Dear Magdala family, friends, and benefactors,

We have already embarked on this new spiritual adventure, Lent. Forty days that recall the Exodus of the People of Israel from slavery to freedom, from oppression to the Promised Land, from not being the People of God to being the Chosen People.

Lent has traditionally been a period of remarkable growth in our Christian life. For this, the entire Church offers various experiences of spirituality and prayer. From spiritual exercises to retreats, Lenten talks, special readings, or fasting, we reach the highly recommended confession of our sins to receive Communion on the Lord’s Easter. God shapes our souls through His Church and offers us many means to achieve this. But He is always the author and perfecter of all perfect gifts and graces.

This year, God has allowed several providential coincidences. Firstly, Pope Francis has called us to live a year focused on prayer to better prepare ourselves for the Jubilee of 2025, in which God’s grace will be abundantly poured out through the plenary indulgence that purifies us from all our sins.

Another precious coincidence is that this year, in our series of virtual pilgrimages, “it was our turn” to explore the theme of prayer, the fourth part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Also, in recent messages from the Virgin Mary from Medjugorje, she urges us to pray, trust, and surrender to God’s hands.

PRAYER. God wants us to live this Lent as a great school of prayer, not carrying it out superficially but instead truly placing Him at the center of our lives.

Let the first commandment of God’s Law urge us to make Him the object of our desires and concerns, trust Him, and turn to Him in our struggles and needs.

It would be enough to review our daily life events to reflect on our need to pray. The needs of the world and the universal Church remind us of the importance of our prayer. The events in our countries, sometimes shaken by the vicissitudes of our recent history, require our prayer. Our family, our daily decisions, and the important and existential ones also remind us of the power of prayer. Finally, there is the need to praise God, thank Him, and bless Him for the many good things He gives us daily.

Think briefly about the trillions of systems that work perfectly so that both the macrocosm and the microcosm function and offer us the possibility of life. Contemplating and knowing just one cell should fill us with prayer, praise, and gratitude.

We are already living out daily our virtual “Pilgrimage of Prayer in Jerusalem: If you knew the gift of God.” May God pour abundant graces into our hearts as we journey together through the Holy Land. This is what He desires most.

Stay tuned for our latest updates on our social media pages and channels as we share exciting news for this Easter, our 2024 Youthfest taking place in the summer, and many more.

Remember that St. Joseph is particularly important in March, with the catholic feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary, being celebrated on March 19th.

May God fill you with His love. You are all in my prayers.

Fraternally yours,

Fr. Juan María Solana, L.C., and the Magdala team.