Speaking in a pastoral letter for the holy period of Lent, Archbishop of Malta Joseph Mercieca called on Maltese to shy away from the consumerist way of life and behave “according to what God expects” from Christians. During this period of spiritual reflection, the Archbishop also said that Christians are to refer to the parable of the prodigal son and keep in mind that it is never too late to turn back to God. The Archbishop also said that Lent is to be viewed as a period of self-renewal and restoration of hope in both oneself and God.
The letter available to the public as from Saturday evening explains how greed harms both the individual and those around him, alongside his faith. Hence it is essential, stated the Archbishop, that we are to “love Him above all with all our hearts, and to love our neighbour as ourselves”. Through this concept and the very crux of Lent itself, Christians are hence to we reconcile themselves with God and neighbours, regardless of past issues.
Archbishop Jospeh Mercieca also reminded that the concepts of prayer, penance, fasting and self-sacrifice are not the Church’s way of punishing Christians but to remind them the depth of God’s love and what He has in stall for the faithful when this life ends. In doing this, Christians can stop their attention from being diverted to worldly goods which do not uphold the promise of eternal life. “Lent is therefore a time of a great truth, a profound truth which encourages us to change and renew ourselves, restores hope in us, and helps us embrace all that brings to us peace with God and neighbour,” added the Archbishop of Malta.
The letter encouraged frequent recital of the “Our Father” prayer, especially during Lent in order to have trespasses forgiven and find the courage to forgive the trespassing of others.
See also MaltaMedia's special feature:Holy Week and Easter in Malta and Gozo.
See also:
Wednesday marks the start of the Sacred Lent
By MaltaMedia News
Mar 1, 2006, 12:04 CET
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