Photo: Wesley Almeida/CN

Lent is a great treasury that Christians have in their hands and they need to regain consciousness of this reality. So that, the experience of all the practices of piety and of the rythym of the liturgy do not run the risk of falling into automatism.

“It is a treasure that has much to offer, for it brings us to a testimony of different life. And it is exactly this challenge: we live what we are, with authenticity, without fanaticism of any type”  stresses the Archbishop of Belém do Pará His Excellency Alberto Taveira Corrêa.

He highlights the objectivity of the Christian experience and the testimony offered to the world as the primordial aspects of this time of the Liturgical year, that also reaches its concretization across the practices of piety-prayer, penance and charity.

The principal objective (of practices) is to balance the impulses of the human being. Nevertheless, the true sense of this time will only be redeemed through an effective process of evangelization only when Jesus emerges anew.Then yes you can talk about sacrifice, giving of oneself. Evangelization needs to be the base of all,” he affirms

Therefore, personal decision is fundamental, for only then will it be possible to make the corresponding steps. Questioned on the risk of falling into the banalization or routine when the subject is the experience of faith, Bishop Alberto emphasizes: “All depends on the Christian attitude, as he lives, for the word of God is inexhaustible.”

Today February 22, the Message of the Pope Benedict XVI for Lent will be presented. The theme will be Buried with Him in Baptism, You Will Also Resurrect with Him” (Col 2:12) Bishop Alberto remembers in this proposal that the hope is always a common point the base for Christian life.

We are bearers of hope of the resurrection, Easter persons, this is that we pass through death to life. The Christian has the common characteristic not of passivity, but dynamism. So he doesn’t have as mission pointing at the sins of others, but always to see in all a light of hope.”

Popular Retreat

As already is the tradition for some years, the Archbishop wrote a Popular Retreat that seeks to help the Christian live Lent in a concrete manner. The 2011 edition (available only in Portuguese) has as theme “Pilgrims” inspired a multitude that seeks the Light of Nazareth, the traditional feast of the Archdiocese (Belém do Pará) which Bishop Alberto leads and has led  since last year.

“Lent is a great pilgrimage to Easter, and the people of God are always on pilgrimage. The newness is that life is lived as pilgrims, the road remains different, we are no longer so dependent on the circumstances. So the Christian can transform his life and the world through his very presence.” explains Dom Alberto

The Reader can hope for a retreat based in the riches contained in the Word of God and of the Magisterium of the Church.

And what should the pilgrim bring in his backpack for the long road?

“Before all, choose as the fruit of freedom, to live Lent as a strong time. And after I offer the image of the backpack; it needs to have disposition, the Word of God, a notebook for notes, but it is good not to put too much and if there is anything left in it- especially sin – throw it out along the way, “he attests.
Leonardo Meira
Canção Nova (New Song) News

Translated from Portuguese