As the calendar ushers in another season of Lent, we are once again gifted with a sacred opportunity to prepare our hearts and minds for the central celebration of our Christian faith: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This great mystery forms the very cornerstone of our lives, both as individuals and as a Christian community. It is a mystery that transcends time and place, and one that invites us into a deeper communion with God. With each passing year, we are called to return to this mystery, not just as a distant historical event, but as a living, breathing force that shapes our present and our future.
The Paschal Mystery, which includes the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ, is not just a story we recount in church or during the liturgies of Holy Week. Rather, it is an invitation into a continuous process of transformation. We are invited to open our hearts to the spiritual power that flows from the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Through this openness, we allow Christ’s presence to grow within us, reshaping us into vessels of His love and mercy.
The joy of the Christian life arises from an intimate relationship with the Paschal Mystery. This joy, as Pope Francis points out, is not based on transient happiness or earthly success, but on the deeper reality of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. Christian joy is the joy of knowing that we are loved by God in a way that is utterly real, true, and concrete. It is a joy that invites us into a relationship of openness with God, a relationship that is marked by fruitful dialogue with the Creator.
The Foundation of Christian Joy: The Kerygma of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
At the heart of Christian joy is the kerygma, or the proclamation of the Good News. This is the message that we are loved by God in a way that is so profound, so complete, that it invites us to live not according to our own desires, but according to His will. The kerygma, in its most basic form, reminds us that we are called to reject the lie that life is merely about doing whatever we please. Life itself is a gift from God the Father, who desires to give us life in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10).
But this truth can only be fully realized when we are willing to embrace it with our hearts. When we reject the voice of the “father of lies” (Jn 8:44) and open ourselves to the voice of truth, we begin to experience the fullness of life. Conversely, when we follow the false promises of selfishness and sin, we risk losing our way, falling into the abyss of despair, and experiencing hell here on earth. Too many personal and collective tragedies stand as a testimony to the destructive power of living outside of God’s love.
Lent is a time for us to turn our gaze back toward the cross, to remember that Jesus laid down His life for us. It is an invitation to walk the path of renewal and transformation, rejecting the falsehoods that enslave us and embracing the liberating truth of God’s love.
Lent: A Call to Contemplate the Passion of Christ
In the year 2020, Pope Francis wrote a message to young people in his Apostolic Exhortation, Christus Vivit, that provides a powerful framework for our Lenten journey. He urged us to keep our eyes fixed on the crucified Christ, to allow ourselves to be saved again and again by His love. As he writes, “Keep your gaze fixed on the outstretched arms of Christ crucified, let yourself be saved again and again.” These words are a powerful invitation to continually return to the wellspring of grace that flows from the Passion of Jesus.
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking of the Passion of Christ as a past event, something that happened over 2,000 years ago and no longer affects our daily lives. However, the mystery of the Passion is ever-present. It is not bound by time or place but is continually made present to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. By His grace, we are able to touch and see the flesh of Christ in those who suffer, in those who are marginalized, in those who are in need of mercy.
