Lent: Taking Concrete Action to Help Eastern Christians
Forty Days to Open Your Heart
Catholics are entering Lent.
But what is Lent, really? It is neither a sad interlude nor a spiritual feat. Lent is a time of grace and conversion.
A time of grace, first and foremost, for the catechumens, who are preparing to receive baptism during the Easter Vigil.
A time of grace for the baptized as well. To experience the services of Holy Week with greater intensity, to renew our baptismal promises, to freely reaffirm that “yes” to God that was once spoken on our behalf. And above all, to welcome the power of Christ’s Resurrection into our limited, fragile, and sometimes wounded lives.
The traditional practices of Lent? To pray is to open one’s heart. To fast is to make room. To share is to let love flow.
What if, this year, our Lent also took the form of a concrete act of solidarity?
Since 2019, Lebanon has been facing an economic, social, and political crisis of unprecedented proportions. The education system is under serious threat. Christian schools, which play a vital role in the country’s social cohesion, are among the most vulnerable.
Deprived of public subsidies and hit by massive hyperinflation, they are struggling to operate. Nearly 60% of families can no longer afford tuition. One in three students is at risk of dropping out. Teachers’ salaries have lost up to 90% of their value, leading to mass resignations. In the south of the country, security instability has forced the closure of dozens of schools.
For nearly 170 years, L’Œuvre d’Orient has stood alongside Christians in the East. In 2026, the organization is stepping up its efforts to support the schools facing the greatest challenges: helping with tuition fees, supporting teachers’ salaries, purchasing educational materials, and improving infrastructure.
By making a donation, we help keep these schools open.
We enable children and young people to continue learning, to hold onto hope, and to grow.
