Suggestions from Pope Francis for a merciful Lent

Tuesday, February 16th, 2016

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Have you been doing anything special for the Jubilee Year of Mercy?

Or do you have lots of good intentions but haven’t done anything yet, (except maybe walk through the Holy Door in your diocese?)

Well, join the club.

I did read Pope Francis’ “Face of Mercy” a few months ago though.

And I noticed that he emphasized that we should put a special importance on the time of Lent in this Holy Year: “The season of Lent during this Jubilee Year should … be lived more intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience God’s mercy.”

So, recently I went back to read the “Face of Mercy” and also Pope Francis’ message for Lent.

I did this in order to devise a “plan” of sorts for how I will celebrate this penitential season.

Here are five of the tips for Lent that I saw in Pope Francis’ writings:

1. Discover God’s Mercy in Scripture: The merciful face of the Father is revealed to us in Scripture, in the person of Jesus Christ.

Integrating Scripture into our daily lives is not as difficult as it may seem. Take 10 minutes a day to read the Gospel of the day and reflect on it. If you have time, take an entire half hour to pray with the Gospel.

If you have never prayed with Scripture before, try the method of lectio divina. The USCCB is posting monthly scriptural meditations on mercy that might be helpful too.

How many pages of Sacred Scripture are appropriate for meditation during the weeks of Lent to help us rediscover the merciful face of the Father! (Face of Mercy, 17)

2. Receive God’s Mercy in Confession: Pope Francis emphasizes and reemphasizes the Sacrament of Reconciliation when he speaks of mercy. In order to be merciful to others, we truly have to experience remorse and repentance for our own sinfulness. Then, when we walk out of the confessional, knowing on a deep level that God has been merciful to us, we can be more genuinely merciful to others. Continue reading