What is prayer?

Manuel: At the end of each day – when “the curtain” closes and the applauding hands are no longer audible, when our possible mask falls – a remarkably fragile person is discovered. What is discovered is a human being that, some argue, is not really ‘a person’ but an amalgam of images and masks.

I take this context to be an essential element when coming to define what prayer is. Personally, I take prayer to be essentially characterised by “silence”. This kind of silence is a silence to which one need not demonstrate, perform, or do anything. It is a silence in which one truly accepts one’s brokenness. This is indeed a very personal experience, featuring two faces which, at first glance, may seem distant or unbridgeable, namely: the face of a loving God and the face of a broken humanity. Indeed, because prayer is, in a deep sense, God’s love for our brokenness, for what we are.

Does society tend to look down upon certain forms of prayer?

Manuel: Society does look down upon certain forms of prayers. I’m afraid that many professions have attempted to interpret and thus reduce what goes on in the human heart when praying to God. Here, I also have in mind processions and pilgrimages. It seems that these forms of worship are practised mostly by the ‘working class’, and are looked down upon by the ‘middle class’. For instance, some have argued that people walk the procession of Our Lady of Sorrows simply because they identify their sorrows with those of Our Lady and not because they truly believe. This sounds like a gross generalisation! How can one argue that every person that walks behind the effigy of Our Lady of Sorrows does so simply because of this identification? To me, it seems more of a projection or an assumption to think so.

Moreover, many argue that we need a more authentic kind of religion. Although we must always strive more toward this, these critics frequently attempt to ‘disney-fy’ religion and equate it with mere entertainment. Unfortunately, locally there is a tendency to make novel kinds of entertainment out of Processions, but, again, it is grossly wrong to think that the ‘ill-intention’ of some people is everybody’s. Aestheticism (i.e. reducing worship to mere entertainment) is unfortunately a reality, but it is not the complete reality.

In one sense, all Feasts and with them all Processions are an important reminder (or should be) that divine love triumphs over death! They are also an expression of hope; a transgression of the ‘everyday’ to keep reminding us of the relation between hope and love.

What do you think is the relation between external forms of prayer and idolatry?

Manuel: Anybody who thinks of external forms of worship as blatant paganism (i.e. or as idolatry) is implicitly denouncing the Incarnation. This is because, Christ chose a human body to make the salvific mysteries present. Christ chose an external sign to express a spiritual reality.

In this light, the “symbol” should not be seen as being equally important as the representation. Indeed, after all, statues could in fact be potential means of idolatry and some people do have a faith that is indeed limited to only the days of the feast. But all of these cases misinterpret and misconstrue the fundamental role that “symbol” should play.

I was always intrigued when noticing that the people one never sees in church would turn up when the statue of Our Lady leaves its niche. While some may rush to accuse such people of hypocrisy, it is, I think, a mistake. This perspective often fails to take into account the internal journeys of people. While faith should not be linked exclusively to a statue, one should never eradicate any thread that holds the relationship of people to the faith (i.e. even though one’s faith shouldn’t and cannot only depend on a statue). The point here is that the atmosphere of the church, together with the aesthetics, could be a potential means for one to reinvigorate their faith. These ‘in-betweens’ (i.e. these signs and symbols) can make certain realities more present and reachable to us.

Sometimes, different people have different ways in which they access the sacred. Some access it through words, some through music, some through silence, and some others access it through pictures and sculptures.

This coming Sunday a pilgrimage with the Statue of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces will start at 4:15pm from the church of Żabbar. This is a pilgrimage that is enacted as a way of immersing us deeper in the spirt of Lent. On behalf of the committee of the People’s Sunday’s pilgrimage, we invite you to this event, with the participation of His Grace, Archbishop Scicluna.

Manuel Abdilla is 25 years old. He is currently occupying the role of a teacher at one of Malta’s local schools, and he is mainly interested in Art, Contemporary Philosophy, Literature, Liturgy, the history of the clergy post world war I and before Vatican II, and the history of the church during the reign of Pius XII.

