Ash Wednesday, February 13, 2013 - Litany Lane Blog:
Abstain, Joel 2:12-18, Second Corinthians 5:20, Matthew 6:1-18, St Catherine de Ricci, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Catholic Catechism Part One Section 2 The Creeds Chapter 2 Article 2:4 Lord
Good Day Bloggers! Wishing everyone a Blessed Week!
Heed the Solemnity of Lent! As the Psalm says: “The
Lord is my Shepherd! I lack nothing. In grassy meadows he lets me lie.
By tranquil streams he leads me to restore my spirit. He guides me in
paths of saving justice as befits his name. Even were I to walk in a
ravine as dark as death I should fear no danger, for you are at my side.
Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me. You prepare a table
for me under the eyes of my enemies.” (Ps 23, 1.3-5).
Year of Faith - October 11, 2012 - November 24, 2013
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Serenity Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7.
The world begins and ends everyday for someone. We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift of knowledge and free will,
make the most of these gifts. Life on earth is a stepping stone to our eternal home in
Heaven. Its your choice whether to rise towards eternal light or lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to Purgatory and/or Heaven is our Soul, our Spirit...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬●
Prayer For the Holy Election of Our New Pope
May the Lord preserve the sanctity of the enclave as they embark on electing our new Holy Father, give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.
LET US PRAY:
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, in Thy mercy look down upon Thy servant, (Our New Pope), whom Thou will appoint to preside over Thy Church, and grant we beseech Thee that both by word and example he may edify those who are under his charge; so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may attain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬●
February 2, 2013 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
January 25, 2013 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
"Dear children! Also today I call you to prayer. May your prayer be as strong as a living stone, until with your lives you become witnesses. Witness the beauty of your faith. I am with you and intercede before my Son for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
"Dear children! Also today I call you to prayer. May your prayer be as strong as a living stone, until with your lives you become witnesses. Witness the beauty of your faith. I am with you and intercede before my Son for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬●
Today's Word: abstain ab·stain [ab-steyn]
Origin: 1350–1400; Middle English abste ( i ) nen < Middle French abstenir ≪ Latin abstinēre, equivalent to abs- abs- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre to hold, keep
verb (used without object)
1. to hold oneself back voluntarily, especially from something regarded as improper or unhealthy (usually followed by from ): to abstain from eating meat.
2. to refrain from casting one's vote: a referendum in which two delegates abstained.
●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬●
Today's Old Testament Reading - Joel 2:12-18
12 'But now -- declares Yahweh- come back to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning.'
13 Tear your hearts and not your clothes, and come back to Yahweh your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, and he relents about inflicting disaster.
14 Who knows if he will not come back, relent and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a libation to be presented to Yahweh your God?
15 Blow the ram's-horn in Zion! Order a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,
16 call the people together, summon the
community, assemble the elders, gather the children, even infants at the
breast! Call the bridegroom from his bedroom and the bride from her
bower!
17 Let the priests, the ministers of
Yahweh, stand weeping between portico and altar, saying, 'Spare your
people, Yahweh! Do not expose your heritage to the contempt, to the
sarcasm of the nations! Why give the peoples cause to say, "Where is their God?" '
18 Then, becoming jealous over his country, Yahweh took pity on his people.
●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬●
Today's Epistle - Second Corinthians 5:20--6:2
20 So we are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were urging you through us, and in the name of Christ we appeal to you to be reconciled to God.
21 For our sake he made the sinless one a victim for sin, so that in him we might become the uprightness of God.
1 As his fellow-workers, we urge you not to let your acceptance of his grace come to nothing.
2 As he said, 'At the time of my favour I have answered you; on the day of salvation I have helped you'; well, now is the real time of favour, now the day of salvation is here.
●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬●
Today's Gospel Reading - Matthew 6:1-18
Ash Wednesday
The meaning of prayer, almsgiving and fasting
The way to spend the time of Lent well
The way to spend the time of Lent well
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with
the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus.
In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to
discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence
and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became
for them the source of life and of resurrection. Create in us
silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the
Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and
suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples
from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness
to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity,
justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed
to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
a) A key to the reading:
The
Gospel of Ash Wednesday is taken from the Sermon on the Mount and
offers us help to understand the practice of the three works of mercy:
prayer, almsgiving and fasting and the way to spend the time of Lent
well. The manner of practising these three works has changed over the
centuries, according to the culture and customs of people and their
state of health. Old people today still remember when there was a strict
and compulsory fast of forty days throughout Lent. In spite of changes
in the practice of the works of mercy, there still is the human and
Christian obligation (i) to share our goods with the poor (almsgiving),
(ii) to live in contact with the Creator (prayer) and (iii) to be able
to control our urges and desires (fasting). The words of Jesus on which
we meditate can give us the necessary creativity to find new forms of
living these three practices so important in the life of Christians.
b) A division of the text to assist in the reading:
Matthew 6:1: A general key to the understanding of the teaching that follows
Matthew 6:2: How not to go about almsgiving
Matthew 6:3-4: How to go about almsgiving
Matthew 6:5: How not to pray
Matthew 6:6: How to pray
Matthew 6:16: How not to fast
Matthew 6:17-18: How to fast
Matthew 6:2: How not to go about almsgiving
Matthew 6:3-4: How to go about almsgiving
Matthew 6:5: How not to pray
Matthew 6:6: How to pray
Matthew 6:16: How not to fast
Matthew 6:17-18: How to fast
c) Text:
'Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract
attention; otherwise you will lose all reward from your Father in
heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this
is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win
human admiration. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward. But
when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is
doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that
is done in secret will reward you. 'And when you pray, do not
imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in
the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. In
truth I tell you, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to
your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is
in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in
secret will reward you. 'When you are fasting, do not put on a gloomy
look as the hypocrites do: they go about looking unsightly to let
people know they are fasting. In truth I tell you, they have had their
reward. But when you fast, put scent on your head and wash your face, 18
so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees
all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in
secret will reward you.
3. A moment of prayerful silence so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions to help us in our personal reflection
a) What touched you or pleased you most in this text?
b) What is the meaning of Jesus’ initial warning?
c) What does Jesus criticise and teach about almsgiving? Make a resume for yourself.
d) What does Jesus criticise and teach about prayer? Make a resume for yourself.
e) What does Jesus criticise and teach about fasting? Make a resume for yourself.
b) What is the meaning of Jesus’ initial warning?
c) What does Jesus criticise and teach about almsgiving? Make a resume for yourself.
d) What does Jesus criticise and teach about prayer? Make a resume for yourself.
e) What does Jesus criticise and teach about fasting? Make a resume for yourself.
