Lent, which began on Ash Wednesday, had an important moment with the monthly retreat, which was held on 17 February, guided by Fr Petar Popovic, a Croatian priest and a professor of the faculty of the canon Law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. Retreat is always a time to reflect, pray and orient oneself to the Lord. This time, the preacher emphasized the importance of prayer and penance in the lent. An important theme of his talk was the “desert experience”.
This theme was also dealt in the catechesis of the Pope. On the First Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis focused his Angelus address on the temptation of Jesus in the desert to highlight that it is an invitation for us to enter the proverbial desert to come “in contact with the truth.” The Pope reflected that when we enter this symbolic “inner wildness,” we too “encounter wild beasts and angels.” The sermon of Fr Popovic was an anticipated resonance of the aspects of the “Desert” explained by the Holy Father.
Fr Popovic also explained the theological significance of the temptation of Jesus. After the meditation, the preacher heard confessions and the retreat was concluded with the Holy Hour. Rejuvenated after the retreat of the month, the seminarians look forward with spirit and fervour to live a spirited Lenten season.