Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Mombasa (Agenzia Fides) – Lent “helps us to prepare ourselves for the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,” writes Archbishop Boniface Lele of Mombasa (Kenya), in his Lenten Message, a copy of which was sent to Agenzia Fides.
“Two events in the life of our Lord help us to understand the idea of Lent. First; before Jesus began his public ministry He went to the desert to fast and pray for forty days. Secondly, as time drew near for him to lay down His life for us He took the journey to Jerusalem aware that He was going to meet his death there.” “What gave Him the courage and the needed strength?” asks Archbishop Lele. The response lies in the Baptism received by the Messiah before he went into the desert, from John the Baptist (Mk 1: 9-11).
“God the Father made it clear that Jesus is His beloved son. This wasn’t a one-off event but it pointed to enduring relationship between Father and Son. In baptism we are likened to Jesus as His brothers and sisters. God the Father says to us through Jesus His son... “You are my beloved son/daughter”. The most important reality during lent and indeed all the time is for each one of us to be aware and accept and that we are beloved of the Lord our God. That realization and awareness must help us to be grateful but also humble about who we are. We do not deserve such immeasurable love of our God but all the same He loves us more than we can ever comprehend,” the message affirms.
“We need to be humble and accept His love but also be aware that He loves all of us that way even those who do not know it,” Archbishop Lele says. “The season of Lent is a season of seeing and taking others as our brothers and Sisters. We should be ready to sacrifice whatever we can do to help others be; especially the sick, the poor, neglected and the marginalized. We should try to accept some suffering which could be inevitable in our lives at the same time alleviate that which can be done so in us and others too. We should try to forego some leisure to help ourselves grow like Jesus and if necessary be in position to help others in dire needs. We belong together in the love of our heavenly Father,” the message concludes. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 18/2/2010)