5. For those who wish to go deeper into the theme
a) The context:
Jesus speaks of three things: almsgiving (Mt 6:1-6), prayer (Mt
6:5-15) and fasting (Mt 6:16-18). These were the three works of mercy of
the Jews. Jesus criticises the fact that they practise these works to
be seen by others (Mt 6:1). He will not allow that the practice of
justice and mercy be used as a means to social promotion within the
community (Mt 6:2.5.16). In the words of Jesus there comes to light a
new kind of relationship with God that is revealed to us. He says: “your
Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you" (Mt 6:4),
“your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Mt 6:8), “if you
forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you
yours ” (Mt 6,14). Jesus presents us with a new way of approaching the
heart of God. A meditation on his words concerning the works of mercy
may help us discover this new way.
b) A commentary on the text:
Matthew 6:1: A general key to an understanding of the teaching that follows
Jesus says: Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract attention; otherwise you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. The justice referred to by Jesus is the place where God wants us to be. The way there is found in the Law of God. Jesus warns that it is not enough to observe the law so as to be praised by people. Earlier he had said: “For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven" (Mt 5:26). In reading these words we must not think only of the Pharisees of Jesus’ time, but above all of the Pharisee that is dormant in each one of us. Had Joseph, Mary’s spouse, followed the justice of the law of the Pharisees, he would have had to renounce Mary. But he was “just” (Mt 1:19), and already possessed the new justice proclaimed by Jesus. That is why he broke the ancient law and saved Mary’s and Jesus’ lives. The new justice proclaimed by Jesus rests on another foundation, springs from another source. We must build our peace from inside, not in what we do for God, but in what God does for us. This is the general key to an understanding of the teaching of Jesus on the works of mercy. In what follows, Matthew applies this general principle to the practice of almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Didactically, he first expresses what must not be and then immediately teaches what should be.
Jesus says: Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract attention; otherwise you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. The justice referred to by Jesus is the place where God wants us to be. The way there is found in the Law of God. Jesus warns that it is not enough to observe the law so as to be praised by people. Earlier he had said: “For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven" (Mt 5:26). In reading these words we must not think only of the Pharisees of Jesus’ time, but above all of the Pharisee that is dormant in each one of us. Had Joseph, Mary’s spouse, followed the justice of the law of the Pharisees, he would have had to renounce Mary. But he was “just” (Mt 1:19), and already possessed the new justice proclaimed by Jesus. That is why he broke the ancient law and saved Mary’s and Jesus’ lives. The new justice proclaimed by Jesus rests on another foundation, springs from another source. We must build our peace from inside, not in what we do for God, but in what God does for us. This is the general key to an understanding of the teaching of Jesus on the works of mercy. In what follows, Matthew applies this general principle to the practice of almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Didactically, he first expresses what must not be and then immediately teaches what should be.
Matthew 6:2: How not to go about almsgiving
The wrong way of giving alms, then and now, is that of doing it in public so as to be acknowledged and acclaimed by others. We often see on pews of churches the words: “Gift of such-and-such a family”. On television, politicians love to appear as great benefactors of humanity on occasions of inaugurations of public works at the service of the community. Jesus says: Those who act thus have already had their reward.
The wrong way of giving alms, then and now, is that of doing it in public so as to be acknowledged and acclaimed by others. We often see on pews of churches the words: “Gift of such-and-such a family”. On television, politicians love to appear as great benefactors of humanity on occasions of inaugurations of public works at the service of the community. Jesus says: Those who act thus have already had their reward.
Matthew 6:3-4: How to go about almsgiving
The correct way of giving alms is this: “Your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing!” In other words, we must give alms in such a way that not even I must feel that I am doing something good that deserves a reward from God and praise from others. Almsgiving is an obligation. It is a way of sharing something that I have with those who have nothing. In a family, what belongs to one belongs to all. Jesus praises the example of the widow who gave of what was needed for herself (Mk 12:44).
The correct way of giving alms is this: “Your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing!” In other words, we must give alms in such a way that not even I must feel that I am doing something good that deserves a reward from God and praise from others. Almsgiving is an obligation. It is a way of sharing something that I have with those who have nothing. In a family, what belongs to one belongs to all. Jesus praises the example of the widow who gave of what was needed for herself (Mk 12:44).
Matthew 6:5: How not to pray
Speaking of the wrong way of praying, Jesus mentions some strange practices and customs of his day. When the trumpet sounded for morning, midday and evening prayer, there were those who sought to be in the middle of the road to pray solemnly with arms outstretched so as to be seen by all and thus be considered as pious people. Others took up extravagant poses in the synagogue so as to draw the attention of the community.
Speaking of the wrong way of praying, Jesus mentions some strange practices and customs of his day. When the trumpet sounded for morning, midday and evening prayer, there were those who sought to be in the middle of the road to pray solemnly with arms outstretched so as to be seen by all and thus be considered as pious people. Others took up extravagant poses in the synagogue so as to draw the attention of the community.
Matthew 6:6: How to pray
So as to leave no doubt, Jesus over-emphasises the manner of praying. He says that we must pray in secret, only before God the Father. No one will see you. May be before others you may even seem to be a person who does not pray. This does not matter! Even of Jesus it was said: “He is not God!” That is because Jesus often prayed at night and did not care what others thought. What matters is to have one’s conscience at peace and to know that God is the Father who welcomes me, not because of what I do for God or because of the satisfaction that I seek in the fact that others appreciate me as one who is pious and prays.
So as to leave no doubt, Jesus over-emphasises the manner of praying. He says that we must pray in secret, only before God the Father. No one will see you. May be before others you may even seem to be a person who does not pray. This does not matter! Even of Jesus it was said: “He is not God!” That is because Jesus often prayed at night and did not care what others thought. What matters is to have one’s conscience at peace and to know that God is the Father who welcomes me, not because of what I do for God or because of the satisfaction that I seek in the fact that others appreciate me as one who is pious and prays.
Matthew 6:16: How not to fast
Jesus criticises wrong practices concerning fasting. There were those who bore a sad face, did not wash, wore torn clothes, did not comb their hair, so that all could see that they were fasting in a perfect manner.
