Quadragesima, meaning fortieth in Latin, is the official name for the season of Lent.  It begins for us all this Wednesday.  Lent is a time for us to dig deep into our spiritual lives and really try to focus on what truly matters, our relationship with The Lord.  Lent is the time we have to prepare for the most important celebrations of the year, the Death and Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  It is important for each of us to take the time to make a special effort for prepare ourselves to celebrate the greatest event in the history of the world.  Plus, we can come out the other side better than we start.

Our preparation for Our Lord is accomplished by an increased focus on prayer, almsgiving, and fasting.  By prayer we enter into that relationship with God directly increasing in us His grace, and our awareness of that grace at work in our lives.  By almsgiving and other charitable works, we extend the love of God to our fellow human beings, brothers and sisters in Christ.  This increases our overall love of God, by loving the children whom He loves.  Finally, we fast, denying ourselves some of our comforts, and choosing to suffer with Our Lord, so that we can be more closely united with Him.

Some reminders seem appropriate for us then.  Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence [from meat]. For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards.

In addition to these minimum standards for everyone, some like to take on special spiritual challenges for themselves during Lent.  This is often in the form of giving something up or in adding a prayer or prayers to your daily routine.  My suggestion is to give up something that you enjoy, but will allow you to spend time in a better way.  For instance, if you give up some television time, you are then free for prayer, studying the Bible or other spiritual reading, or simply more family time.  In freeing up more time we accomplish two goals with one choice.

Finally, as a small challenge for us, have the suggestion of a prayer we might try to say every day throughout the Lenten season.  This is the Litany of Humility and while it doesn’t take much time to say, it can possibly take some effort.  We all could use more humility in our lives.  So, I will be adding this to my daily prayers for Lent and my challenge is for you to do the same.

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, R./ Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
R./ Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved.
From the desire of being extolled.
From the desire of being honored.
From the desire of being praised.
From the desire of being preferred to others.
From the desire of being consulted.
From the desire of being approved.
From the fear of being humiliated.
From the fear of being despised.
From the fear of suffering rebukes.
From the fear of being calumniated.
From the fear of being forgotten.
From the fear of being ridiculed.
From the fear of being wronged.
From the fear of being suspected.

That others may be loved more than I,
R./ Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I.
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease.
That others may be chosen and I set aside.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed.
That others may be preferred to me in everything.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should.
 

N.B.: Reconciliation

For the season of Lent, we will be adding the Confession times on Sundays from 8:15am-8:45am at St. Patrick and after Mass at Church of the Atonement.  The Tuesday and Thursday Confessions at 11:25am will no longer continue