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In my twenty-eight years of life, I honestly never even imagined that there could be any sort of event, calamity or emergency, whatever its nature,that would result in the archdiocese having to suspend Mass being held in public as usual. Even on the most superficial of levels, it feels eerily strange. I have been saying to my family and friends that ever since the archbishop made the announcement, it feels like normal life has been on hold. My town’s parish church is open and the parish priest kneels in prayer, leading his flock by example. People go into the church in very small numbers – nowhere close to the usual amounts – kneel in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and converse with Jesus. I imagine them staring at Jesus, perhaps shellshocked, not knowing what to say. What do you tell the Lord when the Mass – the most supreme of prayers – has been suspended? I, for one, look at Him in the tabernacle in utter confusion, not knowing what to say and not knowing what to think.

The need for courage

I grew up very close to my grandparents. Stories of World War II abounded. I have photos of Mass being celebrated in the remains of churches all over the islands. The rain of bombs during World War II did not stop Mass taking place and did not stop the people from going to Mass. Some churches carry bomb damage to this day. One of the photos I have is of Archpriest Emmanuel Brincat of Senglea standing in the ruins of the magnificent basilica, just under the pulpit, with a massive hole in the dome, over the main altar, with rubble all around him and with most of the ceiling missing. If that’s not courage, then I don’t know what is.

On a practical level, I understand that this is a medical necessity. As this virus seems to spread rather easily, cancelling gatherings of people in confined spaces is necessary in order to slow it down.

An emergency during Lent

This emergency has struck during Lent – a time of personal introspection, penance and fasting for Catholics. The aim of Lent is to experience God’s love for us, to repent and seek healing from sin and to get trained in resisting temptation. During Lent, we look to Jesus, recall our sinfulness and ask Him to heal us from the wounds of sin. After Lent comes Easter, a time of rejoicing so fervent that the celebration lasts for seven weeks.

I daresay that many equate the start of Lent with the often-futile resolutions people tend to make each January. Many people say that they will not eat chocolate during Lent or that they will deprive themselves of something they usually enjoy. This is not to say that they should not do so, but rather that they should question the reason behind abstinence and fasting; whether it is a personal tradition or a way of cleaving to most essential by depriving oneself of the less essential. This time round, we are fasting, albeit involuntarily, from the Eucharist. This merits some reflection.

The urgency of conversion

Perhaps it is the case that we have lost the sense of urgency of conversion – and I address this to myself, first and foremost. In his message for this Lent, Pope Francis emphasised the urgency of conversion. Specifically, he says:

“Even more than a duty, prayer is an expression of our need to respond to God’s love which always precedes and sustains us. Christians pray in the knowledge that, although unworthy, we are still loved. Prayer can take any number of different forms, but what truly matters in God’s eyes is that it penetrates deep within us and chips away at our hardness of heart, in order to convert us ever more fully to God and to his will.”

Pope Francis then adds: “May we not let this time of grace pass in vain, in the foolish illusion that we can control the times and means of our conversion to him.”

We cannot control

This seems quite appropriate given that no one was expecting this virus to strike and no one was expecting Mass to be cancelled.  Sometimes, we also need to be deprived of the most essential just to understand what is truly indispensable. This teaches us that we cannot control the times and means of our conversion, however tough those circumstances may be!

Catholics in Malta and Gozo have the immense privilege of having several churches and chapels all over the islands. Most churches hold at least three Masses on weekdays and up to four, five or six Masses on Sundays. Parishes carefully fine-tune the Mass schedules in order to ensure the times are convenient for most people. In any case, attending Mass could not be more convenient. Do we avail ourselves of this immense privilege?

What does Mass really mean to us?

Slowly, we are starting to know what it feels like to be deprived of Mass. Now, many are frantically looking for ways to follow Mass broadcast from the Curia in Floriana or from Casa Santa Marta in Rome. Other priests, commendably, are live-streaming Masses which they celebrate alone in various churches. In itself, this is wonderful. Our priests are full-time shepherds. They do not take time off, for love is never idle.