Jesus criticises wrong practices concerning fasting. There were those who bore a sad face, did not wash, wore torn clothes, did not comb their hair, so that all could see that they were fasting in a perfect manner.
Matthew 6:17-18: How to fast
Jesus suggests the opposite: When you fast, put scent on your head, wash your face, so that no one may know that you are fasting, only your Father who is in heaven. As we said earlier, it is a new manner of accessing the heart of God that is opening before our eyes. For our own interior peace, Jesus does not ask what we do for God, but what God does for us. Almsgiving, prayer and fasting are not currency to buy God’s favour, but are our response of gratitude for the love received and experienced.
Jesus suggests the opposite: When you fast, put scent on your head, wash your face, so that no one may know that you are fasting, only your Father who is in heaven. As we said earlier, it is a new manner of accessing the heart of God that is opening before our eyes. For our own interior peace, Jesus does not ask what we do for God, but what God does for us. Almsgiving, prayer and fasting are not currency to buy God’s favour, but are our response of gratitude for the love received and experienced.
c) Further information:
i) The broader context of Matthew’s Gospel
Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community of converted Jews who
were experiencing a deep crisis of identity in relation to their past.
After their conversion to Jesus, they continued to live according to
their old traditions and frequented the synagogue, together with their
relatives and friends, just as before. But they suffered because of the
strong pressure from their Jewish friends who did not accept Jesus as
the Messiah. This tension grew after the year 70 AD. When in 66 AD the
revolt of the Jews against Rome broke out, two groups refused to take
part, the Pharisees and the Jewish Christians. Both groups held that
going against Rome had nothing to do with the coming of the Messiah, as
some thought. After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the
year 70, all the other Jewish groups disappeared. Only the Pharisees and
the Jewish Christians remained. Both groups claimed to be the heirs of
the promise of the prophets and, thus, the tension grew between
brothers, because of the inheritance. The Pharisees reorganised the rest
of the people and took an ever-stronger position against the
Christians, who ended by being excommunicated from the synagogues. This
excommunication rekindled the whole problem of identity. Now the
Christians were officially and formally separated from the people of the
promise. They could no longer frequent their synagogue, their rabbis.
And they asked themselves: Who are the real people of God: they or us?
On whose side is God? Is Jesus really the Messiah?
Thus, Matthew writes his Gospel (1) for this group of Christians,
as a Gospel of consolation for those who had been excommunicated and
persecuted by the Jews; helping them to overcome the trauma of breaking
away; (2) as a Gospel of revelation, showing that Jesus is the true
Messiah, the new Moses, who fulfils the promises; (3) as a Gospel of the
new practice, showing how they must achieve true justice, greater than
the justice of the Pharisees.
ii) A key to the Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is the first of five sermons in Matthew’s
Gospel. It describes the conditions that will allow a person to enter
the Kingdom of God: the way in, the new reading of the law, the new way
of looking at and practising the works of mercy; the new way of living
in community. In a word, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus communicates
the new way of looking at the things of Life and the Kingdom. The
following is a division that serves as a key to reading:
Mt 5:1-16: The way in
Mt 5:1-10: The eight Beatitudes help us to see where the kingdom is
already present (Mt among the poor and persecuted) and where it will be
soon (Mt among the other six groups).
Mt 5:12-16: Jesus addresses his words of consolation to his disciples and warns: anyone who lives the beatitudes will be persecuted (Mt 5:11-12), but his or her life will have meaning because he/she will be the salt of the earth (Mt 5:13) and the light of the world (Mt 5:14-16).
Mt 5:17-to-6:18: The new relationship with God: A new Justice
Mt 5:17-48: The new justice must be greater than that of the Pharisees
Jesus radicalises the law, that is, he brings it back to its roots, to its main and ultimate purpose which is to serve life, justice, love and truth. The commandments of the law point to a new way of life, avoided by the Pharisees (Mt 5:17-20). Jesus immediately presents various examples as to how the commandments of the Law of God given to Moses are to be understood: of old it was said, but I say to you (Mt 5:21-48)
Jesus radicalises the law, that is, he brings it back to its roots, to its main and ultimate purpose which is to serve life, justice, love and truth. The commandments of the law point to a new way of life, avoided by the Pharisees (Mt 5:17-20). Jesus immediately presents various examples as to how the commandments of the Law of God given to Moses are to be understood: of old it was said, but I say to you (Mt 5:21-48)
Mt 6:1-18: The new justice must not seek reward or merit (This is the Gospel of this Ash Wednesday).
Mt 6:19-34: The new relationship to the goods of this world: a new vision of creation
Jesus comes to grips with the primary needs of life: food,
clothing, house and health. This is the part of life that causes most
anxiety in people. Jesus teaches how to relate to material goods and to
the riches of the world: do not accumulate goods (Mt 6:19-21), do not
look at the world with sad eyes (Mt 6:22-23), do not serve God and money
at the same time (Mt 6:24), do not worry about food and drink (Mt
6:23-34).
Mt 7:1-29: The new relationship with people: a new life in community
Do not seek the straw in your brother’s eye (Mt 7:1-5); do not cast
pearls before swine (Mt 7:6); Do not be afraid of asking for things
from God (Mt 7:7-11); observe the golden rule (Mt 7:12); seek the narrow
and difficult path (Mt 7:13-14); be wary of false prophets (Mt
7:15-20); do not just talk but do (Mt 7:21-23); the community built on
these principles will stand in spite of raging storms (Mt 7:24-27). The
outcome of these words is a new awareness in the face of the scribes and
doctors (Mt 7:28-29).
6. Prayer in a Psalm: Psalm 40 (39)
Proclaiming the great justice of God
I waited, I waited for Yahweh,
then he stooped to me and heard my cry for help.
He pulled me up from the seething chasm,
from the mud of the mire.
He set my feet on rock,
and made my footsteps firm.
He put a fresh song in my mouth,
praise of our God.
Many will be awestruck at the sight,
and will put their trust in Yahweh.
then he stooped to me and heard my cry for help.
He pulled me up from the seething chasm,
from the mud of the mire.
He set my feet on rock,
and made my footsteps firm.
He put a fresh song in my mouth,
praise of our God.
Many will be awestruck at the sight,
and will put their trust in Yahweh.
How blessed are those who put their trust in Yahweh,
who have not sided with rebels
and those who have gone astray in falsehood.
