say – to be upset with things that are wrong and to find courage to change them.”
Let’s not stand still this Lent. Let’s contemplate the challenge of the Gospel, especially the always challenging parable of the Good Samaritan and take advantage of the disciplines of Lent – fasting, almsgiving and prayer – to soften our hearts and open our arms for our sisters and brothers in need.
Brother Robert Schaefer, FSC, B.A. ’89, M.A. ’94 Visitor District of Eastern North America