What about us? Have we taken time off from the Christian life? Are we recognising that the Christian life is about Jesus, not about us? Are we understanding that the purpose of life is to give glory to Him, not to ourselves? After all, what is fasting meant to teach us? Fasting and abstinence teach us that “Man does not live by bread alone.” (Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4)  Do we live by bread alone? Or do we allow our faith to permeate our lives? Fasting and abstinence are meant to redirect our attention to Jesus. These are some questions upon which it is worth reflecting. Once again – I address this first and foremost to myself.

Some undoubtedly treat Sunday Mass as some sort of family tradition or as some event one usually attends on Sundays. Now, that tradition has been disrupted. To you, who attends on Sundays without much attention to why you attend, I would like to ask how you feel now that no Mass is being held. How do you feel? What are you thinking? What has the Mass meant to you so far? Now that it’s not being held, has its meaning changed for you? It is worth going to the nearest church nonetheless, sitting down for a few minutes and asking Jesus about the Mass. Perhaps we should all ask Jesus to show us the true meaning of the Mass.

Lent 2020 can be a special experience of renewal

Jesus waits for us all the time. Now, we are waiting for Him. This is not some cruel game which Jesus wants to play. He wants us to understand who He is. There is no better time for such understanding than Lent, and this particular Lent of 2020.

How will we react when Mass starts to be celebrated again in the normal manner? Will we sink into a pattern of indifference? Or will we, renewed by this experience, jump at the opportunity and ask Jesus to make us enthusiastic about the prospect of receiving Him in the Eucharist?

Let us ask Jesus not to restore us to ordinary, normal life. Let us instead ask Jesus to restore us to life in Him! In Him, the joy of Easter lasts forever.

Read more:
– Is Lent A Negative Season?
– Unrealistic Expectations Of Others And Of Self

The post What Makes Lent 2020 so Special appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Maundy Thursday, The Day Of The Last Supper

Maundy Thursday Verse 1, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled”

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. You know where I am going, and you know the way. Thomas asked him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jn 14:1, 5-6

Maundy Thursday Verse 2 , “Your pain will turn into joy”

“You’ll be deeply distressed, but your pain will turn into joy.  When a woman is in labour she has pain, because her time has come. Yet when she has given birth to her child, she doesn’t remember the agony anymore because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. Now you are having pain. But I’ll see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” Jn 16:20-22

Maundy Thursday Verse 3 , “Wash one another’s feet”

^“I’m giving you a new commandment to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. “Jn 13:14, 34-35

 Maundy Thursday Verse 4 , “I’m not going to forsake you like orphans”

“I will ask the Father to give you another Helper, to be with you always.  He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor recognizes him. But you recognise him, because he lives with you and will be in you. I’m not going to forsake you like orphans. I will come back to you.” Jn 14:16-18

Maundy Thursday Verse 5 , “I’m giving you my own peace”

“I’m leaving you at peace. I’m giving you my own peace. I’m not giving it to you as the world gives. So don’t let your hearts be troubled, and don’t be afraid.” Jn 14:27

Good Friday , The Day Of The Death Of Christ

Good Friday Verse 1 , “Everyone on the side of truth listen1s to me”

“You are a king, then! said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” Jn 18:37

Good Friday Verses 2 , The Last Seven Words of Jesus:

i. “And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, eli, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’ “Mt 27:46

ii. “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. “Lk 23:34

iii. “Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.'” Lk 23:42-43

iv. “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. “Jn 19:26-27

v. “After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I thirst.’ “Jn 19:28

vi. “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” Jn 19:30

vii. “Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit;’ and when he had said this he breathed his last.” Lk 23:46

Holy Saturday, The Day Jesus Lay In His Tomb After His Death

Holy Saturday Verse,

“The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” Lk 23: 55-56

Easter Sunday , The Day Of The Resurrection Of Jesus

Easter Sunday Verse 1 , “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”

“The men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.’ “Lk 24: 5

Easter Sunday Verse 2 , “I am the life”

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.”  Mk 28: 5-7

The Octave Of Easter , The eight days of Easter

Easter Octave Verse 1 , “Peace be with you!”

