By Fr Antony Christy, SDB –
We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5: 20)
A proposal from the Holy Father’s Message for Lent 2020
Ash Wednesday, February 26, 2020
As it is customary, the Holy Father has a concrete message for the season of lent that we are about to begin. Apart from the traditional picture of prayer, penance and philanthropy that is always so helpfully right in front of our eyes at this time of the liturgical year, Pope Francis offers us an impressive image to behold all this season – the imagery, the icon, the framework of DIALOGUE, within which everything needs to be viewed in this holy season.
God invites us to a loving Dialogue! Conversion is a dialogue, dialogue with a love so real, so deep, so unlimited and unconditional. It is truly a dialogue, not a threatening indoctrination that God wants us to experience. It is a friendly dialogue, with our eyes fixed on the outstretched arms of the crucified Son of God. It is an appeal that God makes that we let ourselves be saved in the Spirit who sustains that daily dialogue, the dialogue of conversion, the dialogue of salvation.
The Dialogue of Conversion is an urgent need – in prayer, in the sacraments and in the Word, a dialogue with the Master. It is urgent because conversion is not the end of a journey, but every bit of the journey where we make concrete choices, for God and against anything that would separate us from God’s love.
The Dialogue of Salvation is not an empty chatter – it is a deep and profound inward journey where we are able to encounter ourselves, confront ourselves and challenge ourselves towards real sense of life and true experience of love.
The Dialogue that draws our attention to our richness – in compassion and sharing we dialogue with the others, with the world, with the society around, with those who are exploited, those who are marginalised, those who are suffering, in order that we are able to build a better world, a world of justice and peace founded on the love of God.
Lent 2020 comes with a direct challenge to each of us: are you ready to Dialogue?
Dialogue with yourself – understanding the core-call that you have received from the Lord, your commitment at baptism and your heartfelt response to the unconditional love of God.
Dialogue with the Other – respecting the other, loving and share your life with them, your neighbours, your fellow brothers and sisters, without any discriminations and divisions, as true children of God.
Dialogue with God – recognising the love that the Lord has always shown you, recognising that love on the Cross, in the suffering Son of God who came as a living proof of God’s everlasting love.
Are you ready to dialogue?
Let us make this a season of dialogue, dialogue of conversion, dialogue of salvation!
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He is currently pursuing his doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him.