"The priest finds his reason for being in the Eucharist."

Jeus Jardin has found his vocation in the Eucharistleaving his nursing career to follow God's invitation to become a priest.

Coming from a non-practicing family, this Filipino priest who, after resisting God's call for a time, offers us his testimony of how he ended up surrendering to the voice that asked him to consecrate himself to Him alone.

God writes straight in crooked lines and creates authentic works of art. This is the case of Father Jeus Jardin, a Filipino priest of the Archdiocese of Davao, who came to know the love of God in his childhood and adolescence, despite coming from a non-practicing family, thanks to the important role of his grandmother.

When he had already taken the big step to become a priest, and even with the opposition of his parents, he ended up leaving the seminary a short time later. He studied nursing and went on to work as a university professor. But those letters that God had instilled in his heart would not be erased, until, finally, he had to surrender to the evidence about the path he had to follow.

He had a good life and had even obtained permission to practice nursing in the United States, but he knew he was called to a much higher mission. So, in humility and eight years later, he asked to re-enter the seminary to be finally ordained. priest in 2017. And he saw that everything was well done.

A call to the heart

"God always has his way of making his will known through the desires of each heart, and the same thing happened with me, because I felt that the Lord kept calling me to the priesthood," he explains in this interview.

Jeus confesses that his heart told him that, if he wanted to be happy, he had to return to his origins, in this case, to the seminary. In reality, his life was going well, but neither money nor the fear of losing everything he had achieved professionally could not overcome God's call. "I saw that happiness did not come from there, and my heart felt it," he adds.

When he re-entered the seminary, his bishop decided to send him to study at the Bidasoa International Seminar and the University of Navarra, thanks to a study grant from the CARF Foundation, which allowed him to strengthen and confirm his priestly vocation.

Learning to be a priest

"I was in Pamplona for seven years, five as a seminarian in Bidasoa and two as a priest. Pamplona is my second home. As a seminarian, I had formators who are truly men of God, who taught me not only with their words, but also with their own lives, what a priest is like," says Jeus Jardin with conviction.

His years in Pamplona not only gave him a solid intellectual formation, but, citing specifically Bidasoa, the University of Navarra and, in his second stage in Spain, the Cristo Rey residence on Padre Barace Street in Pamplona, he assures that it was in these places "where they taught me to be a priest, a friend and a person, and that is why I can say that they have taught me a lot".

Now it is Jeus Jardin himself who transmits this same spirit in the seminary of his archdiocese, where he shows young people the great challenges facing priests today. In his opinion, these are the best pieces of advice to face them: "try to know one's limitations and not exceed them; value the times of prayer and spiritual direction; and learn to rest with Our Mother and the Lord". In addition, he stresses the importance of the Holy Mass: "the priest finds his fundamental reason for being in the Eucharistis the reason for his priesthood".

Do not be afraid of silence

In the face of the vocation crisis that seems to be plaguing the Church at the moment, Father Jeus is hopeful and assures us that "the Lord is always calling, although to hear his voice we need to be able to listen and not be afraid of silence, because the Lord calls, but his voice is subtle".

To the young people who have already heard this call, he invites them not to be afraid to respond. "In my experience, I see how I was very afraid to leave the things I had: that I would earn less money, that I could not have a house or a car. But the Lord is a good payer. We are not called only to have material goods. We are called to a transcendent life, to a life in communion with God. That is where our happiness lies," he adds.

As his most memorable moment as a priest, he recalls one in which he was able to experience Providence in a very clear way, where he had to put into practice everything he had previously learned. "In the seminary where I am now as bursar, we faced an outbreak of COVID with about 75 people infected among seminarians and priests.

My test was negative, but, because of the charge I had, I decided to be with all those who were sick. We were able to live together and survive, and really experience God's providence. The days of quarantine with the seminarians and priests have become unforgettable days for me," he recalls.

Finally, this priest from the Philippines wants to express his gratitude to the benefactors of the CARF Foundation who have done him so much good, first as a seminarian and then as a priest: "Thank you all very much. Your support makes it possible for seminarians and priests like me to receive the necessary formation for the task of being a pastor. May God repay you.

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday

We have ahead of us a path marked by prayer and sharing, by silence and fasting, in expectation of living the joy of Easter.

We begin Lent with Ash Wednesday and Scripture tells us: "Now, O oracle of the Lord, turn to me with all your heart with fasting, with weeping, with mourning. Rend your hearts and not your garments; turn to the Lord your God, for he is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, rich in mercy; and he repents of threats" Joel 2:12-13.

These are words pronounced by the prophet when Judah was plunged into a deep crisis. Its territory was desolate. A plague of grasshoppers had passed through, which had devastated everything; they had eaten everything that grew in the field, even the buds of the vineyards. They had completely lost all the crops and fruits of the year.

In the face of these misfortunes Joel invites the people to reflect on their way of life in the previous years. When everything was going well for them, they had forgotten God, they did not pray, and they had forgotten their neighbor.. They were confident that the land was bearing fruit on its own and it seemed to them that they owed nothing to anyone. They were comfortable doing what they were doing and did not think it was necessary to live life any other way.

