Auxiliary Bishop of Braga invites the faithful to live Lent “authentically”

Hundreds of faithful took part this afternoon, on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, in a walk of penance, silence, and hope to the Santuário do Bom Jesus do Monte. The pilgrimage, under the theme “Hope: Welcoming fruitfulness in fragility,” began at Igreja de Santa Cruz, from where the participants set out in a spirit of recollection towards the top of the hill. Once at the Santuário, the pilgrims accompanied the procession of the image of Senhor do Bom Jesus do Monte to the outdoor grounds, where the Open-Air Eucharist was celebrated, presided over by D. Nélio Pita, Bispo Auxiliar de Braga, with liturgical music by Orfeão Famalicense.

In his homily, D. Nélio Pita drew a parallel between the experience of pilgrimage and the very path of Christian life, stressing that no one walks alone in faith. He recalled that the spiritual journey is always lived in community, despite the differences among the faithful. “In the Church, at the baptismal font, we undertake a journey; we do not undertake it alone, we always undertake it in community, as a group, as the people of God, despite our differences (…) but we are all united by the same faith,” he began by reminding them.

The Auxiliary Bishop emphasized that, just as on a demanding climb, moments of tiredness and doubt also arise in life, when many question the effort of the journey. However, he said, it is the gaze towards the Cross that renews strength and prevents people from giving up. “When we look at the Cross, we understand that we must continue, we cannot give up, because the Cross inspires us, gives us strength, nourishes us,” he said.

Using musical language, D. Nélio Pita compared Lent to the process of tuning an instrument, explaining that the Lenten season invites every Christian to re-examine their life and rediscover harmony with God and with their brothers and sisters. “Just as an instrument needs to be constantly tuned (…) we too need to be tuned. Our inner strings need to be tightened by the hand of God,” he stressed.

According to the Prelado, this is also a time to acknowledge personal weaknesses and avoid the temptation to look only at the faults of others, rediscovering communion as the essence of the Christian journey.

In one of the central moments of the homily, D. Nélio Pita said that Christ continues to suffer because of the injustice, war, hunger, and inequalities present in today’s world, inviting the faithful to respond with concrete gestures of closeness and charity. “This Lent, may we know how to look at the Lord, identify these situations, and in some way relieve the Lord’s suffering,” he said, giving a concrete example: “by helping my brothers and sisters, visiting a neighbour, extending a hand to someone to whom I have turned my back.”

He concluded by reminding them that living Lent authentically means turning words into actions, thus preparing the heart for the Easter celebration. “If we do that, we will be living Lent in an authentic way,” he stressed.