How much you have done, Yahweh, my God
-- your wonders, your plans for us -- you have no equal.
I will proclaim and speak of them;
they are beyond number.
who have not sided with rebels
and those who have gone astray in falsehood.
How much you have done, Yahweh, my God
-- your wonders, your plans for us -- you have no equal.
I will proclaim and speak of them;
they are beyond number.
You wanted no sacrifice or cereal offering,
but you gave me an open ear,
you did not ask for burnt offering or sacrifice for sin;
then I said, 'Here I am, I am coming.'
In the scroll of the book it is written of me,
my delight is to do your will;
your law, my God, is deep in my heart.
but you gave me an open ear,
you did not ask for burnt offering or sacrifice for sin;
then I said, 'Here I am, I am coming.'
In the scroll of the book it is written of me,
my delight is to do your will;
your law, my God, is deep in my heart.
I proclaimed the saving justice of Yahweh in the great assembly.
See, I will not hold my tongue,
as you well know.
I have not kept your saving justice locked in the depths of my heart,
but have spoken of your constancy and saving help.
I have made no secret of your faithful and steadfast love,
in the great assembly.
See, I will not hold my tongue,
as you well know.
I have not kept your saving justice locked in the depths of my heart,
but have spoken of your constancy and saving help.
I have made no secret of your faithful and steadfast love,
in the great assembly.
You, Yahweh, have not withheld your tenderness from me;
your faithful and steadfast love will always guard me.
For troubles surround me,
until they are beyond number;
my sins have overtaken me;
I cannot see my way.
They outnumber the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails me.
Be pleased, Yahweh, to rescue me,
your faithful and steadfast love will always guard me.
For troubles surround me,
until they are beyond number;
my sins have overtaken me;
I cannot see my way.
They outnumber the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails me.
Be pleased, Yahweh, to rescue me,
Yahweh, come quickly and help me!
Shame and dismay to all who seek to take my life.
Back with them,
let them be humiliated who delight in my misfortunes.
Let them be aghast with shame,
those who say to me, 'Aha, aha!'
But joy and happiness in you to all who seek you!
Let them ceaselessly cry,
'Great is Yahweh' who love your saving power.
Poor and needy as I am,
the Lord has me in mind.
You, my helper, my Saviour, my God, do not delay.
Shame and dismay to all who seek to take my life.
Back with them,
let them be humiliated who delight in my misfortunes.
Let them be aghast with shame,
those who say to me, 'Aha, aha!'
But joy and happiness in you to all who seek you!
Let them ceaselessly cry,
'Great is Yahweh' who love your saving power.
Poor and needy as I am,
the Lord has me in mind.
You, my helper, my Saviour, my God, do not delay.
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that
has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your
Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that
which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not
only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign with
the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬●
Featured Item of the Day from Litany Lane
●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬●
Saint of the Day: St Catherine de Ricci
Feast Day: February 13
Patron Saint:
Attributes: Stigmata
As the perpetual prioress of San Vincenzo, she developed into an effective and greatly admired administrator. She was an advisor on various topics to princes, bishops and cardinals. She corresponded with three men who were destined to become popes: Pope Marcellus II, Pope Clement VIII, and Pope Leo XI. An expert on religion, management and administration, her advice was widely sought. She gave counsel both in person and through exchanging letters. It is reported that she was extremely effective and efficient in her work, managing her priorities very well.
It is claimed that her meditation on the passion of Christ was so deep that she spontaneously bled as though scourged, and that during times of deep prayer a coral ring, representing her marriage to Christ as a nun, appeared on her finger. She was a very prayerful person from a very young age.
It is reported that she wore an "iron chain" around her neck, engaged in extreme fasting and other forms of penance and sacrifice, especially for souls in Purgatory. She also bore the Stigmata. One of the miracles that was documented for her canonization was her appearance many hundreds of miles away from where she was physically located.
She was canonized by Benedict XIV in 1746. Her feast day falls on 4 February.
References
- ^ Fordham.edu
- ^ A Short Walk Through Ashfield's Past. Ashfield History, accessed 23/10/10.
●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬●
Today's Snippet I: Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in the Western Christian calendar. Occurring 46 days before Easter, it is a moveable fast that can fall as early as February 4 and as late as March 10.
According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke; Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan.[2][3] Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this 40-day liturgical period of prayer and fasting. Of the 46 days until Easter, six are Sundays. As the christian sabbath, Sundays are not included in the fasting period and are instead "feast" days during Lent [4].
Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a reminder and celebration of human mortality, and as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered from the burning of the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday.[5] This practice is common in much of Christendom, being observed mainly by Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists.[6][7]
Ritual
At Masses and services of worship on this day, ashes are imposed on the foreheads of the faithful (or on the tonsure spots, in the case of some clergy). The priest, minister, or in some cases officiating layperson, marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes in the sign of the cross, which the worshipper traditionally retains until it wears off. The act echoes the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ashes over one's head to signify repentance before God (as related in the Bible). The priest or minister says one or both of the following when applying the ashes:Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return.—Genesis 3:19
The liturgical imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday is a sacramental, not a sacrament, and in the Catholic understanding of the term the ashes themselves are also a sacramental. The ashes are blessed according to various rites proper to each liturgical tradition, sometimes involving the use of Holy Water. In some churches, they are mixed with a small amount of water[8] or olive oil,[9] which serve as a fixative. In most liturgies for Ash Wednesday, the Penitential psalms are read; Psalm 51 (LXX Psalm 50) is especially associated with this day.[10] The service also often includes a corporate confession rite.Repent, and believe the Gospel.—Mark 1:15
In some of the low church traditions, other practices are sometimes added or substituted, as other ways of symbolizing the confession and penitence of the day. For example, in one common variation, small cards are distributed to the congregation on which people are invited to write a sin they wish to confess. These small cards are brought forth to the altar table where they are burned.[11]
In the Catholic Church, ashes, being sacramentals, may be given to anyone who wishes to receive them,[12][13] as opposed to Catholic sacraments, which are generally reserved for church members, except in cases of grave necessity.[14][15] Similarly, in other Christian denominations ashes may be received by all who profess the Christian faith and are baptized.[16]
In the Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence from meat, and repentance—a day of contemplating one's transgressions. The Anglican Book of Common Prayer also designates Ash Wednesday as a day of fasting. In the medieval period, Ash Wednesday was the required annual day of penitential confession occurring after fasting and the remittance of the tithe. In other Christian denominations these practices are optional, with the main focus being on repentance. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 (whose health enables them to do so) are permitted to consume only one full meal, which may be supplemented by two smaller meals, which together should not equal the full meal. Some Catholics will go beyond the minimum obligations demanded by the Church and undertake a complete fast or a bread and water fast.
