As continued crises in Ukraine, Syria, and other troubled areas of our world draw our concern and prayer, we enter Lent, a time for contemplation, prayer, fasting, giving and action. 

On this Mardi Gras, we pause to find joy and hope, realizing these gifts should be goals of our Lenten journey and each step along its path. This year for Lent, EFJ is weaving the scriptures of Lent with the hopeful thoughts of Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). Joy and Lent are not mutually exclusive, and our simple one-page reflections will help you make connections between key Lenten themes and the joyful hope that missionary disciples should model.

You'll find an introduction and an Ash Wednesday resource, to be followed by reflections for each Sunday of Lent. Beyond the wisdom of Scripture and Pope Francis, we offer insights, prayers, reflection questions, action steps and links to the Scriptures for each day of Lent. 

You may have noticed that EFJ has been busy lately. This is our third message to you in 12 days. As always, we provide links at left to our previous newsletters, but we'll also share below links to our recent Women's History Month Calendar and our prayer for Ukraine. We hope both resources will help guide your heart and be constant in your thoughts and prayer.

Lent may not seem like a joyous time, but "now is a very acceptable time," as Paul reminds us on Ash Wednesday, to be reconciled to God. Pope Francis invites us to a joyous encounter, to stop living in a way that seems like Lent without Easter.

Our Lent series offers simple reflections that weave the wisdom of Scriptures heard during Lent with insights from Pope Francis' exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. 

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Discover the stories of women who inspire us by their devotion to peace and justice. All bear witness to the vital role women play of bringing light into our world.

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