Lent Reflections Week 2 - Lent provides a perfect opportunity for conversion

    Students of Pope Francis summarize his agenda with the phrase "pastoral conversion." Lent is an especially suitable time to think and pray about conversion. But what is pastoral conversion?

    Conversion is about a change of mind and heart that affects all the baptized. The source of this is our encounter with Jesus Christ and especially the experience of his forgiveness, love, and mercy. Pope Francis insists that the church - which means us, the people of God - must go out to encounter others and share the experience of God's love. We do this by inviting people to personally encounter the living Christ.

   The invitation to experience Christ's love brings with it an ability to engage in real dialogue. Pastoral conversion demands the capacity to encounter others and respect their views, even when they differ from our own. Openness to others is a way to witness to God's universal love. True dialogue reveals respect for the dignity of people in a world where polarization, taking sides, and culture wars are so very common.

    Pastoral conversion means that the faithful assume responsibility for the church's mission. Pope Francis suggests that "missionary disciple" is the term that best captures the fullness of the baptismal call. It also means mobilizing all the faithful, for without their mobilization there is no way the church can accomplish its evangelizing mission.

    All of us must stop thinking of the church mainly as an institution. Everything has to be transformed into mission. That includes the parish, which so often becomes self-referential rather than missionary.

    Pastoral conversion also means keeping the poor in mind and helping them while also listening to them. When the church demonstrates care for the marginal it gives the most credible sign after martyrdom of having encountered Jesus. Think about Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. When we show genuine concern for the poor and for social justice we are "putting our money where our mouth is." Christianity shows its authenticity by its regard for those who are oppressed, aged, immigrants, sick, rejected, and forgotten. So pastoral conversion means a change of heart and the courage to get down with the poor and learn from them.

   Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the three traditional activities of Lent. They can be viewed as the embodiment of pastoral conversion that requires noticing your dependency on God and others. Pastoral conversion is just another name for living the incarnate love of God manifested at Holy Week, the final destination of our Lenten journey.

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