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also days of abstinence from meat (mammals and fowl), as are all Fridays during Lent.[17] Some Catholics continue fasting throughout Lent, as was the Church's traditional requirement,[18] concluding only after the celebration of the Easter Vigil.
As the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday comes the day after Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the last day of the Carnival season.
Biblical significance
Other examples are found in several other books of the Bible including, Numbers 19:9, 19:17, Jonah 3:6, Matthew 11:21, and Luke 10:13, and Hebrews 9:13. Ezekiel 9 also speaks of a linen-clad messenger marking the forehead of the city inhabitants that have sorrow over the sins of the people. All those without the mark are destroyed.
It marks the start of a 43-day period which is an allusion to the separation of Jesus in the desert to fast and pray. During this time he was tempted. Matthew 4:1–11, Mark 1:12–13, and Luke 4:1–13.[19] While not specifically instituted in the Bible text, the 40-day period of repentance is also analogous to the 40 days during which Moses repented and fasted in response to the making of the Golden calf. (Jews today follow a 40-day period of repenting in preparation for and during the High Holy Days from Rosh Chodesh Elul to Yom Kippur.)
In Victorian England, theatres refrained from presenting costumed shows on Ash Wednesday, so they provided other entertainments
References
- ^ "Prayers and Reflections- buying ash from the Holy Land". Ash Wednesday. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
- ^ "What is Lent and why does it last forty days?". The United Methodist Church. Archived from the original on 7 October 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
- ^ "The Liturgical Year". The Anglican Catholic Church. Archived from the original on 24 August 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent
- ^ Ellsworth Kalas. Preaching the Calendar: Celebrating Holidays and Holy Days. Westminster John Knox Press. Retrieved 8 March 2011. "We are wise, therefore to explain, whether in the course of the homily or in the church bulletin or newsletter, something of the meaning of the day: of ashes as an ancient symbol of loss and repentance; of the historic words spoken during the imposition of the ashes, "Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return"; of the practice in many religious communions of using ashes made from the palms of the previous year's Palm Sunday; and, of course, that the imposition of ashes is a sign of mourning and repentance."
- ^ William P. Lazarus, Mark Sullivan. Comparative Religion For Dummies. For Dummies. Retrieved 8 March 2011. "This is the day Lent begins. Christians go to church to pray and have a cross drawn in ashes on their foreheads. The ashes drawn on ancient tradition represent repentance before God. The holiday is part of Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, and Episcopalian liturgies, among others."
- ^ Sylvia A. Sweeney. An Ecofeminist Perspective on Ash Wednesday and Lent. Peter Lang. Retrieved 8 March 2011. "In the twentieth century, the imposition of ashes became part of the liturgical experience of not only Roman Catholics, but Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans as well."
- ^ Ford, Penny. "Lent 101". Upper Room Ministries.
- ^ "Lent and Easter". The Diocese of London. 17 March 2004.
- ^ Psalm 51 is the Ash Wednesday reading in both the Revised Common Lectionary and The Catholic Lectionary.
- ^ "What is the significance of ashes being placed on the forehead on Ash Wednesday?". The United Methodist Church.
- ^ "Responses to frequently asked questions regarding Lenten practices". Catholics United for the Faith.
- ^ Code of Canon Law, canon 1170
- ^ Donovan, Colin B.. "Communion of Non-Catholics or Intercommunion". Eternal Word Television Network.
- ^ 1983 Code of Canon Law, canon 844
- ^ "Pastor's Message: Ash Wednesday, An Invitation To Lent". First United Methodist Church. 28 February 2001.
- ^ 1983 Code of Canon Law, canon 1251
- ^ 1917 Code of Canon Law, canon 1252 §§2–3
- ^ "Lent with Jesus in the desert to fight the spirit of evil". Asia News.it. 3 May 2006. "Turning to the gospel of the day, which is about Jesus' 40 days in the desert, "where he overcame the temptations of Satan" (cfr Mk 1:12–13), Pope Benedict XVI exhorted Christians to follow "their Teacher and Lord… to face together with Him 'the struggle against the spirit of evil'." He said: "The desert is rather an eloquent metaphor of the human condition.""
●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬●
Today's Snippet II: Lent
Lent (Latin: Quadragesima) is a solemn observance in the liturgical year of many Christian denominations, lasting for a period of approximately six weeks leading up to Easter Sunday. In the general Latin-rite and most Western denominations Lent is taken to run from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) morning or to Easter Eve.
The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial. Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the death and resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events of the Passion of Christ on Good Friday, which then culminates in the celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penitence. The Stations of the Cross, a devotional commemoration of Christ's carrying the Cross and of his execution, are often observed. Many Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches devoid their altars of flowers, while crucifixes,
religious statues, and other elaborate religious paraphernalia are
often veiled in violet fabrics in solemn observance of this event. In
certain pious Catholic countries, the consumption of meat is traditionally yet varyingly[1]
self-abstained by the faithful, while grand religious processions and
cultural customs are observed, and the faithful attempt to visit seven churches during Holy Week in honor of Jesus Christ heading to Mount Calvary.
Lent is traditionally described as lasting for forty days, in commemoration of the forty days which, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by the Devil.[2][3] However, different Christian denominations
calculate the forty days of Lent differently. In most Western
traditions the Sundays are not counted as part of Lent; thus the period
from Ash Wednesday until Easter consists of 40 days when the Sundays are
excluded. However in the Roman Catholic Church
Lent is now taken to end on Holy Thursday rather than Easter Eve, and
hence lasts 38 days excluding Sundays, or 44 days in total.
This event, along with its pious customs are observed by Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, and Mennonites. [4][5][6]
Duration
Most followers of Western Christianity observe Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday, and concluding on Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday)[3][7] or on Easter Eve.[8] The six Sundays in this period are often not regarded as being part of the observance (being termed Sundays in, rather than of, Lent), because each one represents a "mini-Easter," a celebration of Jesus' victory over sin and death.[2]
One notable exception is the Archdiocese of Milan, which follows the Ambrosian Rite and observes Lent starting on the Sunday six weeks before Easter, a move liturgically approved by Pope Gregory the Great.[9][10]
Since the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church has redefined Good Friday into Holy Saturday as the first two days of the Easter Triduum rather than the last two days of Lent, but Lenten observances are maintained until the Easter Vigil.