“When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” Jn 20:19-20

Easter Octave Verse 2, “Do not doubt but believe”

“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’  Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.'” Jn 20: 27-29

 Read more:
– Top Pope Francis’ Quotes On Death
– Top Pope Francis’ Prison Quotes

The post Prayerful Holy Week Bible Verses – Jesus’ Direct Speech appeared first on Universe of Faith.

It seems that vegetarians live a life of constant abstinence, as St Benedict stated. Indeed, as he admits, most of us would not be able to do so. So what can vegetarians do on Good Friday or Ash Wednesday when Catholics are obliged to abstain from meat? The vegetarian Catholic can fast, but how can s/he abstain? Well, some suggestions are:

1. Recognise your thirst for God … the thirst which leads one to God.

2. Focus on your thirst for God, and try to turn away from focusing on self and on your body.

3. Pray. If you cannot pray, then try to reflect on the needs of others. Perhaps you can help someone concretely.

4. Restrict yourself to a vegetarian meal similar to what a poor person could eat and give your savings to the poor or to the protection of the environment.

5. Make your meal poorer by trying to be vegan for the day … after all, in the early Church, abstinence was not only from meat but also from eggs and milk products.

What is central is that you attempt to open your heart to God’s love and create some wider space in your life for love of your neighbour.

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In this video the Global Catholic Climate Movement states that animal agriculture remains one of the leading contributors of greenhouse gas emissions. But learning how to make small changes in our diet can make a big impact on creation.

Read more:
– Why is Fasting Important During Lent?
– Is Lent a Negative Season?

The post Catholic Vegetarian – Fasting Tips appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Fasting has to do with trusting, healing an having an open heart

Fasting and abstinence have to do with a healing of relationships, with God, with others, with creation, with self. We each need this healing badly. For we all have a tendency to gobble: we want to eat, not only with our mouth, but also with our eyes, touch, smell and ears. Our way of eating may come to mean that we want to own and dominate more and more of nature. We want to compensate for the emptiness within us through food. Gluttony is akin to consumption. As consumers, we very easily become gluttons. The way we eat shows to what extent we can distance ourselves from our fixation with self and our solitary pleasures so that we can be freer to receive and give love. Thus, fasting and abstinence are an invitation to trust God who provides for us. They are an opening of the heart to gratitude. They are an opening of the heart to God.

Through fasting we learn that we are not self-sufficient

Precisely because we have a tendency to gobble, we need to act against (agere contra) ourselves. We do this in order to repent for our sins which are all rooted in narcissistic pride so evident in so many of our consumptive patterns. We need forgiveness, and fasting and abstinence help us to recognise and present this need. In addition, through fasting and abstinence, we slowly learn that we are not self-sufficient. We really, profoundly desire God, a desire which is often buried under layers of alienation and consumption. This is why it is important that we fast in prayer: prayer, and fasting and abstinence are an expectant emptiness before God. On the one hand, we desire God; we hunger and we thirst for God. On the other hand, we feel the struggle involved in fasting because we tend to want to consume more and more. Fasting and abstinence lead to purification of this desire, to repentance and to compunction; they lead us to continuously want to change ourselves. Fasting and abstinence also bid us to be vigilant towards our thoughts, our words and our heart. They are of benefit when they are combined with love for our neighbour. They are of benefit when we seek not so much to criticise others but instead to work on ourselves. Then we are marked by love for others and love for our soul: the fulfillment of the great commandment, that of love of God and one’s neighbor.

