VATICAN CITY, 10 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Today, the first Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father addressed the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus, reminding them that the beginning of this liturgical period means "dedicating particular attention to the spiritual struggle to oppose the evil that exists in the world, in each one of us, and around us".
Lent, the Pope went on, means "looking evil in the face and preparing oneself to combat its effects, especially in its causes, even unto its ultimate cause which is Satan. It means not offloading the problem of evil onto others, onto society or onto God, but recognising our own responsibilities and consciously shouldering them".
For this reason, its is important for Christians to listen "to Jesus' invitation for each to take up his or her own 'cross' and follow Him with humility and faith. The cross, however heavy it may be, is not a synonym of misfortune, of a calamity to be avoided, but an opportunity to follow Christ and thus to acquire strength in the fight against sin and evil.
"Thus", he added, "entering into Lent means renewing the individual and community decision to face up to evil together with Christ. The way of the Cross is, in fact, the only one that leads to the victory of love over hatred, of sharing over selfishness, of peace over violence".
The Holy Father then went on to remark that the beginning of Lent this year coincides with the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes (11 February 1858). "The message the Virgin Mary continues to proclaim at Lourdes", he said, "recalls the words that Jesus pronounced at the very beginning of His public mission: ... 'Convert and believe in the Gospel', pray and do penance. Let us welcome Mary's invitation, which echoes that of Christ, and ask her to enable us 'to enter' with faith into Lent, to live this period of grace with inner joy and generous commitment".
The Pope concluded his pre-Angelus remarks by entrusting the sick and their carers to the Virgin Mary, recalling that tomorrow, 11 February, marks the World Day of the Sick.
ANG/LENT:SICK/... VIS 20080212 (380)
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