This Wednesday, 5th March 2025, marks the commencement of the holy season of Lent for the Catholic Church: 40 days of prayer and penance in preparation for the celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna will preside over the Ash Wednesday Mass, which will include the blessing and the placing of ashes, at the Church of the Holy Cross in Floriana (Tal-Kapuċċini). The Mass starts at 9:30am and will be broadcast on TVM, Church.mt and Newsbook Malta.
In his Lenten message for this year, Pope Francis invites the faithful to “journey together in hope” and embrace this sacred time to reflect on whether they are truly open to God’s call for transformation. He also encourages each person to examine their relationship with God and those around them, particularly with migrants and the marginalised in society. “Journeying together means consolidating the unity grounded in our common dignity as children of God (cf. Gal 3:26-28). It means walking side-by-side, without shoving or stepping on others, without envy or hypocrisy, without letting anyone be left behind or excluded. Let us all walk in the same direction, tending towards the same goal, attentive to one another in love and patience.”
Throughout Lent, the Church encourages Christians to read the Word of God and participate in the sacraments and spiritual exercises. Everyone is encouraged to visit the website randan.knisja.mt to find updated dates and times of Lenten and Holy Week celebrations and activities in parishes in Malta. The website will be updated continually during Lent.
Moreover, during this period, one can also access beHOLD.mt, beKids.mt and soter.church.mt which include prayers and resources related to Lent.