Lent 2023

Lent 2023: ” A Season of Healing”

This Lenten season, our parish is using “A Season of Healing” as our Lenten theme. What does this mean? The words from Joel sum up the meaning of our theme.

“Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment” (Joel 2:12-13).

Lent is a time to open our hearts to God, to make time for the things that really matter in our lives. This is not a time to be hurrying about, filling our days with endless tasks. Rather it is a time to pause, to take time for the things that keep us whole and loving, the things that will bring us closer to God, our loving Father. If we take time to heal, God will reward us with gifts beyond our imagination. We will discover that there is no burden too big to carry, no struggle to great to overcome. During this Lenten season, let us resolve to journey with Jesus. On this journey, we will experience the indescribable love and generosity of our God if we give ourselves over to Him.

Lenten Regulations 

Abstinence from meat is to be observed by all Catholics 14 years old and older on Ash Wednesday and on all the Fridays of Lent including Good Friday. Fasting is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday by all Catholics who are 18 years of age but not yet 59. Those who are bound by this may take only one full meal. Two smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength according to one’s needs, but eating between meals is not permitted.

By the threefold discipline of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer the Church keeps Lent from Ash Wednesday until the evening of Holy Thursday. All of the faithful and the catechumens should undertake the serious practice of these three traditions. Failure to observe penitential days totally or a substantial number of such days must be considered serious.

Our US Bishops issued in 1966 this statement on penitential observance: “On Weekdays of Lent, we strongly recommend participation in daily Mass and selfimposed observances of fasting. In light of grave human needs which weigh on the Christian conscience in all seasons, we urge particularly during Lent, generosity to local, national and world programs of sharing of all things needed to translate our duty to penance into a means of implementing the right of the poor to their part of our abundance.”

Formed Lenten Resources – https://watch.formed.org/lent