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Beginning of Lent/ Message from Archbishop Giovanni Peragine: A time of repentance and return to God

2026-02-18 10:09:00, Aktualitet CNA

Beginning of Lent/ Message from Archbishop Giovanni Peragine: A time of

On the occasion of the beginning of Lent, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Shkodër-Pulti, His Grace Giovanni Peragine, has conveyed a message to the faithful, describing this period as a sacred time of repentance, reflection and return to the essence of Christian life.

In his message, the Archbishop emphasizes that Lent represents a precious opportunity to turn to God with all our hearts and to restore him to the center of personal and community life. He underlines that this period should not be seen simply as a traditional practice, but as an inner journey that helps believers rediscover the true meaning of life and relationships with others.

Archbishop Giovanni Peragine's message for the beginning of Lent emphasizes repentance as a change in the direction of life and a reorientation of the heart towards spiritual values. According to him, when God is not at the center, relationships weaken and hope fades, while returning to God brings inner enlightenment and transformation of life.

The Archbishop also dwells on the social reality, recalling that the country still faces challenges such as poverty, injustice and violence. He calls for the building of united communities, which build bridges of understanding and witness to the values ??of the Gospel in everyday life.

He invites families to restore prayer to daily life, young people not to be afraid of courageous choices, while priests, the elderly and the sick continue to be witnesses of faith and spiritual fortitude.

Monsignor Giovanni Peragine emphasizes that this period is not a time of sadness, but preparation for the joy of Easter, inviting believers to walk with a renewed heart and stronger faith.

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Lent: A time of repentance and steadfastness in God and in love for one's brother

Dear brothers and sisters,

With the simple sign of grace we have begun the journey of Lent, entering a holy and favorable time, where God calls us by name and invites us to return to Him with all our hearts. Lent appears to us as a gift of grace, a precious opportunity to turn our attention back to ourselves and to rediscover what is essential.

It is not primarily a question of a moral effort or a set of practices carried out for the sake of tradition. Lent is a return to the essence of Christian life: to place God at the center of our existence and, in Him, to rediscover the face of our brother as an inseparable part of our vocation.

Repentance means, first of all, changing direction, reorienting the heart towards those things that give true meaning to our lives. We often put ourselves at the center: our worries, our interests and our fears. Thus, God is no longer at the center of our lives and our brother sometimes seems like a limit, even a burden.

When God is not at the center, everything falls apart: relationships are damaged, communities are weakened, hope fades. However, when God returns to be the Lord of our lives, our vision is purified and the way we see others changes. God's presence at the center illuminates our interior and transforms our way of life.

In a society often gripped by activism, Lent reminds us of the value of the inward. It is a time to ask honestly if God is truly the center of our choices, if our days begin and end with Him, if our families breathe in His presence.

Our land has experienced pain and trials: our city still faces various forms of poverty, injustice and violence. We need reconciled Christians, capable of building bridges and not walls. A community that places God at the center necessarily becomes a community that cares, that knows how to approach, that witnesses the power of the Gospel in daily life.

This Lenten season is a journey that we travel together as a Church. We are called to walk as a people, supported by faith and love. I invite families to rediscover prayer at home as the heart of family life; young people not to be afraid of generous and courageous choices; priests and religious to be a pure and reliable sign of God's steadfastness; the sick and the elderly to offer their suffering as a hidden treasure for our diocese.

Lent is not a time of sadness, but a preparation for the joy of Easter. It is the time when we let go of what is superfluous to make room for the new life that God wants to give us. When God returns to the center, the heart is illuminated; when the brother takes his place at the center, the community is reborn.

Let us entrust this journey to the intercession of our beloved Mother, the Virgin Mary, so dear to us, that she may accompany us towards Easter with a renewed heart and a more vibrant faith.

Happy Lent and God bless you.