In those churches which follow the Rite of Constantinople (e.g. Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics),
the forty days of Lent are counted differently; also, the date of
Easter is calculated differently in the East than in the West (see Computus). The fast begins on Clean Monday,
and Sundays are included in the count; thus, counting uninterruptedly
from Clean Monday, Great Lent ends on the fortieth consecutive day,
which is the Friday before Palm Sunday. The days of Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week are considered a distinct period of fasting. For more detailed information about the Eastern Christian practice of Lent, see the article Great Lent.
Among Oriental Orthodox Catholics, there are various local traditions regarding Lent. The Coptic, Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Churches observe eight weeks of Lent, which, with both Saturdays and Sundays exempt, has forty days of fasting.[9] The first seven days of the fast are considered by some to be an optional time of preparation. Others attribute these seven days to the fast of Holofernes who asked the Syrian Christians to fast for him after they requested his assistance to repel the invading pagan Persians. Joyous Saturday and the week preceding it are counted separately from the forty day fast in accordance with the Apostolic Constitutions giving an extra eight days.
The number forty has many Biblical references: the forty days Moses spent on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18); the forty days and nights Elijah spent walking to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8); the forty days and nights God sent rain in the great flood of Noah (Genesis 7:4); the forty years the Hebrew people wandered in the desert while traveling to the Promised Land (Numbers 14:33); the forty days Jonah gave in his prophecy of judgment to the city of Nineveh in which to repent or be destroyed (Jonah 3:4).
Jesus retreated into the wilderness, where He fasted for forty days, and was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1–2, Mark 1:12–13, Luke 4:1–2). He overcame all three of Satan's temptations by citing scripture to the devil, at which point the devil left Him, angels ministered to Jesus, and He began His ministry. Jesus further said that His disciples should fast "when the bridegroom shall be taken from them" (Matthew 9:15),
a reference to his Passion. Since, presumably, the Apostles fasted as
they mourned the death of Jesus, Christians have traditionally fasted
during the annual commemoration of his burial.
It is the traditional belief that Jesus lay for forty hours in the tomb[9] which led to the forty hours of total fast that preceded the Easter celebration in the early Church[11] (the biblical reference to 'three days in the tomb' is understood as spanning
three days, from Friday afternoon to early Sunday morning, rather than
three 24 hour periods of time). One of the most important ceremonies at
Easter was the baptism of the initiates on Easter Eve. The fast was initially undertaken by the catechumens to prepare them for the reception of this sacrament. Later, the period of fasting from Good Friday
until Easter Day was extended to six days, to correspond with the six
weeks of training, necessary to give the final instruction to those converts who were to be baptized.
Converts to Catholicism followed a strict catechumenate or period of instruction and discipline prior to baptism. In Jerusalem
near the close of the fourth century, classes were held throughout Lent
for three hours each day. With the legalization of Christianity (by the
Edict of Milan) and its later imposition as the state religion of the Roman Empire, its character was endangered by the great influx of new members. In response, the Lenten fast and practices of self-renunciation were required annually of all Christians, both to show solidarity with the catechumens, and for their own spiritual benefit.
Etymology
In Latin the term quadragesima (translation of the original Greek Τεσσαρακοστή, Tessarakostē, the "fortieth" day before Easter) is used. This nomenclature is preserved in Romance, Slavic and Celtic languages (for example, Spanish cuaresma, Portuguese quaresma, French carême, Italian quaresima, Romanian păresimi, Croatian korizma, Irish Carghas, and Welsh C(a)rawys). However in most Slavic languages the common name is simply a phrase meaning "fasting time" (as Czech postní doba) or "great fast" (as Russian великий пост vyeliki post). In Tagalog, the name retains from its Spanish wording Cuaresma while the local wording uses "Mahal na Araw" or "Beloved Days".
In the late Middle Ages, as sermons began to be given in the vernacular instead of Latin, the English word lent was adopted. This word initially simply meant spring (as in the German language Lenz and Dutch lente) and derives from the Germanic root for long because in the spring the days visibly lengthen.[12]
Associated customs
There are traditionally forty days in Lent which are marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigour during Lent are prayer (justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and almsgiving
(justice towards neighbour). Today, some people give up a vice of
theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give
the time or money spent doing that to charitable purposes or organizations.[13]
In many liturgical Christian denominations, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday form the Easter Triduum.[14] Lent is a season of grief that necessarily ends with a great celebration of Easter. It is known in Eastern Orthodox circles as the season of "Bright Sadness." It is a season of sorrowful reflection which is punctuated by breaks in the fast on Sundays.
In the Roman Catholic Mass, Lutheran Divine Service, and Anglican Eucharist, the Gloria in Excelsis Deo
is not sung during the Lenten season, disappearing on Ash Wednesday and
not returning until the moment of the Resurrection during the Easter Vigil. On major feast days, the Gloria in Excelsis Deo
is recited, but this in no way diminishes the penitential character of
the season; it simply reflects the joyful character of the Mass of the
day in question. It is also used in the Mass of the Lord's Supper. Likewise, the Alleluia is not sung during Lent; it is replaced before the Gospel reading by a seasonal acclamation. In the pre-1970 form of the Roman Rite omission of the Alleluia begins with Septuagesima. In the Byzantine Rite, the Gloria (Great Doxology) continues to be used in its normal place in the Matins service, and the Alleluia appears all the more frequently, replacing "God is the Lord" at Matins.
In pre-1970 forms of the Roman Rite, the last two weeks of Lent are known as Passiontide, a period beginning on the Fifth Sunday in Lent, which in the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal
is called the First Sunday in Passiontide and in earlier editions
Passion Sunday. All statues (and in England paintings as well) in the
church were traditionally veiled in violet. This was seen as in keeping
with the Gospel of that Sunday (John 8:46–59), in which Jesus “hid himself” from the people. The veils were removed at the singing of the Gloria
during the Easter Vigil. In 1970 the name "Passiontide" was dropped,
although the last two weeks are markedly different from the rest of the
season, and continuance of the tradition of veiling images is left to
the decision of a country's conference of bishops.
