The Face of Mercy / Daniel Conway

During Lent, Easter and beyond, let us journey together as pilgrims of hope

(En Espanol)

In his annual Lenten message, Pope Francis offers some reflections on what it means “to journey together in hope” and on “the summons to conversion” that our merciful God has addressed to us as individuals and as a community of faith.

First of all, the pope explains that the Jubilee motto “Pilgrims of Hope” evokes the Book of Exodus’ account of the lengthy journey of the people of Israel to the Promised Land. “This arduous path from slavery to freedom was willed and guided by the Lord, who loves his people and remains ever faithful to them,” the Holy Father says. “It is hard to think of the biblical exodus without also thinking of those of our brothers and sisters who in our own day are fleeing situations of misery and violence in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones.”

Lent challenges us to change our thinking and to recognize that all of us are pilgrims, people who are “on the way” from one place, or one situation in life, to another. Pope Francis asks us to consider these fundamental questions:

Am I really on a journey, or am I standing still, not moving, either immobilized by fear and hopelessness or reluctant to move out of my comfort zone? Am I seeking ways to leave behind the occasions of sin and situations that degrade my dignity?

He says that it would be a good Lenten exercise (an examination of conscience) for us to compare our daily life with that of someone else—perhaps a migrant or exile—and to sympathize with their experiences “and in this way discover what God is asking of us so that we can better advance on our journey to the house of the Father.”

We are all on a journey. But what does it mean “to journey together,” to be fellow travelers on a pilgrimage of hope?

“The Church is called to walk together, to be synodal,” Pope Francis says. “Christians are called to walk at the side of others, and never as lone travelers. The Holy Spirit impels us not to remain self-absorbed, but to leave ourselves behind and keep walking toward God and our brothers and sisters.”

Quoting St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, the pope explains that journeying together means “consolidating the unity grounded in our common dignity as children of God” (Gal 3:26-28). It also means “walking side-by-side, without shoving or stepping on others, without envy or hypocrisy, without letting anyone be left behind or excluded.”

Some question Pope Francis’ consistent (and insistent) emphasis on synodality as a way of exercising leadership in the Church. But Pope Francis is adamant.

“Let us all walk in the same direction,” he says, “tending toward the same goal, attentive to one another in love and patience.” He firmly believes that this Lent, especially, “God is asking us to examine whether in our lives, in our families, in the places where we work and spend our time, we are capable of walking together with others, listening to them, resisting the temptation to become self-absorbed and to think only of our own needs.”

Pope Francis identifies synodality as a call to conversion that asks us to cooperate with others, to show ourselves welcoming, with concrete gestures, to those both near and far, and to make others feel a part of the pilgrim community without keeping them at a distance. He invites us to journey together in a hope that does not disappoint (Rom 5:5), which is the central message of the 2025 Jubilee, and which should be the focus of our Lenten journey towards the victory of Easter.

According to the Holy Father:

This, then, is the third call to conversion: a call to hope, to trust in God and his great promise of eternal life. Let us ask ourselves: Am I convinced that the Lord forgives my sins? Or do I act as if I can save myself? Do I long for salvation and call upon God’s help to attain it? Do I concretely experience the hope that enables me to interpret the events of history and inspires in me a commitment to justice and fraternity, to care for our common home and in such a way that no one feels excluded?

All of us are pilgrims. The question is whether we walk alone as isolated individuals or whether we journey together as pilgrims of hope.
 

(Daniel Conway is a member of The Criterion’s editorial committee.) †