Fasting before God is different than fasting by ourselves

We recognise that we cannot do all this on our own. Indeed, in this struggle (aptly called agonia), we are not alone. We fast before God. Fasting or abstinence by ourselves, are dangerous: they tend to become an expression of mere narcissism. True fasting is a road to humility. By making our tables poorer, we learn to live in gratitude according to the logic of gift and love. By submitting ourselves, before God, to some form of deprivation, and not just depriving ourselves of what is excessive, we learn to look beyond our ‘ego’. We learn to discover that God is indeed close to us. We learn to recognise God in the face of our brothers and sisters. Fasting, far from being a heavy weight, opens us ever more to God and to the needs of others. Abstinence means that we deprive ourselves from the rich food (both in the economic and the ecological sense) which is meat. This is done in order to curb the concupiscence of the flesh and to open the heart and mind to God.

Send us your question at hello@universeoffaith.org

Read more:
– Feeling Insecure – Love As The Greatest Security
– Prayerful Holy Week Bible Verses

The post Why Is Fasting Important During Lent? appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Following the Christmas season fundraising marathons, we hear the praises being sung to the “good heartedness of the Maltese people . For many, such moments bring to light qualities and ways of behaving that make us genuinely human. It could be a moment of revelation, a moment of hope in humanity. We also sense that there is some kind of common “north to our different compasses. We still warm up to goodness, kindness, generosity.

Going beyond good heartedness

We can skip through Lent and continue to celebrate “our good heartedness or we can go beyond and scan our own heart. Though Lent seems to some as a time for moaning and flogging, we are really being invited to a journey of truth which is ultimately a journey of hope.

“Those who give big cheques get prime exposure, those who give everything are hidden in daily routine

Two examples can illustrate how Jesus takes us gently but firmly through this heart scan journey.

1. Jesus sees people putting donations in large amounts but says to his disciples: “Look at the widow. She put the least amount but gave more than the rest. She gave all she had . What is the measuring stick we use to check the quality of our heart as persons, or as a nation: quantity or quality? Those who give big cheques get prime exposure. Those who give everything , those who put their heart into it, those who give in a disinterested way , are often hidden in the daily routine. But it is they who keep hope in humanity alive. It is measured in the resilience of mothers and fathers, in their faithfulness in challenging moments of their children; in the faithfulness of people who accompany those who are terminally ill or persons struggling with mental health; in the courage of those who persevere in the work for justice despite setbacks.
2. “Who is my neighbour? asked the learned. “Who behaved as a neighbour? asks Jesus our guide. We all have ways to trick the doctor when we are afraid to face the real issue. Truth might call for a change in lifestyle and mentality. Jesus, as a good doctor, patiently tells stories that open new insights. The story of the good Samaritan is one of them. It illustrates how we prefer to discuss who “merits our generosity. With this mentality, our arteries get thinner thus affecting the health of our very heart. There are some groups/categories of people whom we find it easy or more fashionable to donate to. Others not. Who are the ones we find it difficult to respond to as “neighbour ? Could they be the ones through whom God heals our heart (on a personal and national level)? Helping us put our priorities in place?

Lent starts with ashes. It appears to be too weak to compete with the blinding lights of successive festive seasons. But it is only through Lent that the humble yet reals acts of love are taken up by the Lord, blessed, broken and shared as signs of hope “for you and for all”, for the Maltese and for all. Under the ashes there are embers to be rediscovered and set aflame by God’s grace. Are we ready for the operation?

Published: February 2018

–“I’ve Hit Rock Bottom” – Getting The Basics Right to Get Up 
– Feeling Insecure – Love As The Greatest Security

The post Is Lent a Negative Season? – a Lenten Reflection appeared first on Universe of Faith.

“Every day I sit on this hill and look and hope. I see the colours of the fields in front of me changing day by day, season by season. My son, I have always loved you so much. Why did you do this to me? Was it something I said? Did you not see that all I say is out of love? I wonder what you are doing today. I hope that you are safe and well. I have heard some rumours about you; could they be true? I have always tried to teach you to be wise and good, to choose right from wrong. Do you not remember?

