Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
We begin once again the season of Lent — forty days that the Church gives us each year so that we may renew our hearts, purify our vision, and learn to love God and our neighbor more truly. This is by no means a sad time, but a time of grace: a time when the Lord Himself draws closer to us and calls us to turn toward Him with our whole being.
Fasting does not primarily mean giving up food or habits, but conversion. In the words of the prophet: “Return to me with all your heart.” Often we try to change our lives outwardly — more work, more discipline, more control. But God longs for our hearts. He wishes to meet us where we truly are: in our fears, wounds, doubts, and hopes.
Therefore, the Church offers us three simple paths: prayer, fasting, and works of charity.
Prayer opens us to God. Without prayer, faith becomes a habit and Christianity a culture. During this Lent, consciously take time for silence: read the Gospel each day, meditate on the sufferings of Jesus by praying the Way of the Cross, spend time in church, find at least a few minutes to be before God without words.
Fasting and small sacrifices teach freedom. We do not give things up in order to lose something, but to regain something — a freer heart, less attached to material things. Try giving up something that fills your day but does not nourish your soul: constant entertainment, rushing, excessive words, judgments about others, anything that distances you from God and your neighbor.
Works of love and mercy make us resemble Christ. Love is not a feeling, but an action. Notice someone who is alone. Reconcile with someone with whom you are in conflict. Give your time, not only your money. Christ often comes to meet us in the face of our neighbor.
This year our Lenten journey in Estonia is marked by particular joy, as we celebrate for the first time the liturgical memorial of Blessed Eduard Profittlich. His life is not distant history — he is a witness of our land, our people, and our Church.
He was a bishop, but above all a shepherd. He did not abandon his flock even when it became dangerous. He knew what awaited him, yet he remained. His strength did not come from a heroic character, but from trust: Christ is worth living for — and, if necessary, dying for.
Lent helps us understand the martyr. One does not become a martyr in a single day. A martyr is born in daily fidelity: in small decisions, small sacrifices, in a daily “yes” to God. The path of Blessed Eduard Profittlich began with prayer, the sacraments, faithful work, and love for his people. A great witness grew from small acts of faithfulness.
Therefore, let us not look upon him as an unattainable hero, but as a guide. We too are called to bear witness — not in prison or in death, but in our families, at work, in society, with quiet confidence that Christ is the Lord of our lives.
The season of Lent and the memory of Blessed Eduard Profittlich remind us: a Christian does not live by comfort, but by hope — a hope that does not depend on circumstances.
Let us entrust our country, our people, and our Church to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God. She teaches us to listen and to treasure in our hearts what God does — even when we do not fully understand.
I wish you a deep and fruitful Lent.
May the Lord lead us to the joy of Easter, and may the example of Blessed Eduard Profittlich strengthen our faith.
✠ Philippe Jourdan
Bishop of Tallinn
Tallinn, 18 February 2026