Holy Father Pope Francis conveyed his Lenten Message for this year in which he reflected on the words Jesus spoke near the end of His life on the Mount of Olives regarding the end of time: “Because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold.” His Holiness Pope Francis highlighted that false prophets whom Pope Francis calls “snake charmers” and “charlatans” leads us astray and said that they mesmerize God’s children who then mistake true happiness for momentary pleasure ending in slavery to profit or become trapped in loneliness.
As reported by Vatican Radio, Holy Father Pope Francis remarked that “The Church offers us the Lenten practices of prayer, almsgiving, and fasting which Pope Francis calls a soothing remedy. Prayer allows us to eradicate secret lies and self-deception, and we find the consolation God offers.” Further, His Holiness added, “Almsgiving frees us from greed; it helps us regard others as brothers and sisters. How I would like almsgiving to become a genuine style of life for each of us! Fasting weakens our tendency to violence reviving our desire to obey God, who alone can satisfy our hunger.”
His Holiness concluded his message by reminding that although the flame of charity may die in our hearts, it never dies in God’s and invited the faithful to participate in the “24 Hours for the Lord” on Friday and Saturday, the 9th-10th of March, 2018.
