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LENT REGULATIONS 2021ABSTINENCE
All Catholics who have reached their 14th birthday are bound to abstain totally from meet on the following days: Ash Wednesday, Fridays of Lent and Good Friday
FASTING
All Catholics between 18 and 59 are bound also to observe the Law of Fast on the following days: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting, that is, eating less, involves limiting oneself to one full meal and avoiding food between meals. Lighter nourishment may be taken on two other occasions in the course of the day.
PRAYER AND PENANCE
The entire season of Lent should be observed in a spirit of prayer and penance. Spending extra time in prayer or Bible study, attending daily Mass, voluntary sacrifice and self-denial, combined with works of charity and service to others, are all excellent ways to obey the Lord's command to reform our lives and to prepare for the joyful celebration of Easter.
EASTER DUTY
All Catholics who have reached the age of reason must confess their serious sins in the Sacrament of Penance at least once a year. They must also receive Holy Communion at least twice each year between the First Sunday of Lent and Trinity Sunday. -
We can think of Lent as a time to eradicate evil or cultivate virtue; a time to pull up weeds or plant good seeds. Which is better is clear, for the Christian ideal is always positive rather than negative.
~Ven. Fulton J. Sheen -
The Stations of the Cross will be prayed on Fridays at 7pm at the Cathedral during Lent. Those participating are asked to follow the same protocols as during Mass (social distancing, masks, sanitizing, etc.).
Instead of a Committee/group leading the Stations, a single leader will guide the prayer from the sanctuary. Books/materials will be available for participants to use, take home and bring back for use on subsequent weeks.
Please plan on joining us as we journey with the Lord along the Way of the Cross!
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Because of COVID-19 we had to cancel our Lenten Mission last year; and again this year we won't be able to host a large in-church gathering. But thanks to technology, we have new ways to get together. New opportunities for penance, prayer, study, and to grow closer to Christ. Opportunities to make it truly A LENT LIKE NO OTHER.
For 2021, Bishop LaValley has chosen the theme, A Lent Like No Other.
St. Augustine prayed so many centuries ago, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” And Lent has always provided, through penance and prayer, the opportunity to find true rest in Jesus Christ."GIVE UP" vs. "TAKE UP"
It's a tradition for Catholics to "give up" something for Lent. And we certainly encourage that. But along wih taking away something we enjoy as a penance, we also recommend taking UP something that will enhance our individual HOLINESS.
Here's an idea. Let's set aside some time each week--a HOLY HOUR--for Our Lord. Specifically, from Ash Wednesday to Easter, schedule time for the family to pray together, learn together, grow closer together and to Christ. It doesn't have to be exactly or only 60-minutes, or even all at once. If schedules are tight, split this special tme with Our Lord into 2 half-hours, or 4 quarter-hours.
One more thing. It doesn't have to be tedious or boring! Who said Holiness can't be fun?Here are some suggestions
For short blocks of time (see full descriptions below):- Pray the Rosary each day.
- Listen to the Lenten Podcast series by Father Roger McGuinness.
- Watch a short, daily LENTEN REFLECTIONS video.
For longer time blocks, choose from the following (scroll down for full descriptions):- Join a group to participate in our parish-wide study, THE SEARCH. Or watch it on FORMED.org with just your family at home.
- THE CASE FOR JESUS
- A LENT TO REMEMBER
- PRESENCE: The Mystery of the Eucharist
- LECTIO: SALVATION
Look them over and pick one or more that you'd like to share with your family. Also, consider hosting a small group of friends viaZOOM or Google MeetThey are both free, and quite easy to use.You won't have to leave the comfort of your own home to have A LENT LIKE NO OTHER.
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the rosary: a special way to pray
Join Brother Francis in this entertaining and guidance-filled presentation that will inspire children to deepen their faith by praying the Rosary!This episode includes:
The prayers of the Rosary as well as the Apostles' Creed—each wonderfully visualized!
The Annunciation—an animated portrayal of Mary's joyful submission to God's will.
Two visualized songs:"I Love to Pray"—an energetic, catchy song that will encourage children to communicate with God anywhere and anytime!
"The Our Father"—an uplifting musical rendition that celebrates our Heavenly Father's presence in our daily lives!
Besides being a lot of fun, Brother Francis: The Rosary is a captivating way to help children use their hearts and minds in prayer -
the traditional rosary
This Presentation is not rated, but was made with a general audience in mind. Sacred art images of the Passion may be considered too intense for the very young.The Traditional Catholic Rosary features the recitation of the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries of the traditional fifteen-decade Rosary. The prayers are accompanied by images of sacred art from many of the great masters as well as a lush, yet subtle, orchestral soundtrack.
Want to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries? Jump to 20:25 in the video.
Want to pray the Glorious Mysteries? Jump to 40:57 in the video."
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Lenten Reflections
Christ’s love for you is bursting forth. Embrace him and let his mercy pierce your heart during this Lenten season. Join us for a 40-day journey of welcoming his tender love, beginning with these short, daily videos from Scripture scholar Dr. Tim Gray. Live in Christ’s love and let him transform your life.Click HERE to receive these daily reflections in your mailbox.
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The Search
What is this journey in between the event we call “birth” and the one we call “death”? Is the journey taking you somewhere, or are you leading yourself to some kind of destination – a destination that could extend beyond your last breath? What do you want from your life during the in between? The questions are there. And, the answers are too.
Click HERE to learn more about this amazing 7-part series.Please consider joining one of our online small groups, or hosting one of your own.
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The Case for Jesus
In this new Lectio study from FORMED.ORG, Dr. Brent Pitre, author of the book of the same name, draws evide
nce from both early Christian and non-Christian writings atesting to the authenticity, authorship, and dating of the Gospels, and he givew an in-depth look at the gospel accounts of Jesus's Crucifixion, Resurrection, and the proclamation of Jesus's divinity. Topics coveredinclude, "Who wrote the Gospels?", "Are the Gospels biographies?", "When were the Gospels written?", "Did Jesus claim to be God?", and others.
It will be available on FORMED.ORG beginning Ash Wednesday, Febuary 17.Click HERE to watch the first episode on YouTube.
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A Lent to remember
Using the highly-acclaimed Augustine Institute programs Symbolon and Forgiven: The Transforming Power of Confession, A Lent to Remember explores the ways God reaches out to each of us with his mercy. Through Christ's suffering on the cross in the Paschal Mystery and his perpetual reception of his people in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God makes his love, his very self, present to us in the world. By reflecting on the Paschal Mystery and making a step-by-step examination of the Rite of Confession, A Lent to Remember communicates God's invitation to each one of us to come experience his indescribable love this Lent.CLICK HERE to watch this FORMED.ORG series.
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Presence
Although the Eucharist appears to be simple bread and wine, it is actually the "source and summit" of the Christian life. Presence: The Mystery of the Eucharist explores the truth and beauty of Christ's real presence in the Eucharist, from its origins in Sacred Scripture, to its profound role in the life of the Church and her members. It is the crescendo of the entire story of salvation.CLICK HERE You will never look at the uplifted host the same way again.
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LECTIO: SALVATION with Dr. Michael Barber
Lectio: Salvation New Life in Christ
At every Sunday Mass, Catholics confess that Jesus came down from heaven "for us men and for our salvation." But what does "salvation" mean? In this remarkable 10-part video series, Scripture scholar and theologian Michael Patrick Barber provides a thorough, deeply Catholic, and deeply biblical, answer.