CONVERSION OF HEART, THE FUNDAMENTAL ASPECT OF LENT

VATICAN CITY, FEB 14, 2002 (VIS) - In the evening of yesterday, Ash Wednesday, in the Basilica of St. Sabina, the Pope presided at the Liturgy of the Word and, following his homily, blessed and imposed the ashes on a number of faithful. The Eucharistic liturgy was presided by Cardinal Jozef Tomko, who holds the title of St. Sabina.

In the homily, the Pope commented on the words of the prophet Joel, taken from today's liturgy. They, he said, indicate that "conversion of heart" is "the fundamental aspect of this special time of grace which we are now preparing to experience" and prompt an awareness that "the Lord is merciful and each individual is a child of His, loved and called to conversion."

John Paul II affirmed that the passage from Joel reminds us "that spiritual commitment must be translated into solid choices and actions, that authentic conversion must not be reduced to exterior forms or vague intentions, but calls for involvement and the transformation of all existence."

"We must all ask forgiveness of the Lord. ... We too, like the contemporaries of the prophet, have images of suffering and enormous tragedies - often the result of irresponsible egoism - before our eyes and impressed upon our souls. We too feel the weight of the confusion of so many men and women who are faced by the pain of innocent people and by the contradictions of modern humanity. We need the Lord's help in order to recover faith and the joy of life. We must return to Him, who today opens for us the door of His heart, so full of goodness and mercy."

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