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GUIDE FOR LENT
What the Church Says
Catechism of the Catholic Church,
No. 1438: “The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical
year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense
moments of the Church’s penitential practice.
Fridays, Lent and Year Round
Canon 1250:
“All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and
times throughout the entire Church.”
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Penitential Practices for Today’s
Catholics:
“Fridays During Lent — In the
United States, the tradition of abstaining from meat on each Friday during Lent
is maintained.
“Fridays Throughout the Year — In
memory of Christ’s suffering and death, the Church prescribes making each
Friday throughout the year a penitential day. All of us are urged to prepare
appropriately for that weekly Easter that comes with each Sunday.”
Ash Wednesday, Good Friday
Canon 1251:
“Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of
the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year
unless (nisi) they are solemnities;
abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of
the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Canon 1252: “All persons who have completed
their 14th year are bound by the law of abstinence; all adults are bound by the
law of fast up to the beginning of their 60th year. Nevertheless, pastors and
parents are to see to it that minors who are not bound by the law of fast and
abstinence are educated in an authentic sense of penance.”
Canon 1253:
“It is for the conference of bishops to determine more precisely the observance
of fast and abstinence and to substitute in whole or in part for fast and
abstinence other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of
piety.”
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Penitential Practices for Today’s
Catholics:
“Traditionally, the canonical
obligation of fasting has been understood in the Church as the taking of only
one full meal a day.”
What to Give Up?
Ideas for Adults
Fasting
• Fast
with one full meal, no snacks one day a week.
• Skip
meat an extra day (or two) a week .
• Give
up alcoholic beverages.
• Give
up coffee (or reduce to one cup a day).
• Give
up all desserts.
• Give
up all unnecessary shopping.
• Fast
from music in the car.
Prayer
• Begin
(or begin again) the daily Rosary.
• Meditate
for 10 minutes a day (daily meditations can be found at Catholic.net)
• Choose
one extra devotion per week during Lent: Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic
adoration or a weekday Mass.
• Read a
book on the Life of Christ. For example:
Alban Goodier’s The Life of
Our Lord Jesus Christ
Fulton Sheen’s The
Life of Christ
Frank Sheed’s To Know Christ Jesus
Romano Guardini’s The Lord
• Read
the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s 74-page section on prayer. (Section
four; less than two pages a day!)
Almsgiving/Charity
• Visit
a nursing home with your children.
• Forgive
someone and patch things up in a visit, or, if necessary, by phone or letter.
• Give
up gossip, judging or profanity.
• Find
one “act of forgiveness” to make every day: A driver who cuts you off, a
co-worker who annoys you, a shopper who cuts in line, a store clerk who is rude
or a family member who ignores your needs.
• Say a
kind word to everyone you meet.
• Pay a
significant compliment (or more!) to each of your children every day.
• Offer
to watch the children of a new mother one day a week throughout Lent.
• Visit
an elderly friend or relative.
• Save
up a significant amount of money for a deserving charity or apostolate.
For Children and Teens
If none of the adult
ideas work for you, try:
• Do
chores without complaining
• Draw
pictures of Holy Week events.
• Restrict
your TV, Internet or music time.
• Restrict
your phone time.
• Send a
letter or picture to a grandmother, aunt or Godparent.
• Make a
new friend outside your “crowd.”
• Be a
friend to a shy person.
• Give
up that bad place, person or thing.
• Choose
a favorite toy, book or piece of clothing and put it away until Easter.
Stations of the Cross
Via Crucis
The Vatican’s Directory On Popular Piety And The Liturgy Principles And
Guidelines No. 134: “The following may prove useful suggestions for a fruitful celebration of
the Via Crucis:
The traditional form of the Via Crucis,
with its 14 stations, is to be retained as the typical form of this pious
exercise; from time to time, however, as the occasion warrants, one or other of
the traditional stations might possibly be substituted with a reflection on
some other aspects of the Gospel account of the journey to Calvary which are
traditionally included in the Stations of the Cross;
The Via Crucis is a pious devotion connected
with the Passion of Christ; it should conclude, however, in such fashion as to
leave the faithful with a sense of expectation of the Resurrection in faith and
hope; following the example of the Via Crucis in Jerusalem, which ends with a station at the Anastasis, the
celebration could end with a commemoration of the Lord’s resurrection.
Bearing in mind whatever instructions might
have been established by the bishops in the matter, the choice of texts for the
Via Crucis
should take a count of the condition of those participating in its celebration
and the wise pastoral principle of integrating renewal and continuity. It is
always preferable to choose texts resonant with the Biblical narrative and
written in a clear simple style.”
Information
Online Lenten Resources: EWTN.org
National Catholic Register’s Guide to the Rosary, a 48 page pocket-sized full-color
booklet featuring sacred art, Scripture readings and meditations. Call Vivian
at (800) 356-9916, ext. 3809
National Catholic Register’s Passion Companion:
Rosary Aid, Study Guide, Stations of the Cross, a 48 page pocket-sized full-color
booklet featuring images from the movie. Call Vivian at (800) 356-9916, ext.
3809.
Faith & Family, The magazine of Catholic living. The March/April edition of
the Register’s sister publication focuses on Lent and Easter. FaithandFamilymag.com or (800) 421-3230.
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