March 1, 2022

Thy Kingdom Come!

March 1,  2022
To all members of Regnum Christi

Dear friends in Christ,

You are in our prayers at the beginning of this Lenten season. In the General Audience of February 23, 2022, Pope Francis called on the whole world to unite in fasting and prayer for peace this March 2nd, Ash Wednesday. In an emotional address the Holy Father issued his invitation with the following words:

And now I would like to appeal to everyone, believers and non-believers alike. Jesus taught us that the diabolical senselessness of violence is answered with God’s weapons, with prayer and fasting. I invite everyone to make next 2 March, Ash Wednesday, a Day of Fasting for Peace. I encourage believers in a special way to dedicate themselves intensely to prayer and fasting on that day. May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war. 

As the General Directive College of Regnum Christi, we echo this call for all members of Regnum Christi of all different vocations to actively participate in the Pope’s initiative and offer some time in prayer asking Our Lord for peace. Among the many initiatives that may arise in each locality, we suggest several ideas:

• Pray the Rosary, whether as a family, team, community, or individual, bearing in mind the Pope’s intentions asking for peace, not only on Ash Wednesday, but for the duration of the conflict in Ukraine. The Legionaries of Christ are currently hosting a novena of rosaries for peace every evening at 8:00pm (Eastern Time) on their Facebook page. All members are invited to participate and to share it with others.
• Throughout the week, offer visits to the Eucharist or, if daily activities do not allow, pause throughout the day to unite your heart with those of all other Regnum Christi members, asking for an end to these violent conflicts.
• On Thursdays, offer a Eucharistic Hour asking the Lord for peace.
• Priests can pray for peace, and invite the faithful to do the same, during the celebration of Mass and the various liturgies of Ash Wednesday.

• On Fridays in Lent, offer the Way of the Cross for peace in the world.

• All those who use social media can share the Pope’s message calling for prayer and fasting for peace on Ash Wednesday (this can be found in the following link: Audience of February 23, 2022).

As part of the Church, we can also participate in initiatives that arise at the local level in our parishes and dioceses, and international online initiatives, such as the recitation of the Rosary that is held in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Mexico, and is broadcast by Catholic.net every day at 5:00pm (Central Time) on its Facebook channel.

May we live this Lent as a catalyst that drives us to be more sensitive to the needs of our brothers. It is an opportunity to concretely adopt the way of living and passionate self-giving with which members of Regnum Christi seek to make Christ present, the Kingdom incarnate:

10.The personal experience of Christ’s love produces an interior urging in our hearts that impels us to passionate self-giving in order to make his Kingdom present: “caritas Christi urget nos” (2 Corinthians 5:14). This passion moves us to take on a way of living that is characterized by… going out to address the most pressing needs of the world and the Church.  (SRCF 10.3) 

Let us entrust this crucial time in history to Mary, Mother of Peace, so that she may obtain for us from her Son, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:1-6), true wisdom and harmony that will enlighten world leaders and enable them to find ways to unity and lasting peace.