As Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on March 5, Pope Francis is urging Christians to examine their consciences by comparing their daily lives to the hardships faced by migrants, calling it a way to grow in empathy and discover God’s call to compassion.
“It would be a good Lenten exercise for us to compare our daily life with that of some migrant or foreigner, to learn how to sympathize with their experiences and in this way discover what God is asking of us so that we can better advance on our journey to the house of the Father,” the pope wrote in his message for Lent 2025.
Pope Francis also emphasized the importance of journeying together, saying Christians should reflect on whether they are open to others or focused only on their own needs. He encouraged Christians to consider whether they truly live in a way that reflects hope, trusting in God’s promise of eternal life, seeking forgiveness and committing themselves to justice, fraternity and care for creation.
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