Christ accepted the weight of human sin for our redemption (cf. 2 Cor 5:21). The Father entrusted to His Son the full burden of our wrongdoing, a mystery Pope Benedict XVI once described as God seeming to “turn against Himself” (Deus Caritas Est, 12). In this shocking self-gift, divine love reveals its depth, extending even toward those who oppose God (cf. Mt 5:43–48). This is the heart of the paschal mystery: a love that does not remain distant or abstract, but enters fully into the drama of human brokenness.
God’s salvific dialogue stands in sharp contrast to the idle curiosity of the Athenians, “who spent their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new” (Acts 17:21). Today, too, we risk reducing life to noise, novelty, and distraction. Misused media and superficial communication can drown out the call to interior conversion. Yet the Gospel invites us beyond fleeting chatter into a deep encounter that transforms.
Sharing in the paschal mystery means recognizing Christ’s suffering in the wounds of our world. The anguish of the innocent, the neglected, and the marginalized becomes a living reminder of His passion. The violence we inflict, the selfishness we foster, and the harm we cause to creation expose how far our hearts can drift from God.
True conversion, therefore, moves us toward generosity. Almsgiving becomes not a mere obligation but an act that reshapes both the one who offers and the one who receives. It broadens the heart and helps restore justice where it has been lacking.
This Lent, from March 26 to 28, young economists and innovators will gather in Assisi to imagine and promote an economy marked by justice, inclusion, and care for the most vulnerable. Their work reflects the ongoing call to align economic life with human dignity.
May Mary Most Holy accompany us in this season of renewal. As our hearts are purified, may we grow into instruments of reconciliation and reflect the mission Christ entrusts to His disciples: to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (cf. Mt 5:13–14).