The crisis they were going through, Joel suggests, should make them realize that they could do nothing on their own, with their backs to God. If they had peace and food, it was not because of their own merits. All this is a gift from God, for which it is necessary to be thankful.. Hence the urgent call for change: convert wholeheartedly with fastingwith weeping, with mourning, with weeping, with weeping, with mourning, tear your hearts: change!

Hearing such strong words from the prophet, perhaps we can think: Okay, okay, let the inhabitants of Judea change, but I don't have to change: I'm quite comfortable as I am!

It's been a long time since I've seen a grasshopper, I have good things to eat and drink every day, I have several movies to watch, this week I have several games to win,... and I'm not in a hurry because the finals are still far away and I will study seriously when they arrive..

I don't know about you, but I'm always too lazy to get serious about changing anything in Lent. The truth is that it is not a particularly pleasant time like, for example, the Christmas.

Lent, a time for reflection

Listening to the responsorial Psalm, we may have thought something similar: "In your great compassion and mercy, O Lord, have mercy on me and forget my sins. Wash me thoroughly from all my transgressions and purify me from my sins".

cuaresma-ayuno-abstinencia-limosna-oración-miércoles-de-ceniza — Lent is a time of forty days, beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on Holy Thursday, "every Friday, unless it coincides with a solemnity, abstinence from meat, or other food determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed; fasting and abstinence are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday." Code of Canon Law, canon 1251.

And even in repeating "Mercy, Lord, we have sinned," perhaps it occurred to us inside to say: But I have no sins, ... in any case "little sins". I don't do wrong to anyone, I haven't robbed any bank, I haven't killed anyone, in any case, only "little things" of little importance. And, besides, I have nothing against God, I have not wanted to offend him, why should I say that I have sinned or beg for his mercy?

If we look at things this way, the words of St. Paul in the second reading may sound repetitive, but they raise the tone, pressing: "Brethren, we act as Christ's messengers, and it is as if God himself were exhorting you through us. In the name of Christ we ask you to be reconciled to God".

Am I so important and what I do so important that today everyone comes against me: the prophet Joel, David with his Psalm, and St. Paul pressing?

Well, the truth is yes, I am important to the Lord. None of us is indifferent to God, we are not just another number among the millions of people in the world. It's me, it's you. Someone you are thinking about, someone you miss a little, someone you want to talk to.

Haven't you ever been happy, after leaving class tired, to receive a message on your cell phone from someone you like and who asks you: "Do you have any plans this afternoon? Well, finally, someone who thinks of me! In general, one of the most pleasant things is to see that there are people who love us, who think of us, and call us to see us and spend a nice time together.

Lent, a time to look to God

This week while reading the Bible I came across some words of human love, which are divine. They are the refrain of a song from the Song of Songs sung by the beloved to his beloved. They go like this: "Turn around, turn around, Shulamite! Turn around, turn around, I want to see you". Qty 7.1.

In fact, it seems that more than singing, they invite you to dance: "Turn around, turn around, Sulamita! Turn around, turn around, I want to see you". In Hebrew it sounds good: šubi, šubi šulamit, šubi, šubi... it even has its rhythm. The verb šub means "turn back, turn aroundbut it is the verb that in the Hebrew Bible also means "...".become".

These words of the Song help us to understand what is happening today. God, the beloved, invites each of us to dance, telling us: "turn around, turn around, I want to see you".

The invitation to conversion is not the scolding of someone demanding who is angry with what we do, but a loving call to turn around to meet Love face to face. No one pushes us to scold us. Someone who loves us has remembered us and sends us a message so that we can meet and talk in depth, opening our hearts.

Lent, a time of conversion

Good. But, in any case, "I have no sins" what am I going to become?

There are many ways to explain what sin isI believe that Holy Scripture also helps us to clarify what it is. In Hebrew "sin" it is said jattatDo you know what the antonym is in the Bible, the word that expresses the concept "bet on"? jattat? In Spanish, perhaps we would say that the opposite of sin is "sin".good deed"or some theologian would say that "grace". In Hebrew, the antonym of chattat is šalom, peace.. This means that for the Bible neither "sin" nor "peace"are exactly the same as for us.

In the book of Job it is said that that man whom God invites to reflect and change, will experience šalom (peace) in his tent and when they search his dwelling, there shall be no jattat (nothing will be missing) cf. Jb 5:24.

They were nomads and for them the tent was their home. A house is in "sin" when something necessary is missing or when what is there is untidy. It is in "peace" when it is a pleasure to see it and to be there: everything is well installed, clean and in its place.

When we look inside ourselvesPerhaps our heart and soul are like our bedroom or the apartment in which we live: with the bed unmade, the table without removing the leftovers from dinner, with newspapers lying on the sofa, or the sink full of dishes waiting for someone to wash them. How our heart and soul feel at ease when we clean up the junk and tidy up!

That is why in confession, when we make a clean sweep of the jattat we carry inside, they give us absolution and tell us "....go in peace (šalom).", you are in order.

This week we begin LentOn the day of Ash Wednesday, the Lord calls us with love: 'turn around, turn around, I want to see you'.

He loves us and knows us well. He knows that sometimes we are a little careless, and he wants to help us clean up so that we may recover serenity, peace and joy.

How can we make the most of these days of Lent?

That is why St. Paul insists so strongly: "in the name of Christ we ask you to be reconciled to God", and why delay? why put it off for another day? St. Paul also knows us and hurries us alongLook, now is the favorable time, now is the day of salvation.

