” “Converting oneself does not mean "pursuing one’s personal success, which slips away, but giving up one’s personal certainties to place oneself confidently in the following of the Lord", aware that "he who lets himself be conquered by Him will not lose his life". It was said by the Pope, who, in the second part of today’s general audience, attended by approximately 10 thousand people, lingered on Lent as a "favourable spiritual season to train oneself with more determination in looking for God, by opening one’s heart to Christ", through a journey which starts today, Ash Wednesday "made of listening to the Word, of prayer and penance". Conversion "is not an effort towards self-fulfilment, because man is not the architect of his own eternal fate", and self-fulfilment would be at the same time a "contradiction" and "too little for us", commented the Pope. Conversely, from the Christian perspective, conversion involves "not considering ourselves our own creators and thus discovering the truth". In other words, for Christians, conversion "does not mean dependence, but freedom", since it consists in "accepting freely and with love to depend on God in everything". "Happy Lent to everyone", was the Pope’s final wish (to be continued). ” ” ” “