Fasting and abstinence
Fasting during Lent was more severe in ancient times than today. Socrates Scholasticus
reports that in some places, all animal products were strictly
forbidden, while others will permit fish, others permit fish and fowl,
others prohibit fruit and eggs, and still others eat only bread. In some
places, the observant abstained from food for an entire day; others
took only one meal each day, while others abstained from all food until
mid-afternoon. In most places, however, the practice was to abstain from
eating until the evening, when a small meal without vegetables or
alcohol was eaten.
During the early Middle Ages, meat, eggs and dairy products were generally forbidden. Thomas Aquinas
argued that "they afford greater pleasure as food [than fish], and
greater nourishment to the human body, so that from their consumption
there results a greater surplus available for seminal matter, which when
abundant becomes a great incentive to lust."[15]
However, dispensations for dairy products were given, frequently for a donation, from which several churches are popularly believed to have been built, including the "Butter Tower" of the Rouen Cathedral. In Spain, the bull of the Holy Crusade (renewed periodically after 1492) allowed the consumption of dairy products[16] and eggs during Lent in exchange for a contribution to the conflict.
Giraldus Cambrensis in his Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through Wales reports that "in Germany and the arctic regions," "great and religious persons," eat the tail of beavers as "fish" because of its superficial resemblance to "both the taste and colour of fish." The animal was also very abundant in Wales at the time.[17]
In current Western societies the practice is considerably relaxed, though in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches
abstinence from all animal products including fish, eggs, fowl and milk
sourced from animals (e.g. goats and cows as opposed to the milk of soy
beans and coconuts) is still commonly practiced, meaning only
vegetarian (vegan) meals are consumed in many Eastern countries for the entire fifty-five days of their Lent. In the Roman Catholic
Church for the duration of Lent, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday it is
required to eat less than is customary for the day, with no meat, eating
only one full meal and two small meals also totalling less than a full
meal.[18]
Pursuant to Canon 1253, days of fasting and abstinence are set by the national Episcopal Conference.
Parallel to the fasting laws are the laws of abstinence. These bind
those over the age of fourteen. On days of abstinence, the person must
not eat meat or poultry. According to canon law,
all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday and several other days are days
of abstinence, though in most countries, the strict requirements for
abstinence have been limited by the bishops
(in accordance with Canon 1253) to the Fridays of Lent and Ash
Wednesday. On other abstinence days, the faithful are invited to perform
some other act of penance.
Exceptions to abstinence on Fridays during the Lenten Season can
occur through the dispensation of a particular bishop. For example, in
the United States in areas where the diocesan patron is St. Patrick (as
in the Archdiocese of New York) or where many Catholics share an Irish
heritage (as in Boston), if St. Patrick's Day (March 17) falls on a
Friday, the local bishop can grant a dispensation to all Catholics of
the diocese from abstinence. (Approximately one third of all Catholic
dioceses in the United States grant such a dispensation.[19]) More universally, this occurs on the solemnities of St. Joseph and the Annunciation,
which are always 19 and 25 March respectively. If the solemnities (19
March or 25 March), although not Holy Days of Obligation, fall on a
Friday during Lent then the obligation to abstain is abrogated.
Similarly, during those two solemnities, the faithful may temporarily
partake of anything they gave up for Lent, unless they were trying to
give up a habitual sin as their Lenten offering- which is not uncommon.[20]
Contemporary legislation is rooted in the 1966 Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI, Paenitemini.
He recommended that fasting be appropriate to the local economic
situation, and that all Catholics voluntarily fast and abstain. He also
allowed that fasting and abstinence might be substituted with prayer and
works of charity in nations with a lower standard of living.
Traditionally, on Easter Sunday, Roman Catholics may cease their
fasting and start again whatever they gave up for Lent, after they
attend Mass on Easter Sunday. Orthodox Christians break their fast after the Paschal Vigil (a service which starts around 11:00 pm on Holy Saturday), which includes the Paschal celebration of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.
At the end of the service, the priest blesses eggs, cheese, flesh meats
and other items that the faithful have been abstaining from for the
duration of Great Lent.
Lenten practices (as well as various other liturgical practices) are
less common, and less binding where they exist, among Protestant
Christians.
Facts about Lent
There are several holy days within the season of Lent:
- Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent for Roman Catholics and most mainline Reformed and Protestant traditions.
- Clean Monday (or "Ash Monday") is the first day of Lent in Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
- There is no Ash Wednesday in the Ambrosian Rite, and Lent begins liturgically on what the Roman Rite regards as first Sunday in Lent. Traditionally, the fast began on the first Monday of Lent.
- The Sundays in Lent carry Latin names in German Lutheranism, derived from the beginning of the Sunday's introit. The first is called Invocabit, the second Reminiscere, the third Oculi, the fourth Laetare, the fifth Judica. The sixth Sunday is Palm Sunday.
- The fourth Sunday in Lent, which marks the halfway point between Ash Wednesday and Easter, is referred to as Laetare Sunday by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and many other Christians because of the traditional Entrance Antiphon of the Mass. Due to the more "joyful" character of the day (since laetare in Latin means "rejoice"), the priest (as well as deacon and subdeacon) has the option of wearing vestments of a rose colour (pink) instead of violet.
- The fourth Lenten Sunday, Mothering Sunday, which has become known as Mother's Day in the United Kingdom and an occasion for honouring mothers of children, has its origin in a sixteenth-century celebration of the Mother Church.
- The fifth Sunday in Lent, also known as Passion Sunday (however, that term is also applied to Palm Sunday) marks the beginning of Passiontide
- The sixth Sunday in Lent, commonly called Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent immediately preceding Easter
- Wednesday of Holy Week is known as Spy Wednesday to commemorate the days on which Judas spied on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane before betraying him
- Thursday is known as Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, and is a day Christians commemorate the Last Supper shared by Christ with his disciples
- The next day is Good Friday, on which Christians remember Jesus' crucifixion and burial
In the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Old Catholic, and many other churches, the Easter Triduum
is a three-day event that begins with the entrance hymn of the Mass of
the Lord's Supper. After this Holy Thursday evening celebration, the
consecrated Hosts are taken from the altar solemnly to a place of reposition where the faithful are invited to worship the holy Body of Christ.