This Ash Wednesday, we can surely find a confessor in any church, who in five minutes will help us to get in shape.

And, once, with everything in order, the Gospel of the Holy Mass we hear that Jesus himself gives us some interesting clues to make resolutions that help us rediscover the joy of loving God and others..

Time of generosity

The first thing he suggests is that we realize that there are many people in need. around us, near and far from us, and we cannot remain indifferent to those who suffer.

In the first reading we remembered that, in the face of the grasshopper crisis in Judea, Joel said that it is necessary to tear out one's heart, to share the suffering with those who are suffering.

Today we are living in a deep crisis. Millions of people are unemployed. Many suffer, we suffer with them, the lack of work and all the needs that this brings with it. We cannot ignore their problems, as if nothing happened, nor close our hearts. They must notice that we are with them.

With those who die every day from the coronavirus pandemic or in the Mediterranean fleeing from the terror of war, or seeking a dignified life for themselves and their families in the tragedy of the migration crisis. In other parts of the world, too, daily life is even more difficult than here, and they urgently need help. "When you give alms, Jesus says, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing; so your alms will remain secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you." Mt 6:3-4. GenerosityThis is a good first resolution for Lent.

There is also another type of "almsgiving", which does not seem so, because it is very discreet, but it is very necessary. Today we are generally very sensitive to the aspect of care and charity in relation to the physical and material good of others, but we are almost completely silent about the spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters. This was not so in the early Church.

This effective form of "almsgiving" is fraternal correction: help each other to discover what is not going well in our lives, or what can go better. Are we not Christians who, out of human respect or simple comfort, conform to the common mentality, instead of warning our brothers and sisters about ways of thinking and acting that contradict the truth and do not follow the path of goodness?

Even if we have to overcome the impression that we are meddling in the lives of others, we must not forget that it is a great service to help others.. It will also be good for us to let ourselves be helped. "A gaze that loves and corrects, that knows and recognizes, that discerns and forgives is always needed." cf. Lk 22:61as God has done and does with each one of us.

Time for prayer

Along with almsgiving, prayer. "You, Jesus tells us, when you go to pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is in the hidden place, and your Father, who sees in the hidden place, will repay you." Mt 6:6.

Prayer is not the mere mechanical recitation of a few words we learned as children; it is a time of loving dialogue with the one who loves us so much.. These are intimate conversations where the Lord encourages us, comforts us, forgives us, helps us to put our lives in order, suggests to us how we can help others, fills us with encouragement and joy of life.

Ash Wednesday and Lent, a time of fasting

And, thirdly, along with almsgiving and prayer, fasting. Not sad, but happyJesus also suggests in the Gospel: "You, when you fast, cleanse your head and wash your face, so that your fast may be noticed, not by the people, but by your Father, who is in the secret place; and your Father, who sees in the secret place, will reward you". Mt 6:17-18.

Nowadays many people fast, depriving themselves of appetizing things, and not for supernatural reasons, but to keep in line or improve their physical shape. It is clear that fasting is good for the physical wellbeing, but for Christians it is, in the first place, a "therapy" to cure everything that hinders us from adjusting our life to God's will.

In a culture in which we lack nothing, going a little hungry one day is very good, and not only for the health of the body. It is also good for the soul. It helps us realize how hard it is for so many people who have nothing to eat.

It is true that fasting means abstaining from food, but the practice of piety recommended in Sacred Scripture also includes other forms of deprivation that help to lead a more sober life.

Therefore, it is also good for us to fast from other things that are not necessary but that we find it difficult to do without. We could go on an Internet fast, limiting our use of the Internet to what is necessary for work, and dispensing with aimless surfing. It would be good for us to have a clear head, read books and think about interesting things. We could also fast from going out drinking on the weekend, it would be good for our pocket, and we would be fresher to talk quietly with friends. Or we could fast from watching movies and series on weekdays, it would be good for our study.

Would it be all right if we fasted for a whole day from mp3 and similar formats, and walked down the street without headphones, listening to the wind and the birds singing?

To deprive oneself of the material food that nourishes the body (on Ash Wednesday or during Lent), of the alcohol that gladdens the heart, of the noise that fills the ears and the images that quickly follow one another on the retina, facilitates an interior disposition to look at others, to listen to Christ and to be nourished by his word of salvation. By fasting we allow him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger we experience in our innermost heart: the hunger and thirst for God.

In two days, priests and deacons will impose ashes on our heads while saying: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return". These are not words to frighten us into thinking of death, but to put us in reality and help us find happiness. Alone we are nothing: dust and ashes. But God has designed for each and every one of us a love story to make us happy.

As the poet Francisco de Quevedo said, referring to those who have lived close to God in their lifetime, who will keep their love constant beyond death, "dust they shall be, but dust in love."

We begin the season of Lent. A joyful and festive time to turn to the Lord and see Him face to face.. šubi, šubi šulamit, šubi, šubi... "Turn around, turn around, tells us once againturn around, turn around, I want to see you." These are not sad days. They are days to make way for Love.

We turn to the Blessed Virgin, Mother of Fair Love, so that in contemplating the reality of our life, even if our limitations and defects are obvious, we may see the reality: "dust we shall be, but dust in love".

Mr. Francisco Varo PinedaDirector of Research at the University of Navarra. Professor of Sacred Scripture at the Faculty of Theology.

Lenten Message 2025 of Pope Francis

Dear brothers and sisters:

With the penitential sign of ashes on our heads, we begin the annual pilgrimage of Holy Lent, in faith and hope. The Church, mother and teacher, invites us to prepare our hearts and to open ourselves to God's grace so that we can celebrate with great joy the Easter triumph of Christ, the Lord, over sin and death, as St. Paul exclaimed: "Death has been conquered. Where is your victory, death? Where is your sting?" ( 1 Cor 15:54-55).

Jesus Christ, dead and risen, is indeed the center of our faith and the guarantor of our hope in the great promise of the Father: eternal life, which he has already realized in him, his beloved Son (cf. Jn 10:28; 17:3) [1].

In this Lent, enriched by the grace of the Jubilee Year, I wish to offer you some reflections on what it means to walk together in hope and to discover the calls to conversion that God's mercy addresses to all of us, personally and as a community.

First of all, to walk. The Jubilee motto, "Pilgrims of Hope," evokes the long journey of the people of Israel toward the Promised Land, narrated in the book of Exodus; the difficult journey from slavery to freedom, willed and guided by the Lord, who loves his people and always remains faithful to them.

We cannot recall the biblical exodus without thinking of so many brothers and sisters who today are fleeing situations of misery and violence, seeking a better life for themselves and their loved ones. A first call to conversion arises here, because we are all pilgrims in life.

Each one of us can ask ourselves: how do I allow myself to be challenged by this condition? Am I really on the way or a bit paralyzed, static, fearful and hopeless; or satisfied in my comfort zone? Am I looking for ways to liberate myself from situations of sin and lack of dignity? It would be a good Lenten exercise to confront ourselves with the concrete reality of an immigrant or pilgrim, letting them challenge us, in order to discover what God is asking of us, to be better travelers towards the Father's house. This is a good "examination" for the wayfarer.

Secondly, let us make this journey together. The vocation of the Church is to walk together, to be synodal [2]. Christians are called to journey together, never as solitary travelers. The Holy Spirit urges us to go out of ourselves to go towards God and towards our brothers and sisters, and never to close in on ourselves [3].

Walking together means being artisans of unity, starting from the common dignity of children of God (cf. Gal 3:26-28); it means walking side by side, without trampling on or dominating the other, without harboring envy or hypocrisy, without letting anyone be left behind or feel excluded. We are going in the same direction, towards the same goal, listening to one another with love and patience.

This Lent, God asks us to check whether in our lives, in our families, in the places where we work, in parish or religious communities, we are capable of walking with others, of listening, of overcoming the temptation to close ourselves in our self-referentiality, taking care only of our own needs.

Let us ask ourselves before the Lord if we are capable of working together as bishops, priests, consecrated and lay people, at the service of the Kingdom of God; if we have an attitude of welcome, with concrete gestures, towards the people who approach us and those who are far away; if we make people feel part of the community or if we marginalize them [4]. This is a second call: conversion to synodality.

Thirdly, let us travel this path together in the hope of a promise. May the hope that does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5), the central message of the Jubilee [5], be for us the horizon of the Lenten journey towards Easter victory. As Pope Benedict XVI taught us in the Encyclical Spe Salvi, "human beings need unconditional love.

He needs that certainty that makes him say: "Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present, nor future, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any creature can separate us from the love of God, made manifest in Christ Jesus our Lord" ( Romans 8:38-39). Jesus, our love and our hope, is risen [7], and he lives and reigns in glory. Death has been transformed into victory, and in this lies the faith and hope of Christians, in the resurrection of Christ.

This is, therefore, the third call to conversion: that of hope, of trust in God and in his great promise, eternal life. We must ask ourselves: do I possess the conviction that God forgives my sins, or do I behave as if I could save myself? Do I long for salvation and invoke God's help to receive it? Do I live concretely the hope that helps me to read the events of history and impels me to commit myself to justice, fraternity and care for the common home, acting in such a way that no one is left behind?

Sisters and brothers, thanks to the love of God in Jesus Christ, we are protected by the hope that does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5). Hope is "the anchor of the soul," sure and steadfast. In it the Church prays that "all may be saved" ( 1 Tim 2:4) and hopes that one day she will be united to Christ, her Spouse, in the glory of heaven. This is how St. Teresa of Jesus expressed herself: "Wait, wait, for you do not know when the day or the hour will come. Watch carefully, for everything passes quickly, although your desire makes the certain doubtful, and the short time long" (Exclamations of the soul to God, 15, 3) [9].

May the Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope, intercede for us and accompany us on our Lenten journey.

Rome, St. John Lateran, February 6, 2025, memorial of Saints Paul Miki and companions, martyrs.

FRANCISCO.

[1] Cf. Dilexit nos (24 October 2024), 220.

[2] Cf. Homily at the Holy Mass for the canonization of Blessed John Baptist Scalabrini and Blessed Artemides Zatti (October 9, 2022).

[3] Cf. ibid.

[4] Cf. ibid.

[5] Cf. Bull Spes non confundit, 1.

[6] Encyclical Letter Spe salvi (30 November 2007), 26.

