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Message of Pope Francis for Lent 2025

Pope Francis' Message for Lent 2025 has as its theme, “Let us journey together in hope”. This year's Lenten season begins on 5 March, Ash Wednesday, and ends on 17 April, Holy Thursday.

The Holy Father's Message is inspired by the Jubilee 2025 theme “Pilgrims of Hope”.

“This Lent, as we share in the grace of the Jubilee Year, I would like to propose a few reflections on what it means to journey together in hope, and on the summons to conversion that God in his mercy addresses to all of us, as individuals and as a community,” Pope Francis writes.

In his Message, the Holy Father underlines that to journey “evokes the lengthy journey of the people of Israel to the Promised Land” and adds that “a first call to conversion thus comes from the realization that all of us are pilgrims in this life”, as we reflected during World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2024.

Secondly, the Pope underlines that this journey is made together and explains that “Christians are called to walk at the side of others, and never as lone travelers”, it is necessary “to walk together, to be synodal” because “this is the vocation of the Church”.

In conclusion, the Holy Father affirms that it is necessary “to journey together in hope, for we have been given a promise”, in that “hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5).

This is the third call to conversion, which is the central message of the Jubilee, “a call to hope, to trust in God and his great promise of eternal life”. For this reason, the Pope encourages us so that hope “may be the focus of our Lenten journey towards the victory of Easter”.

Read the entire Lent 2025 message from Pope Francis on vatican.va.: Lent 2025: Let us journey together in hope

About The MJD Lenten Campaign

Lenten Season 2025

The Lenten Campaign endeavour is a faith-based programme of the Catholic Church conducted during the annual liturgical season of Lent. The Campaign is aimed at actively encouraging the faithful to be fully engaged in the three key Christian practices of prayer (Mt. 6:6), fasting (Mt. 6:17) and almsgiving (Mt. 6:2).

The desired outcome of these focused Lenten practices is greater awareness, conversion, renewal and transformation of the individual, family and community.

In his Letter to the Romans, St. Paul advises us:

Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do. (Romans 12:2)

The vision of the Lenten Campaign is a Catholic community who are active and responsible co-operators of the Kingdom of God, which Jesus came to establish. The mission of the Campaign is to actively promote the spiritual observance of Lent through conscientious reflections, informed decisions and purposeful actions that will help us better understand our vocation as Catholics and Catholic community – we are all called to be missionary-disciples.

In the Diocese of Malacca Johor, the Lenten Campaign programme, which is founded on the social teachings of the Catholic Church, is conducted and organised by Caritas MJD.

About Lenten Campaign Resources

Lenten Campaign 2025 is supported with appropriate and easy-to-use resources for parishes, BECs and homes. The Campaign will also actively promote awareness and education online and through social media, and be regularly disseminated on social networks so that the faithful would participate more effectively.

The exercises and activities are aimed at building awareness and better understanding and are intended to be undertaken individually and/ or in groups.

In Lent 2025, let's embrace the essence of the season with a simple message: "We pray, we fast, we give alms."

Much like when God guided the Israelites from tough times to freedom in the desert, our journey toward freedom demands endurance and a willingness to embrace change. We're encouraged to let go of things that weigh us down and rediscover the joy of a Lent focused on contemplation and community. Opening our eyes to reality and the cries of oppressed brothers and sisters, let our Lenten reflection lead to concrete actions, prayerful pauses, and generous moments.

In the spirit of St. Thérèse of Lisieux's words,

"When one loves, one does not calculate,"

may our fasting, almsgiving, and praying be rooted in selfless and unconditional love.

2025 YEAR OF HOPE

A Journey of HOPE

Adults

Outline of the weekly themes for adults

Start of Lent: What is hope? – Exploring what hope means in the context of the Christian faith.

Week 1: Imperfect – Exploring how we hold on to hope in lives that are messy and a world that is imperfect.

Week 2: Together – Exploring the ways joining with others allows us to find hope ourselves and offer hope to those who need it.

Week 3: Trusting – Exploring what it means to trust in the hope God promises, even when we feel uncertain about the future.

Week 4: Noticing – Exploring how we can deepen our hope by noticing signs of what God is doing.

Week 5: Courage – Exploring how being rooted in hope can give us courage to face difficulties and seek change.

Week 6 – Holy Week: Transformed – Exploring how God can transform even the most broken situations.

Outline of the weekly themes for schools, children and families NB the themes for schools, children and families follow a slightly different order from the adults’ themes (shown in brackets).

Start of Lent: Hope for Lent (What is hope?) – Exploring Lent as a time of looking forward in hope to the amazing story of Easter.

Week 1: Hope in the wilderness (Trusting) – Exploring Lent as a time for us to place ou trust in God as Jesus did in the wilderness.

Week 2: Hope on the water (Together) – Exploring how Jesus called fishermen to trust him and work together to share God’s love.

Week 3: Hope at the Last Supper (Imperfect) – Exploring how Jesus encourages his friends to learn from their mistakes and hope in God.

Week 4: Hope at the cross (Noticing) – Exploring how those followers who remain close to Jesus till the end notice signs of hope.

Week 5: Hope at the tomb (Courage) – Exploring how two women brave enough to visit Jesus’ tomb are filled with hope and joy. Week 6 – Holy Week: Easter Hope (Transformed) – Exploring how the disciples' sorrow isturned to joy when the risen Jesus stands among them

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