Jesuit Superior General Father Arturo Sosa, who is on a visit to India, stressed the urgency of reconciliation with God, humanity and nature during his Ash Wednesday Mass in Pune.

“We need urgently to reconcile ourselves with God, fellow human beings and with nature,” Father Sosa said on March 6 while celebrating the Eucharist on the first day of the season of Lent at Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth (JDV) seminary.

Father Sosa maintained that the season of Lent is a gift of joy.

Two words here are striking: gift and joy. Lent is God’s gift to us, and it brings us great joy. The joy of returning to God — the God who fills us with joy, restores us and reconciles us with Himself, with all His children, and with all His creatures, he said. He added that Jesus pro-poses very precise and practical steps to realize this reconciliation. The three steps are: prayer, fasting and alms-giving.”

The global head of Jesuits, also the JDV Chancellor, wanted the 1,100 staff and students of the seminary to engage with the three steps and “strive for the triple reconciliation — with God, with others, and with nature.”