That boy: so adventurous, so humorous and full of life. He always noticed when I was sad or worried. He would come up with something to ease my pain, to make me laugh or put a smile on my face. He is so different from his brother. His brother is always so obedient, so faithful and hardworking. On him I can always rely. My sons, I love them both so much.

Dear God, please protect my lost son, take care of him. Tap into his mind. Let him know that, no matter what, I will always love him.

Every day I think of you, I come here and wait. Wait and hope; hope that I might get a glimpse of you. My wish is that I get to see you, at least for a moment, before I die. Oh son of mine, will you ever return?

Wait…Could that be… No….Is it a mirage? I yearn too much. I am seeing things. But it is just like him. That untidy hair, that skip in his pace I knew so well.

Yes, yes, I see him, it is him. My son! My son!

Get up and run. Run fast my legs, you are too slow. Run faster.

Oh, He has returned! He has been found. Oh thank you God. What great joy! I have longed for this day to embrace him, to wrap my arms around him. I cannot let go. I do not want to let go. I love him so.”

The Father Of The Prodigal Son

Read more:
– Feeling Insecure – Love As The Greatest Security
– Desperately Seeking Certainty

The post The Prodigal Son Father’s Point of View appeared first on Universe of Faith.

1. Lent  – a time to receive the love of God

“In our Lenten journey towards Easter, let us remember the One who “humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). During this season of conversion, let us renew our faith, draw from the “living water” of hope, and receive with open hearts the love of God, who makes us brothers and sisters in Christ.” (see image below)
Pope Francis, Lenten Message 2021, 11th November 2020

2. Lent – a time to rediscover the direction of life

“Because in life’s journey, as in every journey, what really matters is not to lose sight of the goal. If what interests us as we travel, however, is looking at the scenery or stopping to eat, we will not get far. We should ask ourselves: On the journey of life, do I seek the way forward? Or am I satisfied with living in the moment and thinking only of feeling good, solving some problems and having fun? What is the path? Is it the search for health, which many today say comes first but which eventually passes? Could it be possessions and wellbeing? But we are not in the world for this. Return to me, says the Lord. To me. The Lord is the goal of our journey in this world. The direction must lead to him.”
Pope Francis, Homily, 6^th March 2019

3. Lent – a time of renewal

“Lent is a time of renewal for the whole Church, for each community and every believer. Above all it is a “time of grace” (2 Cor 6:2). God does not ask of us anything that he himself has not first given us. “We love because he first has loved us” (1 Jn 4:19).”
Pope Francis, Lenten Message 2015, 4th October 2014

4. Lent – a time of recovery

“Lent is a good time to recover the joy and hope that make us feel like beloved sons and daughters of the Father. The Father who waits for us in order to cast off our garments of exhaustion, of apathy, of mistrust, and so clothe us with the dignity which only a true father or mother knows how to give their children, with the garments born of tenderness and love.”
Pope Francis, Homily, 14^th Feb 2016

5. Lent – a time of liberation and healing

“Lent is the time of grace that liberates the heart from vanity. It is a time of healing from addictions that seduce us. It is a time to fix our gaze on what abides.”
Pope Francis, Homily, 6^th March 2019

6. Lent – a time of conversion

“All creation is called, with us, to go forth “from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom 8:21). Lent is a sacramental sign of this conversion. It invites Christians to embody the paschal mystery more deeply and concretely in their personal, family and social lives, above all by fasting, prayer and almsgiving.”
Pope Francis, Lenten Message 2019, 4th October 2018

7. Lent – a time for saying no

“No to the spiritual asphyxia born of the pollution caused by indifference, by thinking that other people’s lives are not my concern, and by every attempt to trivialize life, especially the lives of those whose flesh is burdened by so much superficiality.

Lent means saying no to the toxic pollution of empty and meaningless words, of harsh and hasty criticism, of simplistic analyses that fail to grasp the complexity of problems, especially the problems of those who suffer the most.

Lent is the time to say no to the asphyxia of a prayer that soothes our conscience, of an almsgiving that leaves us self-satisfied, of a fasting that makes us feel good.

