The great family of Saint Anthony, present in every corner of the world, in response to Pope Francis' invitation, unites in prayer and fasting for peace on Wednesday, March 2 – Ash Wednesday. We will unite with the people of Ukraine and with all those who are suffering from violence and war.
Today, Wednesday March 2, with the Rite of Blessing and Imposition of the Ashes, the Lenten period begins. This is the period when Christians are called upon to renew their lives.
This time of spiritual preparation is “a journey that involves our whole life, our entire being. It is a time to reconsider the path we are taking, to find the route that leads us home and to rediscover our profound relationship with God, on whom everything depends.” (From Pope Francis’ homily during the Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica).
This year the friars of the Basilica of Saint Anthony will again entrust themselves, and all of the Saint’s devotees, to the Holy Father’s words in his traditional Message for the 2022 Lent:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Lent is a favourable time for personal and community renewal, as it leads us to the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For our Lenten journey in 2022, we will do well to reflect on Saint Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians: “Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity (kairós), let us do good to all” (Gal 6:9-10).
In these words, the Apostle evokes the image of sowing and reaping, so dear to Jesus (cf. Mt 13). Saint Paul speaks to us of a kairós: an opportune time for sowing goodness in view of a future harvest. What is this “opportune time” for us? Lent is certainly such an opportune time, but so is our entire existence, of which Lent is in some way an image. All too often in our lives, greed, pride and the desire to possess, accumulate and consume have the upper hand, as we see from the story of the foolish man in the Gospel parable, who thought his life was safe and secure because of the abundant grain and goods he had stored in his barns (cf. Lk 12:16-21). Lent invites us to conversion, to a change in mindset, so that life’s truth and beauty may be found not so much in possessing as in giving, not so much in accumulating as in sowing and sharing goodness.
Pope Francis
Read the whole of Pope Francis’ message – click here
We remind you that, besides the daily celebrations in the Basilica, the 6.00pm (CET) and the 11.00am Sunday Holy Masses will be celebrated every evening and every Sunday, and that they will be streamed live via web and social channels*
Read the news for the events in the Basilica of St. Anthony during Lent – click here
Access to the 6.00 pm (CET) livestreamed Masses at:
• This site on the live stream page of the Holy Masses: https://www.santantonio.org/en/content/holy-masses-streaming
• Youtube "Messenger of Saint Anthony": https://www.youtube.com/MessaggerodisantAntonio
• Facebook "Saint Anthony of Padua - The friars of the Basilica": https://www.facebook.com/friarsofsaintanthonyofpadua/