Abp. Aymond: Look at Lenten sacrifice as opportunity to make positive changes

Dear Young Church,

As I write to you, we have just finished the Carnival season and are transitioning into Lent.

May I remind you that Lent is a time when we are to grow in a deeper relationship with Christ through prayer, good works and some kind of fasting or sacrifice.

During Lent, we express our regret for our sins and come to know the ways in which we can become better girls and boys following the Lord Jesus as our brother and as the one who calls us to new life in him.

Please include as your Lenten penance extra time in prayer with the Lord Jesus, asking him to help you to know what he is asking of you every day and to be able to accomplish that at school, at home, on the playground, in the community and wherever you are on a given day.

We are also asked to make a sacrifice. I would ask you to look at what it is that the Lord is asking you to change in your life.

Sometimes we want to change our behavior, but our behavior is rooted in attitudes. What attitude is it? God is asking you to look at the attitude that allows you to give in to weakness and sin. Choose a penance that will help you to curb that attitude and help you to become a more faithful disciple of the Lord Jesus.

One of the things that we can do during Lent is to try to be a better child to our parents and also to be more loving to those within our families. That also includes our school family, where we spend a great deal of our day and are called to live the Christian life as a true follower of Jesus.

You are the Young Church. You are the sisters and brothers of Jesus, our Lord. During this Lenten time, may you grow in a deeper love of Jesus and of your brothers and sisters at school, at home and within the community. Do not be afraid to embrace sacrifice. It is not a negative thing, but a positive thing, telling the Lord Jesus how much we want to change within our hearts and to be faithful to him.

Wishing you God’s blessings and offering you his continued blessings for a holy Lenten season, I am your brother in Christ,

Most Rev. Gregory M. Aymond
Archbishop of New Orleans