Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, the 40 days that commemorate Jesus’ walk into the desert where he fasted, prayed and resisted temptation. – By Gerald Gekara.
Pope Francis has encouraged Catholics to practice charity in Lent this year by caring for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
In his message for Lent 2021, the pope asks people to “experience Lent with love,” which “rejoices in seeing others grow.”
“To experience Lent with love means caring for those who suffer or feel abandoned and fearful because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In these days of deep uncertainty about the future, let us keep in mind the Lord’s word to his Servant, ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you’ (Isaiah 43:1). In our charity, may we speak words of reassurance and help others to realize that God loves them as sons and daughters,” Pope Francis wrote in the message published Feb. 12.
The pope emphasized that even a small amount of almsgiving when offered with “joy and simplicity” can multiply, as did “the loaves blessed, broken and given by Jesus to the disciples to distribute to the crowd.”
“Love is a gift that gives meaning to our lives. It enables us to view those in need as members of our own family, as friends, brothers or sisters. A small amount, if given with love, never ends, but becomes a source of life and happiness,” he said.
In Kenya, Father Fredrick Chege led Christians at the Holy Family Basilica, urging christians to seek to have a closer relationship with God.
“The church gives us lent period to reclaim the beauty of our souls through prayer, let us cultivate and intensify our prayer life… As we fast on food and those things that give us pleasure we allow ourselves to move closer to God and gain the capacity to share with the needy,” Father Chege concluded.
