For our sake, He was made to be sin (cf. 2 Cor 5:21). In this act of salvation, the Father placed upon His Son the burden of our sins, leading, as Pope Benedict XVI expressed, to a profound mystery: “the turning of God against himself” (Deus Caritas Est, 12). Yet even in this, God’s love remains boundless, extending even to His enemies (cf. Mt 5:43-48).
A Meaningful Dialogue, Not Empty Words
The dialogue God seeks to establish with each of us through the Paschal Mystery of His Son is not mere idle chatter, like that of the Athenians who “spent their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new” (Acts 17:21). Such superficial curiosity—prevalent in every age—also manifests in our time through the misuse of media and the distractions of worldliness.
A Richness to Be Shared, Not Hoarded
Placing the Paschal Mystery at the center of our lives calls us to compassion. We recognize the wounds of the crucified Christ in the innocent victims of war, in attacks on life—from the unborn to the elderly—and in the many forms of violence that afflict our world. These wounds are also present in environmental disasters, economic inequalities, human trafficking, and the unchecked pursuit of profit, which can become a form of idolatry.
Today, we must once again appeal to all people of goodwill to share their resources through almsgiving, recognizing it as a concrete way to contribute to a more just and humane world. Generosity makes us more human, while selfish accumulation can imprison us within our own egos. Beyond personal charity, we must also address the structural realities of our economic systems.
For this reason, in the midst of this Lenten season—from March 26 to 28—I have convened a gathering in Assisi, bringing together young economists, entrepreneurs, and change-makers to envision a more just and inclusive economy. As the Church’s Magisterium has long affirmed, political life is an eminent form of charity (cf. Pius XI, Address to the Italian Federation of Catholic University Students, December 18, 1927). The same principle applies to economic life, which, when approached in the spirit of the Beatitudes, can be a means of living the Gospel.
I entrust this Lenten journey to Mary Most Holy, asking her intercession so that our hearts may be open to God’s call to reconciliation, our gaze fixed on the Paschal Mystery, and our souls converted to sincere and open dialogue with Him. In doing so, we will become what Christ calls His disciples to be: the salt of the earth and the light of the world (cf. Mt 5:13-14).
Francis
