Message from the Holy Father
“Make your hearts firm (cf. Jas 5:8)”.
The Message of Pope Francis for Lent 2015 is “Make your hearts firm (James 5:8)”. We need to renew our hearts individually to ensure “that all those places where the Church is present, especially our parishes and our communities, may become islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference!” Three biblical texts are provided for reflection and internal renewal so that the faithful “will receive a heart which is firm and merciful, attentive and generous, a heart which is not closed, indifferent or prey to the globalization of indifference.” Click here to read the Holy Father’s message for Lent: “Make your hearts firm!”
Message from Bishop Jensen
Lenten Prayer and Penance for Life
The recent Supreme Court decision that struck down the law preventing doctors from helping their patients commit suicide is another dark chapter in the spread of the “culture of death”, to use St. John Paul’s vivid expression. The false argument claiming this as a compassionate way to treat the dying is the ultimate disrespect of people at the end of life. The dying need care, not killing.
We have an opportunity to build a culture of life by asking our political leaders to ensure appropriate palliative care for all who need it. To support this initiative, I invite everyone to use the coming season of Lent to implore God’s mercy on our nation and its civil leaders in this cause.
When the apostles felt powerless in the face of evil, Our Lord told them: “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting” (Mk. 9:29). Let us use the means of prayer and fasting (as we are capable) to ask the Lord to deliver us from the evils that threaten life at its most vulnerable stages.