[7] Cf. Sequence of Easter Sunday.

[8] Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1820.

[9] Ibid., 1821.

Ash Wednesday: when is it, what is it celebrated and its meaning?

"Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return."

The imposition of ashes reminds us that our life on earth is fleeting and that our final life is in Heaven.

When is Ash Wednesday?

The Lent is a time of forty days, which begins with Ash Wednesday y ends on Maundy Thursday, before the Mass in coena Domini (the Lord's Supper) with which the Paschal Triduum begins. This is a time of prayer, penance and fasting. Forty days that the Church marks for the conversion of the heart.

This Christian feast has the singularity of changing its date every year. Resurrection of the Lord which is the celebration that marks the liturgical calendar.. It can take place between February 4 and March 10. It is always celebrated on Wednesday.

Meaning of Ash Wednesday

The purpose of receiving the ashes is to remind us of our origin, "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return". With a symbolic sense of death, expiration, humility and penitence, the ashes help us to look inside ourselves.

This look at one's interiority, of recognizing one's mistakes and wanting to rectify them, enters into the dynamics of the two key words of Lent. By recognizing our sins, we regret and wanting to change them, we become.

It is a day of light in the life of the Christian that allows us to recognize that we are weak and that we need the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus to be able to live with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Why do they impose ashes on us?

In the Church this tradition has lasted since the ninth century and exists to remind us that, at the end of our life, we will take with us only what we have done for God and for others.

The Wednesday On Ash Wednesday, the priest traces the sign of the cross with ashes on our forehead to symbolize penitence and repentance, while repeating the words of imposition of ashes that are inspired by the Holy Scriptures:

"Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." Genesis, 3, 19
"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel." Mark 1,15

These words serve to remind us that our final place is in Heaven. Their purpose is to immerse us more intensely in the paschal mystery of Jesus, in his death and resurrection, through participation in the Eucharist and in the life of charity.

The ashes are the remains of what has been consumed, of the branches blessed on the Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, of the previous year. A sign that reminds us of our closeness to sin.

One can also look at oneself in the fire that has produced those ashes. That fire is divine love and the Lentarises, like that fire that burns under the ashes: this is a reminder of God's presence in our lives.is the realization that God, through Christ, makes himself poor for the enrichment of our life through his poverty.

A time of preparation and purification of the heart begins. A path to reach the goal of being filled with God's love.

What is celebrated on Ash Wednesday?

Ash WednesdayIt is a feast of repentance, of penance, but above all of conversion. It is the beginning of the Lenten journey, to accompany Jesus from his desert to the day of his triumph, which is Easter Sunday..

Que se celebra el miércoles de ceniza — Pope Francis when he was Cardinal of Buenos Aires, Argentina in February 2013. Celebrating the Ash Wednesday Holy Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral (by Filippo Fiorini, Pangea News).

It should be a time to reflect on our life, to understand where we are going, to analyze how our behavior is with our family and in general with all the beings that surround us.

At this time, as we reflect on our life, we must convert it from now on into a following of Jesus, deepening our understanding of His message of love and approaching the Sacrament of Reconciliation during this Lenten season.

This Reconciliation with God is integrated by Repentance, Confession of our sins, Penance and finally Conversion:

The repentance must be sincere and it is good that it begins with the Examination of Conscience.
The confession of our sins is expressed by the priest in the sacrament of confession.
The penance The first thing we must do, of course, begins with the one imposed on us by the priest, but we must continue it with prayer, which is intimate communication with God, and with fasting, which represents renunciation.
Finally, the Conversion which represents the following of Jesus. Remembering the word of Jesus, listening, reading the Gospel, meditating on it and believing in it. Transmitting his message with our actions and our words.

In remembrance of the day on which Jesus Christ died on the Holy Cross, "every Friday, unless it coincides with a solemnity, abstinence from meat, or other food determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed; fasting and abstinence are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday." Code of Canon Law, canon 1251

Fasting and abstinence on Ash Wednesdays

To live this time in the best possible way, the Church proposes three key activities, aimed at fostering spiritual growth and a certain interior mortification: prayer, abstinence and fasting. These three forms of penance demonstrate an intention to be reconciled with God, oneself and others.

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting and abstinence:

The fasting consists of eating only one large meal a day.
The abstinence is not to eat meat, it is obligatory from the age of 14 and fasting from the age of 18 until the age of 59.

This is a way of asking God's forgiveness for having offended Him and to tell Him that we want to change our lives to please Him always.

Making sacrifices

Whose meaning is "making things sacred", we must do them with joyfor it is for the love of God. If we do not do so, we will cause pity and compassion and lose eternal happiness. God is the one who sees our sacrifice from heaven and is the one who will reward us..

"When ye fast, appear not sad, as the hypocrites do, who disfigure their faces that men may see that they fast: verily I say unto you, they have received their reward. You when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that men may not see that you fast, but Your Father who is in secret: and Your Father who sees in secret will reward you. " Mt 6:6"

On the other hand, fasting is aimed at achieving mastery over our instincts in order to free our heart.

