Vatican City – A series of Lenten meditations focusing on the life and teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi will be held at the Aula Pablo VI from March 6th to March 27th. The meditations, offered by the Pontifical Household preacher, aim to inspire a renewed commitment to the Gospel message as the Catholic Church marks the eighth centenary of the saint’s death. The event comes at a time of ongoing reflection within the Church on themes of poverty, fraternity, and evangelization.
The meditations will take place every Friday at 9:00 a.m. Rome time, led by Father Roberto Pasolini, a Capuchin friar. According to an announcement, the sessions are intended as “a space of listening and discernment,” drawing on the Second Letter to the Corinthians, which states, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”
A Call to Authentic Conversion
Father Pasolini has invited cardinals, archbishops, bishops, members of the Papal Household, Curia Romana staff, and representatives from seminaries and religious orders to participate. He writes that this year of grace invites a “genuine conversion to the Gospel,” building on the momentum of the Jubilee of Hope.
The Enduring Witness of Saint Francis
The preacher emphasized that the life of Saint Francis “remains a luminous testimony to a new humanity, generated by the encounter with Christ.” He described the saint’s journey – from embracing those suffering from leprosy to proclaiming the Kingdom of God – as a “Gospel path” leading to “perfect joy, matured in trials, and tribulations.”
“Francis comes to welcome death as a sister, without fear or shame, entrusting his whole life to the fidelity of God,” Father Pasolini explained. He stressed that the example of Saint Francis is not about external imitation, but rather “an interior path” that can “reawaken the longing for the Gospel and for a new life in the Spirit.”
Lenten Meditation Schedule
The meditations will follow this schedule:
March 6th: “Conversion. Following the Lord Jesus on the path of humility.”
March 13th: “Fraternity. The grace and responsibility of fraternal communion.”
March 20th: “Mission. Proclaiming the Gospel to every creature.”
March 27th: “The freedom of the children of God. Perfect joy and death as a sister.”
