Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, announced that Pope Leo XIV will visit six nations outside Italy in three apostolic journeys this spring.

The Pontiff will visit Monaco on March 28; make a ten-day journey to four African nations (Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea) from April 13-23; and spend nearly a week in Spain (June 6-12).

The February 25 announcement of the apostolic journeys outside Italy follows last week’s announcement of six papal trips within Italy this spring and summer.

Pope Leo XIV appointed four new auxiliary bishops of Rome on February 25.

The appointments, The Pillar noted, may presage an “end to a tumultuous period in the Pope’s diocese, which began in 2024 with Pope Francis dismissing six auxiliary bishops in just more than a year and abolishing one of the diocese’s five pastoral sectors.” Pope Leo restored the sector in November.

In certain ways the Lenten Christian is like the Jew in exile. He is still exposed to the attacks of the enemies. Lent, like the exile in Babylon, is a time of cleansing. It intends to create in us a greater desire and longing for deliverance which God has promised us through our savior Jesus Christ. All the chants and prayers in today's Mass are urgent pleas for God's mercy and help.

Today is Ember Wednesday, the beginning of the Spring or Lent Embertide. There are two principal objects for the Ember Days of this period of the year: the first is to offer to God the season of Spring, and, by fasting and prayer, to draw down His blessing upon it; the second is to ask Him to enrich with His choicest graces the priests and sacred ministers who are to receive their Ordination on Saturday. See also Contemporary Observation of Ember Days and Lenten Ember Days for more information.

The readings and propers of the Mass shows the Church's constant effort to acquaint us with the teaching of her Founder, and to strengthen us to follow and live his teachings. Mere formalism and externalism are of no value in the religion of Christ. God demands of his people a worship in spirit and in truth, and a conversion which comes from the heart.

The great themes--the annual catechumenate by which all the people of the Church are renewed in the baptismal promises they repeat at the Easter Vigil; the adventure of God in salvation history and in the coming of the Kingdom in the person of Jesus; and the invitation to deeper friendship with Christ through a more intimate embrace of His Passion and Death--shape the liturgical rhythm of Lent.

From the Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent, Year A: At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread." He said in reply, "It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God." (Matt. 4:1-4)

Not only fasting, private prayer, and almsgiving, but also corporate worship helps to form the thorough Christian. All worship centers in Christ, the one mediator. His presence and priesthood are the hope of the world Through Him as their Head, all His members give the Trinity due homage, thanksgiving, and reparation. By worshiping together, men express their dependence upon one another and deepen their vital unity.

The first four Masses in Lent serve as a general introduction to Lent. They describe the essentials of a Lenten program. This Mass is concerned with fasting and teaches us what true fasting is. The Opening Prayer of today's Mass asks God to guide the Lenten penance we have begun.

The ashes are scarcely washed clean from our foreheads. In this second Lenten Mass we get down to work on our spiritual program. The first four Masses in Lent are a unit. They describe the area of concentration and the dimensions of our Lenten program. Today's Mass teaches that it is the soul's life we are concerned with. The Collect or Opening Prayer at Mass is the usual one said when beginning a major work.