Lenten Message
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The Pope's theme for Lenten reflection this year is justice. He says that while laws can guarantee many things, they cannot guarantee what people truly need most - love, which can only come from God. True life and fulfillment comes from accepting our need for God and relying on His love and forgiveness. The Pope calls for humility in recognizing our need for God to free us from selfishness and give us His gifts. He says that through Christ's actions, we can experience the greatest justice of love, which sees itself as more a debtor than a creditor due to God's generosity. This experience should motivate Christians to help create just societies where all people can live according to human dignity and where justice is guided by love.
![This year, the Holy Father has proposed the theme ofThis year, the Holy Father has proposed the theme of
justicejustice for our Lenten reflection.for our Lenten reflection.
In his message, Benedict XVI says:In his message, Benedict XVI says:
"What man needs most cannot be guaranteed to him"What man needs most cannot be guaranteed to him
by law.by law.
In order to live life to the full, something moreIn order to live life to the full, something more
intimate is necessary that can be granted only as aintimate is necessary that can be granted only as a
gift: we could say that man lives by that love whichgift: we could say that man lives by that love which
only God can communicate since He created theonly God can communicate since He created the
human person in His image and likeness. [...]human person in His image and likeness. [...]
Just as man needs bread, so does man have evenJust as man needs bread, so does man have even
more need of God."more need of God."
際際滷 1](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/lenten-message-100325015121-phpapp02/85/Lenten-Message-1-320.jpg)
![And the Pope adds: "Conversion to Christ,And the Pope adds: "Conversion to Christ,
believing in the Gospel, ultimately means this:believing in the Gospel, ultimately means this:
to exit the illusion ofto exit the illusion of proudproud self-sufficiency inself-sufficiency in
order to discover and accept ones own need order to discover and accept ones own need
the need of others and of our need of God, thethe need of others and of our need of God, the
need of His forgiveness and His friendship.need of His forgiveness and His friendship.
[...][...]
Humility is required to accept that . .Humility is required to accept that . .
I need Another to free me from 'what is mine,'I need Another to free me from 'what is mine,'
to give me gratuitously 'what is His.'"to give me gratuitously 'what is His.'"
際際滷 2](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/lenten-message-100325015121-phpapp02/85/Lenten-Message-2-320.jpg)
Lenten Message
- 1. This year, the Holy Father has proposed the theme ofThis year, the Holy Father has proposed the theme of justicejustice for our Lenten reflection.for our Lenten reflection. In his message, Benedict XVI says:In his message, Benedict XVI says: "What man needs most cannot be guaranteed to him"What man needs most cannot be guaranteed to him by law.by law. In order to live life to the full, something moreIn order to live life to the full, something more intimate is necessary that can be granted only as aintimate is necessary that can be granted only as a gift: we could say that man lives by that love whichgift: we could say that man lives by that love which only God can communicate since He created theonly God can communicate since He created the human person in His image and likeness. [...]human person in His image and likeness. [...] Just as man needs bread, so does man have evenJust as man needs bread, so does man have even more need of God."more need of God." 際際滷 1
- 2. And the Pope adds: "Conversion to Christ,And the Pope adds: "Conversion to Christ, believing in the Gospel, ultimately means this:believing in the Gospel, ultimately means this: to exit the illusion ofto exit the illusion of proudproud self-sufficiency inself-sufficiency in order to discover and accept ones own need order to discover and accept ones own need the need of others and of our need of God, thethe need of others and of our need of God, the need of His forgiveness and His friendship.need of His forgiveness and His friendship. [...][...] Humility is required to accept that . .Humility is required to accept that . . I need Another to free me from 'what is mine,'I need Another to free me from 'what is mine,' to give me gratuitously 'what is His.'"to give me gratuitously 'what is His.'" 際際滷 2
- 3. At another point in his Lenten reflection,At another point in his Lenten reflection, Benedict XVI affirms:Benedict XVI affirms: "Thanks to Christs action, we may enter into"Thanks to Christs action, we may enter into the 'greatest' justice, which is that of lovethe 'greatest' justice, which is that of love (cf.(cf. Romans 13:8-10),Romans 13:8-10), the justice that recognizesthe justice that recognizes itself in every case more a debtor than aitself in every case more a debtor than a creditor, because it has received more thancreditor, because it has received more than could ever have been expected.could ever have been expected. "Strengthened by this very experience, the"Strengthened by this very experience, the Christian is moved to contribute to creatingChristian is moved to contribute to creating just societies, where all receive what isjust societies, where all receive what is necessary to livenecessary to live according to the dignityaccording to the dignity proper to the human personproper to the human person and where justiceand where justice is enlivened by love."is enlivened by love." With Gods blessing for this Lenten Season,With Gods blessing for this Lenten Season, 際際滷 3