Lent is the time to say no to the asphyxia born of relationships that exclude, that try to find God while avoiding the wounds of Christ present in the wounds of his brothers and sisters: in a word, all those forms of spirituality that reduce the faith to a ghetto culture, a culture of exclusion.”
Pope Francis, Homily, 1st March 2017

8. What makes a good fast during lent

“Fasting makes sense if it questions our security, and if it also leads to some benefit for others, if it helps us to cultivate the style of the Good Samaritan, who bends down to his brother in need and takes care of him. Fasting involves choosing a sober lifestyle; a way of life that does not waste, a way of life that does not “throw away”. Fasting helps us to attune our hearts to the essential and to sharing.”
Pope Francis, Homily, 5^th March 2014

9. Lent is about fire rather than ash

“Lent is for rediscovering that we are created for the inextinguishable flame, not for ashes that immediately disappear; for God, not for the world; for the eternity of heaven, not for earthly deceit; for the freedom of the children of God, not for slavery to things. We should ask ourselves today: Where do I stand? Do I live for fire or for ash?”
Pope Francis, Homily, 6^th March 2019

10. We are dust in the loving hands of God

“Lent is a path: it leads to the triumph of mercy over all that would crush us or reduce us to something unworthy of our dignity as God’s children. Lent is the road leading from slavery to freedom, from suffering to joy, from death to life. The mark of the ashes with which we set out reminds us of our origin: we were taken from the earth, we are made of dust.  True, yet we are dust in the loving hands of God, who has breathed his spirit of life upon each one of us, and still wants to do so.”
Pope Francis, Homily, 1^st March 2017

Pope Francis lent quotes
Updated: 16th February 2021

Read more:
– Is Lent A Negative Season? 
– The Meaning of Ashes in Ash Wednesday

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One must keep in mind that, in Jesus’ Hebrew mindset, to remember is far more than recalling an event; it is a re-presentation of a past event so that it is really lived in the present. When, for example, the Passover is celebrated, it is those who celebrate who are freed, not just their ancestors. The Greek word term used in the Gospel is ‘anamnesis’, which means ‘re-experience’. Jesus is not asking His disciples to merely use symbols to meditate on his death. He is asking his disciples to re-experience the paschal event itself, using the sacraments of His Body and Blood given for us.

We can also notice how the word remember is used later in the crucifixion account in Luke’s Gospel: when one of those crucified with Jesus asked Jesus to “remember me when you come into your kingdom he was not merely asking Jesus to “think about him as we might remember people whom we met in class last spring. He was asking Jesus to remember him in in the sense that he could really be present in heaven with him. Indeed this is how Jesus understands ‘remembering’: he responds, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise (see Luke 23:42-43).

In this light, when we remember Jesus at the Eucharist, we are not simply recalling past events; liturgical remembering makes us present to the event. The living and real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is also made very clear by Jesus in John 6, 53-56 where Jesus speaks in a very literal manner of “eating the flesh of the Son of Man and “drinking his blood . It is significant that the context is one where Jesus had every opportunity to provide a softer or metaphorical interpretation of what he could have meant by himself being “the living bread that came down from heaven . Instead, he intensifies his language by emphasises the realism of his words. Jesus rather scandalously stated that one must eat (he uses trogein which is a very graphic and almost crude term which has none of the possible nuances of phagein) the flesh of the Son of Man. It is very hard to give a symbolic or metaphorical meaning to these words. Indeed it is very hard to give anything but a realist interpretation to Jesus’ words. When Jesus used the words ‘This is my body’ (which are practically the same words as those Jesus uses in John 6, 51), he was not speaking poetically; he was effecting a creative act that brings about his “real, true and, substantial presence .

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Read more:
– The Difference Jesus Makes In My Life
– Top Popes’ Quotes About Following Jesus Christ

The post If Jesus Said "Do This In Memory Of Me" Why Does the Church Teach That There is the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist? appeared first on Universe of Faith.