As Jesus said: "Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Learning to put aside that which we want to eat or drink, to give place to God in our life, is another excellent way to live Lent." Catechism of the Catholic Church 2043

The alms

At this time, the Church proposes another practice of generosity and detachment, almsgiving. It is the voluntary renunciation of different worldly satisfactions. with the intention of pleasing God and with charity towards our neighbor. Knowing how to put aside to put the neighbor above the material things, restores the natural order to our interior.

Prayer for Ash Wednesday

The prayer with an open heart is the best way to prepare for Easter.. Prayer sincerely opens our heart to the presence of the Father. It allows us to recognize the littleness of our being and to understand the need for God in our own existence.

Constant dialogue with God, conscious meditation on his word, is the personal relationship that every Christian should aspire to. It is becoming stronger, the fruit of that relationship that is established in speaking with Him.

Prayer is the valve that oxygenates the soul. It is the encounter with the unconditional love that is Christ.

We are the mud of sin but the dust of ashes invites us to convert and believe in the Gospel, putting everything in the hands of the Lord and not in our own hands because only He is the one who frees us from death and the corruption of our life.

Bibliography:

Catholic.net
Opus Dei.org
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Vaticannews

YouTube, where Stephen started to become a priest

"On YouTube I heard atheists claiming that Christianity has no logical basis and I realized I didn't know the fundamentals to defend my faith."

Stephen Sharpe is a young religious from Maryland, United States. He was born on January 5, 1994. After studying at Loyola University Maryland and working in a military technology company, he discovered that his true vocation was not in the secular world, but in the service of God. During a study program in Spain, he became acquainted with the community of the Servants of God. Mother's Home and, during a retreat, he strongly felt the call to the priesthood.

Today, he has been a member of this community for seven years, giving himself completely to God and preparing to become a priest at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (PUSC), in Rome, where he is studying the first cycle of the biennial propaedeutic of Philosophy, before entering the first cycle of Theology.

Meet Stephen

His name is Brother Stephen Sharpe, he is 31 years old (born in 1994) and is from Maryland, USA. He belongs to a religious community called the Servants of the Home of the Mother. He has been with the Home for 7 years and, during this time, has been able to work with young people in Ireland, the United States and Spain.

He is deeply grateful to the CARF Foundation for giving him the opportunity to begin his studies at PUSC, where he is preparing intellectually to become a priest. He loves his vocation as a servant and looks forward to one day serving the Church as a priest.

He has a twin brother who is also his best friend. He recently got married and they are still very close, despite the distance. He also has an older brother who is expecting his first daughter. Their mother, who raised them in the faith, taught them by her example the importance of putting God at the center of life.

Doubts in adolescence, YouTube and the longing to believe in God

During his adolescence, he began to feel a deep thirst for a deeper understanding of his existence. Existential questions began to trouble him and he longed for answers. Around the age of 15 or 16, he began to ask himself: "What is the meaning of life?What is the meaning of my life, why am I here, how do I know that God really exists?" One day, while on YouTube, he heard atheists mocking Christianity and claiming it had no logical basis.

stephen-sharpe-youtube-vocacion-sacerdote

It was then that he realized that he did not know the fundamentals to defend his faith and understood that, if he did not begin to educate himself intellectually, he would run the risk of losing it.

"That realization spurred me into action: I started reading the Bible, apologetics books, watching YouTube discussions and praying more deeply, asking God to help me understand and guide me through my confusion," Stephen recounts.

During this period, he became increasingly convinced that belief in the existence of God was indeed a logical position. He was never an atheist, but his conviction in the existence of God became firmer. "When this change happened, I remember feeling the desire to become a priest. That longing took hold of my heart and never left. My reasoning was simple: if God exists, then the most meaningful thing I can do is to live completely for Him, as a priest. However, I kept that desire secret and did not act on it immediately."

After graduating from high school, he attended Loyola University Maryland, where he studied international business. He worked as an intern at Textron, a U.S. military technology company specializing in unmanned aircraft for military use.

Despite these accomplishments, there was a voice inside him that told him he did not belong in that world. "My heart longed for something else: I wanted to give myself completely to God, not to anything of this world. The desire to be a priest kept growing and, after four years, it became impossible to ignore."

Spain and the Servants of the Mother's Household

A study opportunity in Spain became providential for the meeting with the Servants of the Home of the Mother, a community of seminarians and priests, who receive help from the CARF Foundation, through partial study grants.

The Servants of the Home of the Mother are a religious community born under the inspiration of the Gospel and the charism of its founder, Mr. Rafael Alonso. They feel chosen by God through the Virgin Mary and live their spirituality with a strong identification with Jesus Christ, making their souls an exclusive sanctuary for God. Their vocation is based on fidelity to the Pope, Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church.

Their life revolves around the Eucharist, celebrating Holy Mass daily and dedicating time to adoration. They practice prayer, penance, and the recitation of the rosaryThey also follow a community life based on fraternity and obedience, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the protection of the Virgin Mary. They also follow a community life based on fraternity and obedience, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the protection of the Virgin Mary.

Its mission is to serving the Church with joy and selfless love and are very active in the social networks, particularly on YouTube, where they have several channels and audiovisual productions in several languages, among them Catholic Stuffwhere they try to present the Gospel in a way that appeals to young people while remaining faithful to the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

"Meeting the Servants was a grace. I had the opportunity to study in Spain, thanks to a program at my university. I lived in Alcalá de Henares, where I became involved in the local youth group and attended daily Mass. One day, during Mass, I met a group of sisters, brothers and priests who belonged to a community called Hogar de la Madre.