On the next day the liturgical commemoration of the Passion of Jesus
Christ is celebrated at 3 pm, unless a later time is chosen due to work
schedules. This service consists of readings from the Scriptures especially John the Evangelist's account of the Passion
of Jesus, followed by prayers, veneration of the cross of Jesus, and a
communion service at which the hosts consecrated at the evening Mass of
the day before are distributed. The Easter Vigil
during the night between Holy Saturday afternoon and Easter Sunday
morning starts with the blessing of a fire and a special candle and with
readings from Scripture associated with baptism, then the Gloria in Excelsis Deo is sung, water is blessed, baptism and confirmation
of adults may take place, and the people are invited to renew the
promises of their own baptism, and finally Mass is celebrated in the
usual way from the Preparation of the Gifts onwards.
Holy Week and the season of Lent, depending on denomination and local custom,
end with Easter Vigil at sundown on Holy Saturday or on the morning of
Easter Sunday. It is custom for some churches to hold sunrise services
which include open air celebrations in some places.
In the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and many Anglican churches, the
priest's vestments are violet during the season of Lent. On the fourth
Sunday in Lent, rose-coloured (pink) vestments may be worn in lieu of
violet. In some Anglican churches, a type of unbleached linen or muslin
known as Lenten array is used during the first three weeks of Lent, and
crimson during Passiontide. On holy days, the colour proper to the day
is worn.[21]
Reference
- ^ The traditional practice of abstaining from meat by fasting is marked in numerous pious Catholic countries, ranging from the abstaining of meat for 40 days, during fridays only, or only on Good Friday itself----depending on the pious customs or intensity of fasting.
- ^ "What is Lent and why does it last forty days?". The United Methodist Church. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
- ^ "The Liturgical Year". The Anglican Catholic Church. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
- ^ Comparative Religion For Dummies. For Dummies. Retrieved 8 March 2011. "This is the day Lent begins. Christians go to church to pray and have a cross drawn in ashes on their foreheads. The ashes drawn on ancient tradition represent repentance before God. The holiday is part of Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, and Episcopalian liturgies, among others."
- ^ Sylvia A. Sweeney. An Ecofeminist Perspective on Ash Wednesday and Lent. Peter Lang. Retrieved 8 March 2011. "In the twentieth century, the imposition of ashes became part of the liturgical experience of not only Roman Catholics, but Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans as well."
- ^ Mennonite Stew - A Glossary: Lent. Third Way Café. Retrieved 24 February 2012. "Traditionally, Lent was not observed by the Mennonite church, and only recently have more modern Mennonite churches started to focus on the six week season preceding Easter."
- ^ Thurston, Herbert (1910). "Lent". The Catholic Encyclopedia. IX. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved 15 February 2008
- ^ Lent, on the Church of England website
- ^ Catholic Encyclopedia – Lent See paragraph: Duration of the Fast
- ^ The "Secret of the Mass" in the First Sunday of Lent - "Sacrificium Quadragesimalis Initii", Missale Romanum Ambrosianus
- ^ Lent & Beyond: Dr. Peter Toon—From Septuagesima to Quadragesima (web site gone, no alternate source found, originally cited 27 August 2010)
- ^ Lent Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
- ^ "Lent—disciplines and practices". Spirit Home. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- ^ "General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 19". Catholicliturgy.com. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- ^ "'''Summa Theologica''' Q147a8". Newadvent.org. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- ^ "Millennium:Fear and Religion". Archived from the original on 18 August 2002.
- ^ "Baldwin's Itinerary Through Wales No. 2 by Giraldus Cambrensis". Gutenberg.org. 31 December 2001. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- ^ Colin B. Donovan, Fast and Abstinence. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
- ^ Engber, Daniel (15 March 2006). "Thou Shalt Eat Corned Beef on Friday: Who Sets the Rules on Lent?". Slate. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
- ^ "Canon 1251 of the Code of Canon Law". Vatican.va. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- ^ The Church of England rubric states: "The colour for a particular service should reflect the predominant theme. If the Collect, Readings, etc. on a Lesser Festival are those of the saint, then either red (for a martyr) or white is used; otherwise, the colour of the season is retained."
●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬●
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Part One: Profession of Faith, Sect 2 The Creeds, Ch 2 Art 2:4
CHAPTER TWO
I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, THE ONLY SON OF
GOD
ARTICLE 2
"AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD"
IV. Lord
446
In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the ineffable Hebrew name YHWH,
by which God revealed himself to Moses,Ex 3:14 is rendered as Kyrios,
"Lord". From then on, "Lord" becomes the more usual name by
which to indicate the divinity of Israel's God. the New Testament uses this
full sense of the title "Lord" both for the Father and - what is new
- for Jesus, who is thereby recognized as God Himself.I Cor 2:8
447
Jesus ascribes this title to himself in a veiled way when he disputes with the
Pharisees about the meaning of Psalm 110, but also in an explicit way when he
addresses his apostles.Mt
22:41-46 Throughout his public life, he demonstrated his
divine sovereignty by works of power over nature, illnesses, demons, death and
sin.
448
Very often in the Gospels people address Jesus as "Lord". This title
testifies to the respect and trust of those who approach him for help and healing.Mt 8:2
At the prompting of the Holy Spirit, "Lord" expresses the recognition
of the divine mystery of Jesus.Lk 1:43 In the encounter with the risen
Jesus, this title becomes adoration: "My Lord and my God!" It thus
takes on a connotation of love and affection that remains proper to the
Christian tradition: "It is the Lord!"Jn 20:28,
⇒ 21:7
449
By attributing to Jesus the divine title "Lord", the first
confessions of the Church's faith affirm from the beginning that the power,
honour and glory due to God the Father are due also to Jesus, because "he
was in the form of God",Acts 2:34 - 36 and the Father manifested the
sovereignty of Jesus by raising him from the dead and exalting him into his
glory.Rom 10:9
450
From the beginning of Christian history, the assertion of Christ's lordship
over the world and over history has implicitly recognized that man should not
submit his personal freedom in an absolute manner to any earthly power, but
only to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Caesar is not "the
Lord".Rev 11:15 "The Church. . . believes that the key, the centre
and the purpose of the whole of man's history is to be found in its Lord and
Master."GS 10 # 3; Cf. 45 # 2
451
Christian prayer is characterized by the title "Lord", whether in the
invitation to prayer ("The Lord be with you"), its conclusion
("through Christ our Lord") or the exclamation full of trust and
hope: Maranatha ("Our Lord, come!") or Maranatha ("Come,
Lord!") - "Amen Come Lord Jesus!"I Cor 16:22;
⇒ Rev 22:20
●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬♥▬●▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬●▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬●