Lent
is a season of soul-searching and repentance.
It is a season for reflection and taking stock.
Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time
for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were
instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism.
By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’
withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days.
Prayer + Fasting + Almsgiving
The three traditional pillars of Lenten observance are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
These pillars should be practiced in relationship to our baptismal renewal.
Prayer: More time given to prayer during Lent should draw us closer to the Lord.
We might pray especially for the grace to live out our baptismal promises more
fully. We might pray for those who will be baptized at Easter and support their
conversion journey by our prayer. We might pray for all those who will celebrate
the Sacrament of Reconciliation with us during Lent that they will be truly
renewed in their baptismal commitment.
Fasting: Fasting (deliberately saying “no” to our desires for satisfaction)
is one of the most ancient practices linked to Lent. In fact, the paschal fast
predates Lent as we know it. Fasting is more than a means of developing self-control.
It is often an aid to prayer, as the pangs of hunger remind us of our hunger
for God. Fasting should be linked to our concern for those who are forced to
fast by their poverty, those who suffer from the injustices of our economic
and political structures, those who are in need for any reason.
Almsgiving: It should be obvious at this point that almsgiving (giving to the
poor), the third traditional pillar, is linked to our baptismal commitment in
the same way. It is a sign of our care for those in need and an expression of
our gratitude for all that God has given to us. Works of charity and the promotion
of justice are integral elements of the Christian way of life we began when
we were baptized. Please consider participating and making your contribution
to OPERATION RICE BOWL (offering containers can be found in the narthex of the
Church).
Lenten Regulations
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of FAST and ABSTINENCE. This means that
we do not eat meat and we have only one full meal.
The other FRIDAYS of the season of Lent are also days of ABSTINENCE from meat.
This obligation to abstain from meat binds Catholics 14 years of age and older.
The obligation to FAST, limiting to one full meal and two lighter meals in the
course of the day, binds Catholics from the age of 18-59. Those who are younger
or older may freely embrace these disciplines. Lenten disciplines should never
endanger your health.
The Fridays of the year outside of Lent are also days of penance. Abstaining
from meat is the traditional way of observing these days of penance; however,
each person is free to replace this with some other practice of voluntary self-denial
or personal penance.
It
is obvious that abstaining from meat is meaningless to vegetarians; it is equally
obvious that replacing meat with a gourmet seafood meal is not in keeping with
the SPIRIT OF LENTEN PENANCE. Abstinence from meat on the other Fridays of the
year may be replaced with time spent reading and studying the Scriptures, special
prayers, thoughtfulness and charity to those in need, or acts of personal witness
to one’s faith.
While the season of Lent is the primary period of Catholic penitential practices,
these regulations are not intended to limit the occasion for Christian penance.
The practice of spiritual discipline is always appropriate during periods of
special need for the individual and the larger community.
Mass Schedule
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:30 AM in the Chapel
Saturday 5:00 PM in the Church
Sunday 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM in Church
Adoration
Every Friday during Lent and throughout the year, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed
for individual adoration following the 8:30 AM Mass until 10:00 AM.
Confession
Lent is the primary time for celebrating the Sacrament of Penance, because Lent
is the season for baptismal preparation and baptismal renewal. Early Christian
teachers called this sacrament "second Baptism," because it is intended
to enable us to start again to live the baptismal life in its fullness. Those
who experience the loving mercy of God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation should
find themselves standing alongside the newly baptized at Easter filled with
great joy at the new life God has given all of us.
A Lenten Penance Service will be held on Sunday, March 14 at 4:00 PM
in Church.
After a brief reconciliation service, individual confessions will be heard.
Visiting priests will be available.
Individual Confessions will be heard every Saturday afternoon from 3:45 –
4:30 PM in the Confession Room in the back of the Church.
Stations
of the Cross
When we pray the Stations of the Cross, we recall the passion and death of Jesus
Christ and we are reminded that we, too, may be called to suffer in order to
be faithful to the call of God. A variety of settings of the Stations of the
Cross will be presented on all Thursdays of Lent (not on Holy Thursday) in the
Chapel following the 8:30 AM Mass. “Mary’s Way of the Cross”
will take place on Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 4:00 PM.
Simple
Supper & Evening of Reflection for Women
Monday,
March 15, 2010 5:30 PM
Join
other women of our parish for a soup and bread supper followed by The Stations
of the Cross led by Sr. Harriet. Supper begins at 5:30 PM. Please RSVP to the
parish office and indicate if you can bring some soup or bread.
Adult Faith Formation
We continue our Adult Faith Formation gatherings on Monday Mornings from 9:15
– 10:30 AM. All adults are invited.