Dear readers, the season of Lent invites us to reflect on our journey of faith and on how we can be instruments of peace and love in the world. One year after the election of Pope Leo XIV, the whole Church is called to renew its missionary commitment, placing prayer and service to the most vulnerable at the center. As the Gospel of Matthew reminds us: 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink' (Mt 25:34-35, NRSV).
The Holy Father, in his recent message to the faithful, emphasized that only love can save the world. This is not empty sentimentality, but a concrete love that translates into acts of care, welcome, and solidarity. In a time marked by conflicts and divisions, every Christian is called to be a peacemaker, a builder of communion, and a servant of the poor.
Prayer as the Foundation of Mission
Prayer is not an escape from reality, but the engine that fuels our ability to love and serve. Pope Leo XIV, during his pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, invited us to rediscover the Rosary as a school of contemplation and intercession for the world. As it is written in the letter of James: 'The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective' (Jas 5:16, NRSV).
Prayer means entering into communion with God and with our brothers and sisters, opening our hearts to the needs of humanity. It is an act of trust that allows us to see beyond our own strength and to entrust the fate of the world to God. In particular, prayer for peace is an urgent duty for every Christian, especially as wars continue to bloody many regions of the planet.
The Rosary: A Prayer for Peace
The Rosary, with its meditation on the mysteries of Christ's life, helps us enter the heart of the Gospel and ask for the intercession of the Virgin Mary for peace in the world. It is not a repetitive, empty prayer, but a journey of faith that transforms us inwardly. Each Hail Mary is like a rose petal we offer to God for the salvation of the world.
In this Lenten season, we can rediscover the beauty of praying the Rosary in family or community, uniting our voices with those of millions of Christians praying for peace. As St. Paul reminds us: 'Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving' (Col 4:2, NRSV).
Service to the Poor: A Tangible Sign of God's Love
Faith without works is dead (cf. Jas 2:17). Service to the poor is not optional for a Christian, but an essential dimension of following Jesus. Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly stated that the Church is called to be a 'Church on the move,' going out to the existential peripheries and taking on the sufferings of the least.
In a world marked by inequalities and injustices, Christian service takes many forms: listening to the lonely, supporting those in financial difficulty, visiting the sick, welcoming immigrants. Every act of charity, however small, is a seed of hope that can sprout and bear fruit.
Being Peacemakers in Daily Life
Peace is not just the absence of war, but an active commitment to build just and fraternal relationships. Every Christian is called to be a peacemaker in their own environment: in the family, at work, in the community. This means knowing how to forgive, how to apologize, how to mediate conflicts.
Jesus taught us: 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God' (Mt 5:9, NRSV). Peace is a gift from God, but it also requires our cooperation. We can start with small daily gestures: a
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