Bishop Erik Varden leads Lent 2026 Vatican retreat, urging peace, spiritual clarity, and courage against distraction in faith’s essentials.
Newsroom (23/02/2026 Gaudium Press ) In a spirit of contemplation that ushers in the Lenten season, the Vatican opened its annual Spiritual Exercises on Sunday evening, February 22, at 5 p.m., within the solemn walls of the Pauline Chapel. Pope Leo XIV presided over the opening, joined by cardinals residing in Rome and heads of Dicasteries, marking the beginning of a week of deep spiritual reflection.
The retreat preacher, Bishop Erik Varden, a Cistercian monk of the Strict Observance and Bishop of Trondheim, Norway, since 2019, has chosen as his theme “Illuminated by a Hidden Glory.” His reflections across the retreat invite participants to return to what he calls “the essentials” — the spiritual core that Lent demands.
In his opening meditation entitled “Entering Lent,” Bishop Varden reflected on the simplicity of the Lenten journey, describing it as “a space stripped of superfluities.” He emphasized that Christians must willingly abstain from distractions — not only indulgent pleasures but even good things that divert the heart — to rediscover spiritual clarity. “Lent,” he said, “takes us, materially and symbolically, into a space stripped of superfluities.”
From February 23 through 27, Bishop Varden will preach two daily meditations: one each morning at 9 a.m., preceded by Mid-Morning Prayer, and one each evening at 5 p.m., followed by Eucharistic Adoration and Vespers. Among the scheduled reflections are “Saint Bernard, the Idealist” and “Saint Bernard, the Realist,” alongside themes such as “God’s Help,” “Becoming Free,” “The Splendor of Truth,” and “Communicating Hope.”
At the core of Bishop Varden’s early reflections lies an appeal to fidelity and peace. “Fidelity to Christ’s example and commandments,” he reminded participants, “is the hallmark of Christian sincerity.” He warned against the misuse of the Gospel as a cultural or political tool, urging believers instead toward “the peace which the world cannot give” — a peace that transforms rather than pacifies.
This vision of Christian peace, Bishop Varden explained, is not a promise of ease but a discipline that forges authentic discipleship. He cited the early ascetic master, St. John Climacus, to remind the faithful that “there is no greater obstacle to the presence of the Spirit in us than anger.” Such peace, he said, is the spiritual condition necessary for a society renewed by grace.
The preacher also linked the Lenten journey to the Church’s ancient musical heritage. He reflected on the Qui habitat of Psalm 90, sung for over a thousand years on the First Sunday of Lent. This “tract of great beauty,” he said, carries more than historical charm; it is a living teaching, a melody of spiritual warfare and divine protection.
Bishop Varden reached back to the twelfth century to recall St. Bernard of Clairvaux, who in Lent 1139 preached a series of sermons on the same psalm. St. Bernard, he said, “understood what it means to live by grace as we fight evil, foster good, uphold truth, and follow the exodus path from unfreedom toward the land of promise.” The Bishop urged the faithful to emulate Bernard’s “loving and clear-headed discipleship,” walking forward in peace, sustained by “the everlasting arms” beneath them.
As the Vatican’s Lenten Exercises continue through the week, Bishop Varden’s call resonates: to strip away distraction, resist the instrumentalization of faith, and pursue the radical peace that underlies Christian life. In a world of hurried voices and restless conflict, his words recall Lent’s enduring truth — that transformation begins in silence, fidelity, and peace.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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