Why is it 40 days, you might wonder? The United Methodist Church states, "It is a time of preparation and focus, reminiscent of Jesus' time in the wilderness before he started his public ministry. This year, Lent begins on Wednesday, February 17, The first day of Lent is called Ash Wednesday. On Ash Wednesday, priests gather ashes from the previous Palm Sunday more on that later and rub them on congregants' foreheads. They do this while citing Genesis " For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Another option is to give themselves to a cause, which could include volunteering. There's an entire list of events leading up to the finale that's called Holy Week.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday. This marks Jesus's arrival in Jerusalem, where he received palm branches at his feet, according to 40Acts. During Palm Sunday services, churchgoers are given palm crosses that are supposed to be kept until the next year.
That's followed by Maundy Thursday and commemorates Jesus's last supper—this is the official end of Lent, but not the finish of Holy Week.
Some parishes extend this discernment process to the wider community so that all are called to name the ways that evil continues to prevent them from living the gospel fully. Even if the parish does not do this in an organized way, every Catholic should spend some time reflecting on what obstacles to gospel living exist in his or her own life.
Then when the Scrutinies are celebrated, we will all know that the prayers are for us as well as for the elect. Taking seriously this dynamic of scrutiny and conversion gives us a richer perspective on Lenten "giving up. Along with the elect we all need to approach the season of Lent asking ourselves what needs to change in our lives if we are to live the gospel values that Jesus taught us.
Our journey through these forty days should be a movement ever closer to Christ and to the way of life he has exemplified for us. The elect deal with sin through the Scrutinies and through the waters of the font; the already baptized deal with sin through the Sacrament of Penance. The same kind of reflection that enables all members of the community to share in the Scrutinies can lead the baptized to celebrate this Sacrament of Reconciliation to renew their baptismal commitment.
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.
The three traditional pillars of Lenten observance are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The key to renewed appropriation of these practices is to see their link to 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 the elect 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 is one of the most ancient practices linked to Lent. In fact, the paschal fast predates Lent as we know it.
The early Church fasted intensely for two days before the celebration of the Easter Vigil. This fast was later extended and became a day period of fasting leading up to Easter.
Vatican II called us to renew the observance of the ancient paschal fast: " Let it be celebrated everywhere on Good Friday and, where possible, prolonged throughout Holy Saturday, so that the joys of the Sunday of the Resurrection may be attained with uplifted and clear mind" Liturgy, 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. The first reading on the Friday after Ash Wednesday points out another important dimension of fasting.
The prophet Isaiah insists that fasting without changing our behavior is not pleasing to 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. Thus fasting, too, is linked to living out our baptismal promises. By our Baptism, we are charged with the responsibility of showing Christ's love to the world, especially to those in need.
Fasting can help us realize the suffering that so many people in our world experience every day, and it should lead us to greater efforts to alleviate that suffering. Abstaining from meat traditionally also linked us to the poor, who could seldom afford meat for their meals.
It can do the same today if we remember the purpose of abstinence and embrace it as a spiritual link to those whose diets are sparse and simple. That should be the goal we set for ourselves--a sparse and simple meal. Avoiding meat while eating lobster misses the whole point! Almsgiving: It should be obvious at this point that almsgiving, 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. While this devotion certainly has a place in Lent, the overemphasis given to it in the past tended to distort the meaning of the season. Because the stations were prayed publicly throughout the whole season, the impression was given that Lent was primarily about commemorating the passion and death of Christ.
Vatican II strongly endorsed the use of devotions as part of Catholic spirituality, but it also called for their renewal, to harmonize them with the sacred liturgy see Liturgy The liturgy of Lent focuses on the passion and death of the Lord only near the end of the season, especially with the proclamation of the Passion on Palm Passion Sunday and again on Good Friday.
The weekday readings between the Fifth Sunday of Lent and Palm Sunday also point toward the coming Passion, so that might also be an appropriate time to pray the Stations. The earlier weeks of Lent, however, focus much more on Baptism and covenant than on the Passion. When we do pray the Stations of the Cross, we can also connect them with the baptismal character of Lent if we place the stations themselves in the context of the whole paschal mystery.