Their authenticity, integrity and zeal impressed me deeply. One of the brothers invited me to a weekend retreat following the method of St. Ignatius of Loyola, directed by the Superior General, Don Felix Lopez".

That retreat became the most profound spiritual experience of his life. "I was overwhelmed. As I meditated on the life of our Lord; my heart absorbed the truths of the faith as if hearing them for the first time."

After retirement, he returned to the United States to finish his university studies, but he was no longer the same. He had discovered what he had been searching for all his life: the fullness of truth. After much discernment, he decided to leave everything, his university career, his professional career, his country and join the Home of the Mother, dedicating his life entirely to God.

The priesthood, a vocation that is not easy

Being a priest is not an easy calling, but it is the result of a deep inner struggle and faith in God: "loving Jesus is the secret of true happiness.".

At first, it was not easy. Although he felt the call to be a priest, Stephen had to face many internal struggles. In fact, it took a huge psychological and spiritual leap to even consider joining this community. But the more he prayed, the clearer he saw that God was indeed calling him.

"Seven years later, I can honestly say that these have been the happiest years of my life, not because I have not suffered, but because, in giving my life to God, I have begun to discover (and continue to discover) that loving Jesus is the secret of true happiness."

Throughout these years, he has participated in various apostolates and is deeply grateful to be able to study at the Santa Croce (Santa Cruz), thanks to the help of the CARF Foundation, which has done so much for hundreds of young seminarians like him, in the hope of helping others to discover the truth of Jesus Christ.

Gerardo Ferrara, Degree in History and Political Science, specialized in the Middle East. Head of the student body at the University of the Holy Cross in Rome.

Mary's school

In the Mary's school we learn what we all need. She, as forerunner and mother of the Church, and at the same time as the first disciple, is the model and heart of Christian and ecclesial discernment.

Mary custody meditating

In the scandal of the manger (a feeding trough for animals), Mary learns that God wants to be close and familiar. That he comes in poverty and brings joy and love, not fear. And that he wants to become food for us. There she contemplates the beauty of God lying in a manger.

While others simply pass by and live, and some are amazed, the Virgin Mary kept - guarded, guarded - all these things, meditating on them in his heart (Lk 2:19; cf. also v. 51).

Interweaving events

Her attitude is the expression of a mature and fruitful faith. From the dark stable of Bethlehem, she gives birth to the Light of God in the world. As a foretaste of what is to come, Mary passes, already now, through the cross, without which there is no resurrection.

And so Mary, Francis finds, helps us to overcome the clash between the ideal and the real.

By guarding and meditating. One could say, as the Pope does later, that this happens in Mary's heart and prayer: because she loves and prays, Mary, before, during and after her prayer, is able to see things from God's point of view.

"First of all, Mary is a guardian, that is, she does not disperse. She does not reject what happens. She keeps everything in her heart, everything she has seen and heard. The beautiful things, like those that the angel had told her and those that the shepherds had told her. But also the difficult things to accept: the danger of becoming pregnant before marriage, now the desolate narrowness of the stable where she gave birth. This is what Mary does: she does not select, but guards. She accepts reality as it comes, she does not try to disguise it, to make up her life, she keeps it in her heart."

And then there is the second attitude. How does Mary guard? He does it meditating, interweaving the events:

"Mary compares different experiences, finding the hidden threads that unite them. In her heart, in her prayer She performs this extraordinary operation: she unites the beautiful and the ugly; she does not keep them apart, but unites them. And for this reason," the Pope says, "Mary is the Mother of Catholicity, because she unites, not separates. And so she captures the full meaning, the perspective of God.

Escuela de María — "...Mothers know how to protect, they know how to hold together the threads of life...", says Pope Francis.

The look of the mothers

Well, "this inclusive gaze, which overcomes tensions by keeping and meditating in the heart, is the gaze of mothers, who do not separate tensions, but guard them and thus life grows. It is the look with which so many mothers embrace the situations of their children. It is a concrete gaze, which does not lose heart, which does not become paralyzed in the face of problems, but places them in a broader horizon".

Mothers," she continues, "know how to overcome obstacles and conflicts, they know how to instill peace. They are able to transform adversity into opportunities for rebirth and growth. They do this because they know how to guard. Mothers know how to protect, they know how to hold together the threads of life, all of them.".

Today we need "people who are capable of weaving threads of communion, who contrast the too many barbed threads of divisions. And mothers know how to do that," says Francis.

The Pope insists on the capacity that mothers and women have for this: "Mothers and women look at the world not to exploit it, but to give it life: looking with the heart, they manage to keep dreams and concreteness together, avoiding the drift of aseptic pragmatism and abstraction".

She likes to emphasize that the Church is a mother and a woman. "And the Church is a mother, she is such a mother, the Church is a woman, she is such a woman."

And he deduces, as he has done on other occasions, this consequence, for the Church:

"That is why we cannot find the place of woman in the Church without reflecting her in the heart of a woman-mother. That is the place of woman in the Church, the great place from which other more concrete, more secondary places derive. But the Church is mother, the Church is woman".

And it ends with an exhortation for this new year: "...that, as mothers give life and women protect the world, let us all work to promote mothers and protect women".

