• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services celebrates Ash Wednesday Mass at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington March 5, 2025. (OSV News photo/courtesy Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA)

Jesus’ life shows how essential prayer is, Archbishop Broglio says in Lenten homily

March 6, 2025
By OSV News
OSV News
Filed Under: Lent, News, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

BETHESDA (OSV News) — Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, head of the U.S. military archdiocese, reminded the congregation at an Ash Wednesday Mass of the elements of “our blessed journey” of Lent: “prayer, self-denial and charity.”

“Judging from Jesus’ own life, prayer is something we ought to do often, especially at key moments of our lives,” he said in his homily during Mass March 5 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, just outside Washington.

“How should we pray? What does it look like? We have to pray with faith,” he said. “According to Jesus’ model, we have to pray for forgiveness. The efficacy of prayer seems to depend on the reconciliation of differences. That is essential in our time. Society is so divided that we have forgotten even those with whom we disagree are created in the image and likeness of God.”

“The community of humanity must always be remembered and cherished,” he continued. “It is the only path to renewal, reconciliation and the climate in which all of us as pilgrims can walk forward on the journey of life.”

Celebrating the Mass at Walter Reed was in keeping with Archbishop Broglio’s annual custom on the first day of Lent, according to a March 6 news release from the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services. Two Navy chaplains, Fathers Jason C. Burchell and Krzysztof Kuczynski, were concelebrants.

Nearly 150 U.S. military personnel, patients, hospital staff and others gathered in Memorial Auditorium for the noon Mass, which took place soon after Archbishop Broglio brought ashes and holy Communion to bedridden patients in their rooms.

In his homily, Archbishop Broglio called on the faithful to stay persistent in their Lenten penitential observances over the 40-day season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and to seek spiritual renewal during this Jubilee Year in the Catholic Church, a time of forgiveness and reconciliation.

“This annual retreat of the whole church calls us to pray with persistence,” he said. “We should not give up too easily. Look at the example of the saints. Augustine says that God sometimes delays in giving us what we want because he wants our hearts to expand. We have the example of his saintly mother Monica, who never doubted that her son’s heart could be renewed.”

Archbishop Broglio, who is also president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, implored those gathered to practice charity “in our words, our actions, and approach.” He encouraged almsgiving to Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. church’s overseas relief and development agency, as well as other Catholic service organizations.

Read More Lent

Changing the world demands changing direction, pope writes for Way of Cross

Love, not power saves the world, papal preacher says at service with Vance

Ahead of Holy Thursday, Irish priest forgives radicalized teenager who stabbed him

The story of the melted bunnies

What are the 14 traditional Stations of the Cross?

Papal preacher: Faith in Resurrection means not clinging to the past

Copyright © 2025 OSV News

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

OSV News

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Chicago native Cardinal Prevost elected pope, takes name Leo XIV

  • Who was Pope Leo XIII, the father of social doctrine?

  • Kenyan cardinal claims he wasn’t invited for conclave; Vatican says invite is automatic

  • Advocates of abuse victims are rooting for a Filipino pope — and it’s not Cardinal Tagle

  • Full text of first public homily of Pope Leo XIV

| Latest Local News |

Catholic school students ‘elect’ pope in their own ‘conclave’

Baltimore-area Catholics pray for new pope, express excitement for his leadership

Archbishop Lori surprised, heartened by selection of American pope

Missionary discipleship sees growth after Seek the City initiative

Knights of Columbus honored for pro-life support

| Latest World News |

Pope Leo prays for vocations, for peace and for mothers on Mother’s Day

Pope Leo: A pope is nothing more than a humble servant

French town near city with papal history to mark 100 years since Martyrs of Orange beatification

Pilgrim Passport to 3 Wisconsin Marian shrines help faithful mark their Jubilee journey

Pope Leo to inaugurate his papacy May 18; a look at his May calendar

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Pope Leo prays for vocations, for peace and for mothers on Mother’s Day
  • Pope Leo: A pope is nothing more than a humble servant
  • Catholic school students ‘elect’ pope in their own ‘conclave’
  • French town near city with papal history to mark 100 years since Martyrs of Orange beatification
  • Pilgrim Passport to 3 Wisconsin Marian shrines help faithful mark their Jubilee journey
  • Who is our new pope, Pope Leo XIV?
  • Pope Leo to inaugurate his papacy May 18; a look at his May calendar
  • Report: Some House GOP members object to removing Planned Parenthood funds from Trump bill
  • Movie Review: ‘Another Simple Favor’

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED