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LENT 2021Back to basics is perhaps the best, or at least the simplest, way to describe how the forty days of Lent should affect the lives of believers. And what are those basics? Jesus himself identifies them in the gospel we hear on Ash Wednesday: “When you fast… when you pray… when you give alms….” Those have long been considered the three “disciplines” of Lent. And discipline is certainly what’s needed if we are to make prayer, fasting and almsgiving as central to our lives as they should be.
Prayer grounds us, not only in the discipline of lent, but in every other dimension of Christian life. Lent offers us the opportunity to examine how prayer is woven throughout each moment of life, from the time we wake to the moment we close our eyes in sleep. Does your day begin with prayer, with words of praise for the gift of another dawn? Are prayers of blessing and thanks integral to every meal of the day? Does a prayer of trust acknowledge the Lord’s presence beside you at home or work or school? Does your day end with petition for the needs of the world and prayers of gratitude for the blessings of the day? Do you pray each Sunday with the community—or online these days?
Fasting is the discipline of Lent that helps us make room in our filled and busy lives for the life that really matters: our life with and in the Lord. Fasting in the Christian tradition has most often been associated with food. But all that the law of the Church demands of us now is that we fast (eat less) on only two days each year: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday—and only then if we are of a certain age (those regulations can be found elsewhere in this bulletin). On Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent, we must abstain from meat—again, if we are of a certain age. But if that is the only fasting we embrace during Lent, what are we saying about the importance of our life in and with Jesus? There is probably much more that most of us need to do when it comes to fasting. But what about fasting from TV or the internet? Abstaining from cigarettes or alcohol? Fasting from laziness or busyness? Abstaining from anger, impatience or gossip? The list could go on and on. Decide this week what fasting or abstaining is needed in your life so you can begin to appreciate the life that really matters, in and with the Lord. You can find the official regulations on fasting and abstinence elsewhere in today’s bulletin.
Almsgiving—generosity—is the third discipline of Lent. Like prayer and fasting, it is a basic element of the Christian life year-in and year-out. Almsgiving is not what we do with our leftovers, but what we give from the substance of our lives. Almsgiving is what Christians do before, not after, their own needs are satisfied; it is the powerful proclamation of trust in the providence of an extravagantly generous and loving God. We’re called to give generously and selflessly, not only to our parish community, but to those beyond our parish boundaries who are in need of our care and concern.
Each one of us must decide just how (and how much) prayer, fasting and almsgiving will mark our Lenten journey. But every parish has a responsibility to provide opportunities for the members of the community to live out the disciplines of Lent. Make some or all of them a part of your Lenten journey this year. The Lenten Calendar you will find in this bulletin should also be a great help in planning your schedule around this pivotal season of the Church Year. The calendar is prepared so that you can conveniently post it in a prominent place in your home during these Lenten days.
PRAYER
Ash Wednesday – February 17: Masses will be at 8:30a.m. and 7:00p.m., and there will also be the regular 6:30a.m. Communion Service and an additional 4:00p.m. Prayer Service. Reflection time will replace the distribution of ashes, and sign-up is mandatory if you wish to attend.
Lenten Mission – Sadly, there will not be one this year, so you might want to take advantage of online missions or other mainline videos you can locate. If we receive suggestions from the Archdiocese, we’ll pass those on in the bulletin.
Daily Mass: Tuesday thru Friday at 8:30a.m. There will also be the usual 6:30a.m. Communion Service, Monday and Saturday at 6:30a.m.
Friday Way of the Cross: From February 19 through March 26, at 7:00p.m., you are invited to walk with Jesus in prayer on his journey to Calvary. Please be sure to sign-up either online or by calling the rectory by 4:00p.m. each Thursday. (Click here, to sign-up)
The Sacrament of Penance: We are still not allowed to use our Reconciliation Rooms for confessions, so you need to call either Fr. Dan or Fr. Bob to arrange a time for yourself. Our Lenten Communal Penance Service will be announced in the next few weeks.
FASTING
Sadly, the Friday Evening Lenten Fish Fry cannot take place once again this year per Archdiocesan regulations. So look again at the section above on Fasting and promise yourself that you will do even more during these Lenten days to make room in your life for what’s truly nourishing and important.
ALMSGIVING
As in past years, the focus of parish giving during these Lenten days will be the Baby Bottle Project in recognition of the vital work of supporting expectant mothers and safeguarding the sanctity of life for the most vulnerable in our society—the unborn children who need to be welcomed into this world to enjoy the life that we all share in the Lord. However, this is just one more of those things that will be different this year. For what I think are obvious reasons, we won’t be passing out the baby bottles. Instead, there will be a special “collection” during Lent, at a date to be determined, and envelopes will be provided for your donations to the Women’s Center. Watch the bulletin for the date of that collection.
So, even with all the limitations on life these days, may this coming Lenten Season still be a time of refreshment, renewal and deepened commitment to truly live our baptismal promises in the community of the Church and in a world always so very much in need of God’s love and mercy.
Fr. Bob