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DENVER, February 21, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.Com) – Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, Colorado commenced the Lenten season today, Ash Wednesday, by issuing a message to his diocese reminding the faithful "As we offer our prayers to God this Lent, let's ask Him to restore us as a culture of life — a culture committed to the sanctity of every life, from the unborn child to the mentally disabled, the infirm and the elderly, and yes, even the condemned criminal."
Chaput's message, published in the Denver Catholic Register, began by explaining the purpose of the Catholic tradition of Lent. "We all have a natural longing for happiness, but we can't be happy alone. We were made for wholeness, for friendship with one another, and for communion with our Creator." He went on, "Again and again, despite our best intentions, we make wrong choices, do bad things and hurt those we love."
"Lent is not a time to revile ourselves. But the fasting, prayer and mortifications of the season do have a very important purpose: They help us to clear our soul of debris. They cut away the selfishness that obstructs our view of God and blocks His light from us."
Chaput emphasized the need for our society to respect life saying, "Lent is a time to reflect on our sinfulness, to learn humility and gratitude, and to turn toward the greatness of God's love. God's Son gave up his own life so that we might have eternal life. Shouldn't we show our gratitude for this gift of life in the ways we honor and respect all life, as Christ did?"
Chaput ended his Lenten message with a request for the faithful to use the penitential season as an opportunity to restore the culture of life in today's society particularly by praying for an end to the death penalty in Colorado – currently a topic being discussed at the 2007 Colorado General Assembly. "As we offer our prayers to God this Lent, let's ask Him to restore us as a culture of life — a culture committed to the sanctity of every life, from the unborn child to the mentally disabled, the infirm and the elderly, and yes, even the condemned criminal."
Read Chaput's entire Lenten message:
http://www.archden.org/dcr/news.php?e=407&s=2&a=8557
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