Our Lenten regulations are recommended for healthy adults. Children under First Holy Communion age, the infirm, those on restrictive medication and the elderly are exempt from the obligation of fasting.

During this holy and grace-filled season of Lent, all of you are encouraged to share in our Lenten Journey in preparation for Christ’s Resurrection by faithfully attending not only Sunday’s Mass but also our Lenten services that will be include:

Stations of the Cross and Bitter Lamentations (Friday’s at 7:00PM in Frackville or Sunday’s after the Holy Mass in Shenandoah).

Your prayers and participation will be appreciated.

The period of Great Lent historically has been a period of 40 days penance imposed on public sinners. As a time of public penance and self-reflection, the 40 days are reminiscent of the Old Testament Exodus from Egypt, Moses’ period of ascent on Mt. Sinai, the story of Elias and the period spent by Our Lord in the desert following His Baptism in the Jordan river. This period was also one of preparation for catechumens in the early Church. Throughout Lent daily instruction in the tenets of the Christian faith took place wit a regular study of scripture and a fasting of forty days. Great Lent not only presents a special opportunity for abstinence and a penitential spirit, but for prayer and the study of Christ’s teachings as well. Originally these 40 days (in Latin – Quadragesima) were counted from the eve of Quadragesima Sunday to the hour of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday. Around the 7th century this changed and religious sought a period of not only penance, but fasting.

The liturgical vestments change to a violet color to accentuate the penitential feeling of the season.

Beginning with Ash Wednesday, the altar is covered with a violet frontal. In some parishes candlesticks are also covered in violet. Following the example of the Ninivites who did penance in sackcloth and ashes, the Church puts ashes on our heads to humble our pride and to remind us of the sentence of death which we must suffer as the result of sin, accompanying the gesture with the inspiring words: Remember’…you are dust, and to dust you shall return, but your soul returns to God.” Ashes that are used are made from palms, branches of olive or other trees blessed the year before. Parts of discarded liturgical vestments may also be added to the ash materials. Ashes are blessed after the Mass of Ash Wednesday. The symbol of the crucifixion is covered on Passion Sunday (a week before Palm Sunday). – From: “Rites and Ritual” – a liturgical handbook for the PNCC.

From Italy, May devotions soon spread to France. One of the most prominent promoters was Rev. Pierre Doré (1733-1816) from Longwy in Lothringen. Doré learned of this form of devotion in Italy. May devotions spread in connection with the strong restoration movement after the revolution. They were understood as “the ecclesial contrast to the frivolous spring celebrations of the revolutionaries.” Indeed, from 1830 on, May devotions were celebrated everywhere. …

In Belgium the May devotions -– at least as a private devotion –- were also known since already in 1803 and in 1819 corresponding devotional books were published. … Also in Luxembourg sometime around 1840 May devotions were known. In Luxembourg May received an additional imprint through the annual Mary octave in honor of Mary as “Consolation of the Afflicted. In Switzerland in 1808, this devotion was celebrated for the first time in the College at Brigg (Sitten) … and also publicly since 1849 at the Monastery in Einsiedeln. In the Canton of Glarus the Monastery Näfels was the transmitting center of the May devotion from 1852 on. Around 1860, the Sunday “May sermons” became customary and soon became a specific characteristic of this Mary month.

Father, all of Creation rightly owes you thanks and praise. Your justice, love and mercy abound. We thank you this day for all that you have given us:

For the Passion and Death of your Divine Son….. we thank you Father….through the Cross, He redeemed the world.

For the Church……… we thank you Father…. it is our beacon for salvation.

For the martyrs and saints who give testimony to your Son……… we thank you Father…..their witness to your Son is our inheritance.

For our loved ones and friends who have died and gone before us….. we thank you Father…their love abides with us forever.

For loving spouses ……we thank you Father……together we seek you.

For the gift of children…..we thank you Father….they are your precious gifts to us and to the world.

For the gift of our families, loved ones and good friends…….we thank you Father….Through them we see the reflection of your Son.

For jobs, our homes and all that we have…..we thank you Father….give us only that which we need, as we seek Your Kingdom.

For the bounty we are about to eat…we thank you through Christ Our Lord. Amen