Lent began on Ash Wednesday. As Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert, the Church traditionally fasts during Lent. A form of bodily prayer, fasting and abstinence in union with other Christians reminds us of our total dependence on and love for God. Please remember that Wednesdays and Fridays are days of abstinence from meat. Fasting: all those of post-confirmation age are to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, and on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday limiting themselves to one full meal and two smaller meals, with no snacking between meals.
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.