“In Lent, may we be increasingly concerned with “speaking words of comfort, strength, consolation and encouragement, and not words that demean, sadden, anger or show scorn” (Fratelli Tutti, 223). In order to give hope to others, it is sometimes enough simply to be kind, to be “willing to set everything else aside in order to show interest, to give the gift of a smile, to speak a word of encouragement, to listen amid general indifference” (Pope Francis).

The old adage is true: a little honey goes a long way. It is amazing what that smile or word of encouragement, quality time with another person can do for others.  There are many divine appointments God has for us just to be a sign of hope to another person when they are desperately in need of it. Sometimes we are attentive to these moments of grace and other times we are not. Lent is one of those special divine appointments of life that we have to make a difference in the lives of other people by small acts of kindness, empathy, love, reaching out, etc. These are like bursts of light in what is otherwise darkness. These bursts of light not only impact the other, but softens our heart as well. Be a light of hope in the midst of any darkness of despair.