“So too, the synodal process may often seem arduous,” he said, “and at times we may become discouraged. Yet what awaits us at the end is undoubtedly something wondrous and amazing, which will help us to understand better God’s will and our mission in the service of his kingdom.”
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced Feb. 17 that it will hold a communication campaign based on Pope Francis’ Lenten message.
Beginning on Ash Wednesday, the dicastery will present every week, via its website, a new “step” on the journey of Lent.
The campaign, “With him on the mountain: Lenten penance and the synodal journey,” will include reflection questions based on Scripture passages and the pope’s message.
“The Lenten journey of penance and the journey of the synod alike have as their goal a transfiguration, both personal and ecclesial,” Pope Francis said. “A transformation that, in both cases, has its model in the Transfiguration of Jesus and is achieved by the grace of his paschal mystery.”
The pope also spoke about the newness of Christ and his fulfillment of the ancient covenant.
“In a similar way, the synodal journey is rooted in the Church’s tradition and at the same time open to newness,” he said. “Tradition is a source of inspiration for seeking new paths and for avoiding the opposed temptations of immobility and improvised experimentation.”
Francis said a Lenten penance “is a commitment, sustained by grace, to overcoming our lack of faith and our resistance to following Jesus on the way of the cross.”
“To deepen our knowledge of the Master, to fully understand and embrace the mystery of his salvation, accomplished in total self-giving inspired by love, we must allow ourselves to be taken aside by him and to detach ourselves from mediocrity and vanity,” he encouraged. “We need to set out on the journey, an uphill path that, like a mountain trek, requires effort, sacrifice, and concentration.”
Hannah Brockhaus is Catholic News Agency's senior Rome correspondent. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a degree in English from Truman State University in Missouri.