Gracious and merciful God,

As we enter this holy season of Lent, we pause at the threshold of these forty days with humble hearts and open hands. You call us into the wilderness, not to abandon us, but to draw us closer to You.

In this season of repentance and renewal, search our hearts and reveal what keeps us from Your love. Where we have been distracted, refocus us. Where we have been hardened, soften us. Where we have sinned, forgive us.

Give us courage to fast from what does not give life and to feast on what truly nourishes our souls. Teach us to pray more deeply, to love more generously, and to serve more faithfully.

When the journey feels long, sustain us. When we stumble, lift us up. When we are tempted, strengthen our resolve.

May this Lent be a time of transformation, a journey from ashes to hope, from brokenness to wholeness, from death to resurrection life.

Create in us clean hearts, O God, and lead us ever closer to the cross and the joy of Easter morning.

Amen.

Colored wooden statue of Saint Alexius of Edessa. Flemish school, Belgium, second half of the 16th century.

Almighty God,

we thank You for the relaxing weekend You have given us. We have been able to distance ourselves from our everyday worries and gain spiritual peace and physical strength. We thank you for the tranquility, the rejuvenation, the time spent with our loved ones, and the quiet moments in which we could grow closer to You and to each other. Help us to use the strength we gained over the weekend in our everyday lives, in service, in love, and in following Your example.

Amen.

This day is closely linked to the apparition in Lourdes, when in 1858 the Virgin Mary appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous in a rock cave, where a miraculous spring gushed forth. Since then, millions of pilgrims have visited Lourdes every year to pay their respects at this holy site, and miraculous healings have accompanied the events.

The pictures show the chapel named after Saint Bernadette at the Alexian mission in Hungary, with a stained-glass window depicting the saint and a relic of Saint Bernadette.

 

On February 11, we commemorated World Day of the Sick, which has been celebrated worldwide since 1993 at the initiative of Pope John Paul II. The purpose of the commemoration is to "encourage all of God's people to pay due attention to the sick and to promote understanding of suffering."

The stylized depiction of Christ the Healer in the picture is the work of Valentino Bianco CFA (1923-2013), an American Alexian Brother.

Saint Alexius,

patron saint of the Alexian Brothers, pray for us during this new week. Please accompany and guide us on our journey so thatvwe may find peace and love in every moment of our lives. Bless our work, our efforts, and all our decisions in the coming period. Help us to faithfully follow the Lord's call and support us in serving others with the love of Christ. Be with us on our journey and guide us on the path of truth and love. O Saint Alexius, we ask you to strengthen our faith and support our ministry in serving others. Shower us with your blessings and guidance in every moment of the new week, so that we may say: "The love of Christ compels us." 

Amen.

Wooden statue of Saint Alexius in the Church of Saint Barbara in Venezuela.