In Baptism we are plunged into the mystery of Christ's death and resurrection, and our baptismal commitment includes a willingness to give our life for others as Jesus did. Recalling his passion and death can remind us that we, too, may be called to suffer in order to be faithful to the call of God.
One limitation with the traditional form of the Stations is the absence of the second half of the paschal mystery. The liturgy never focuses on the death of Christ without recalling his resurrection. Some forms of the Stations of the Cross include a 15th station to recall the resurrection as an integral part of the paschal mystery. Some contemporary forms of the Stations also make clear the link between the sufferings of Christ in the first century and the sufferings of Christ's body in the world today.
Such an approach can help us to recognize and admit the ways that we have failed to live up to our baptismal mission to spread the gospel and manifest the love of Christ to those in need. As we near the end of Lent, we celebrate Passion Palm Sunday. At the beginning of the liturgy, we receive palms in memory of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
As a symbol of triumph, the palms point us toward Christ's resurrection and might remind us of the saints in heaven "wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands" Rev The white robes remind us of baptismal garments, and the palms suggest their triumph over sin and death through the waters of Baptism. As you know, all Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence from meat. According to abstinence law, meat comes from animals that live on land, such as chickens, cows, sheep, pigs.
However, birds are also considered to be meat during Lent. This abstinence does not include meat juices or liquid foods made from meat. Therefore, foods like chicken broth, consomme, soups cooked or flavored with meat, meat gravies or sauces, as well as seasonings or condiments made from animal fat are technically not forbidden, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. However, it is important to note that moral theologians have traditionally taught we should abstain from all animal-derived products except foods like butter, cheese or eggs that do not have any meat taste.
During Lent, fish are considered a different type of animal. Salt and freshwater species of fish, reptiles cold-blooded animals , amphibians, and shellfish are allowed. While many seafoods, like fish, lobster and shellfish, are not considered meat and can be consumed on days of abstinence, participating in lavish seafood buffets sort of misses the point.
Abstaining during Lent is a penitential practice. Specifically, on Fridays during Lent we remember the sacrifice of Christ on Good Friday and unite ourselves as one with that sacrifice through abstinence and prayer. Paenitemini , a apostolic constitution by Pope Paul VI that changed the strictly regulated Catholic fasting requirements, originally set the age of fasting to begin at the 21st year.
However, in , this rule was amended to read, " Therefore, Latin rite Catholics who have reached the age of 18 up to the beginning of their 60th year are bound by law to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday of the Lord's Passion. Fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday means you are to only have one full, meatless meal. Paenitemini teaches, "The law of fasting allows only one full meal a day but does not prohibit taking some food in the morning and evening, observing as far as quantity and quality are concerned approved local custom.
Those who are excused from the fast and abstinence that are within the age limit of 18 to 59, include the physically or mentally ill, including those who suffer from chronic illnesses, such as diabetes.
This also excludes nursing or pregnant women. Common sense is key when fasting for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday; those who are ill should not further harm their health by fasting. Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours or Passion of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion Commit to your faith and choose to 'live' Lent. Join our day challenge to authentically live the Lenten season.
Get inspired, don't just observe Lent, live it! In France, the people feasted on foods that would be given up during the forty days of Lent. Meats, eggs, and milk were finished off in one day, giving the holiday its French title of 'Mardi Gras' which means Fat Tuesday Holy Saturday is a day in the Christian liturgical calendar which celebrates the hour-long vigil that the followers of Jesus Christ held after his death and burial on Good Friday, and before his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Easter Sunday marks the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion, and is a celebration of his life. Log In. Contact us Sign up for newsletters.
Log In Register now My account. When does Lent end? Dates, the meaning behind it, and why people give up things for 40 days When is Lent and what does this period mean in the Christian calendar? By Helen Johnson. April 12, am Updated July 13, am.
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