Ways to encounter Christ
News
Archbishop Patrick O’Regan has invited the faithful to take practical steps to ‘encounter the Risen Christ’ during Lent.
In his 2026 pastoral letter for Lent, called ‘Peace be with you – Encountering the Risen Lord’, Adelaide’s Catholic Archbishop suggests the following:
“First spend time in prayer each day with the Gospel accounts of Jesus appearing to his disciples after the resurrection.
“Place yourself in that locked room. Hear Jesus speak your name. Receive his peace.
“Second, bring your locked rooms to Christ in the Sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation). Let him breathe his Spirit of forgiveness upon you. Experience the peace that flows from his mercy.
“Third, ask the Lord Jesus each day: ‘Where are you sending me?’ Be open to surprises. Listen for his voice in Scripture, in the needs around you, in the promptings of the Spirit.
“Fourth, practice encountering Christ in others, especially those whose experience differs from yours. Jesus promised that what we do for the least of his brothers and sisters, we do for him.
“Fifth, participate in communal prayer and discernment within your parish as we prepare for our upcoming Archdiocesan Synod. When we gather in Jesus’ name, he is present among us.”
Drawing on Pope Leo’s first words to the world, ‘Peace be with you’, Archbishop O’Regan says the phrase echoes the greeting of the Risen Christ to his frightened disciples.
“These simple yet profound words are not merely a wish or blessing, but an encounter with the One who speaks them,” he writes.
“They invite us to meet the Lord Jesus himself, the Prince of Peace, who stands among us even now, offering what only he can give.”
The pastoral letter can be found at Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide – Messages