Ramiro Pellitero Iglesias, Professor of Pastoral Theology at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Navarra.

The Chair of St. Peter and its celebration in the Church

Every February 22nd, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Virgin Mary. Chair of St. Peter, The Pope's visit, a special occasion that highlights the Pope's role as successor of St. Peter and his mission to guide the faithful in faith and unity.

It is a day that invites us to look towards spiritual leadership with a renewed vision, reminding us that the Pope is a guide, but also a support in difficult times, someone who urges us forward in faith. The Chair of St. Peter highlights the importance of faith in our lives and in the community, showing us the path we should follow.

The celebration of the Chair of St. Peter becomes an opportunity to unite in prayer and strengthen our faith. The Chair symbolizes the teaching and guidance that the Pope offers to the Church and all the faithful.

The meaning of St. Peter's Chair

This day of the Chair of St. Peter invites us to remember our commitment to the teaching of the Church.

The word "cathedra" comes from the Latin cathedrawhich means chair or seat, and symbolizes the teaching authority of the bishop. In this context, the Chair of St. Peter represents Peter's role as the first bishop of Rome and the pope's responsibility as his legitimate successor.

Located in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome, This chair is a symbol of the apostolic continuity and unity of the Church.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said to Peter: «You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church» (Mt 16:18). With these words, Christ made clear Peter's mission as the guide of the Church, a mission that is still alive today in the Pope and in his work as a leader of the Church. service.

The Chair of St. Peter is a constant reminder that the community of the Catholic faithful is united by faith. Pray by the Pope, The successor of Peter and of the Chair of St. Peter, becomes a fundamental part of our spiritual life.

For more than two thousand years, the Church has maintained the apostolic succession of the apostles.The primacy of the apostles, ensuring the continuity of the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles. Peter, on moving to Rome, established there the seat of the primacy, making the city the center of Christianity and a symbol of unity for all the faithful.

This celebration is a reminder that the Church continues to be a living institution, constantly renewing itself and finding in the figure of the Pope a point of reference for all Catholics.

The Chair of St. Peter offers us the opportunity to reflect on our role in the mission of the Church.

Recorrido pastoral Don Lenin Alvarado, párroco de la primera iglesia del mundo dedicada al beato Álvaro del Portillo, en Guayaquil (Ecuador) Sacerdote ecuatoriano — Don Lenin Alvarado in the first church in the world dedicated to Blessed Alvaro del Portillo.

The Church and helping the faithful in their faith journey

Throughout history, the Church has been a focus of spiritual help and guidance for millions of faithful around the world. Today, the figure of the Pope continues to play a crucial role in transmitting the Gospel and promoting peace and solidarity among Christians.

The Chair of St. Peter reminds us that the Church not only guides believers, but also sustains them with its teaching and support. It is a place where many people find refuge when life gets complicated, where they encounter a community that does not leave them alone and a faith that gives hope. As we celebrate this feast of the Chair of St. Peter, we reaffirm our faith and our commitment to the Church.

St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei, emphasized the importance of communion with the Pope and prayer for his person and intentions. In his writings, he encouraged the faithful to pray for the Holy Father, recognizing in him the "sweet Christ on earth" and stressing the need to remain united to the successor of Peter in order to strengthen our faith and the unity of the Church. Prayer for the Pope is not only a tradition, but an act of support and communion with the universal Church.

The priests trained thanks to the support of benefactors of the CARF Foundation (created by Blessed Alvaro del Portillo in 1989) bring the teaching of the Church to all parts of the world. Thanks to their formation, they become messengers of the Gospel and living examples of help and communion with the Pope.

Its mission strengthens unity within the Church and provides support to communities in need through pastoral and social initiatives, as can be read in the testimonials they send us. They are priests who not only speak of faith, but who live it on a daily basis, in neighborhoods where poverty presses, in hospitals where loneliness weighs heavily and in prisons where hope seems to be running out. They are the feet and hands of the Church in the real world.

Today, this feast invites us to renew our commitment to the Church and to recognize the guidance of the Pope as a luminary who guides us in the midst of the difficulties and challenges of the modern world.

It is an opportunity to reflecting on our own participation in the mission of the Church and how, from our daily lives, we can contribute to the construction of a more united and supportive community.

A call to communion and prayer for the Church

On this day of celebration, all the faithful are invited to pray for the Pope and the Churchso that it may continue to be an instrument of unity and help for the world. The feast we celebrate is a reminder that, despite the challenges, the Church remains a pillar of hope and a point of reference for millions of people seeking spiritual guidance and support in their faith journey.

In a world that sometimes seems more divided than ever, remembering that the Church is a home for all restores our faith that unity is possible. It is time to strengthen our commitment to our faith and to all our brothers and sisters, because only together can we continue to build a Church that truly helps and accompanies everyone.

As we celebrate this feast, we reaffirm our faith in Christ's promise to be always with his Church and recognize the importance of remaining in communion with the Pope, successor of Peter, in order to be authentic witnesses to the Gospel in today's world.

Orar por los sacerdotes — Pray for the priests.

Meditations: Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

Reflection to meditate on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter: What does God think of you; How do I support the visible foundation of unity in the Church, the Pope? How do I support the Roman Pontiff with prayer?.