In his annual Lenten message, Pope Francis warned the “proud, rich, and powerful” that if they ignore the poor at their door — who represent Christ himself — they’ll end up in the solitude of hell.The pope’s annual message was an appeal for all Christians to use the 40-day season that starts Feb. 10 leading up to Easter to “overcome our existential alienation” by listening to God and practicing the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

The penitential season of Lent is the period of forty days beginning on Ash Wednesday. It is a season of the Church year which commemorates the forty days Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness before he began his public ministry of preaching for repentance. Six Sundays are within the season, the last, Passion Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week. Holy Thursday begins the Triduum “three days” before Easter day, which includes Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

The Epiphany of Our Lord is the Christian feast traditionally celebrated the 12th day after Christmas, January 6th.  The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphainen, a verb that means "to shine upon," "to manifest," or “to make known.” Thus, the feast of the Epiphany celebrates the many ways that Christ has made Himself known to the world, mainly the three events that manifested the mission and divinity of Christ:  the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12), the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:9-11), and the miracle at Cana (John 2:1-11).