OPENING PRAYERMerciful God,

look upon us as we enter these Forty Days,bearing the mark of ashes,

and bless our journey through the desert of Lent.May our fasting be hunger for justice;

our alms, a making of peace;our prayer, the chant of humble and grateful hearts.

All that we do and pray is in the name of Jesus,for in his cross you proclaim your love

for ever and ever. Amen.

ASH WEDNESDAYAsh Wednesday officially begins the season of Lent; it ends at the Easter Vigil. What is important about Lent is to fully enter into the penitential tone of the season and to be prepared for Easter. The Sundays of Lent do not require penitential observance. The reason for this custom is that the Sundays of Lent, like all of the other Sundays during the entire liturgical year celebrate the Resurrection.

ASH WEDNESDAYThe ashes that are used on Ash Wednesday are usually obtained by burning palm branches that are left over from Palm Sunday of the previous year. When the priest applies ashes to our forehead, we hear the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” or “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” The ashes on our forehead remind us of the Lenten call for penance and conversion.

ASH WEDNESDAYThe word “Lent” means spring. During the season of Lent the Holy Spirit calls us to leave our winter attitudes behind and to awaken to spring. Lent is a time to weed out bad habits and to plant, water, and allow good habits to grow. The meaning of spring urges us to finish our spiritual journey to Easter in a different place spiritually than we were on Ash Wednesday.

A Brief History of LentThe practice of Lent is a continuing thread that runs through church history. In the early Church, Lent was a time for welcoming new members into the faith. Today we call this formation process the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). In accord with Vatican II, the RCIA process was reinvigorated in 1972. The genius of RCIA is its emphasis on scripture, liturgy, community, and witness. The formation process reaches its highpoint at the Easter Vigil during which time newly initiated adults and children celebrate the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. This beautiful liturgy is also the highpoint of the entire liturgical year. It was in 325 that the Council of Nicaea first mentioned the pastoral idea to extend Lent to a period of 40 days of spiritual preparation for Easter. It was toward the end of the fourth century that the 40 days of Lent were universally observed in the Eastern and Western Churches.

The 40 Days of Lent

The 40 days of Lent have profound spiritual meaning. In the story of Noah and the Flood we learn that there were 40 days and nights of heavy rain (Genesis7:12). This flood story embodies two spiritual realities: the seriousness of sin and the redeeming power of faith. Both spiritual truths add meaning and purpose to our Lenten journey to Easter.

The 40 Days of LentThe number 40 also reminds us that the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years. This long period of time is similar to a period of apprenticeship that helps us learn how to be the People of God. Fasting is one of the spiritual tools that is vital to the task of growing closer to God. This is why we observe a sprit of fasting during Lent. Jesus fasted for 40 days to prepare for his work. The Holy Spirit drove him into the desert where he struggled with Satan. In Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13 we learn that Satan challenges Jesus with the wrong ideas of bread, power, and protection. Jesus does not succumb to evil. Instead, he shows us how to really change the world by being steadfast in our faith. This is exactly what the Church asks of us on our way to Easter.

The Work of LentWe participate in the work of Lent through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. All three practices encourage us to open our eyes and hearts to the darkness of sin and grace and to ask for forgiveness of sins and personal faults. These practices also make us better disciples because they remind us to get back to the basics and to carefully consider what is important. In other words, Lent is a time for reprioritizing what is going on in our lives.

The Work of Lent• Prayer helps us grow closer to God. During Lent we attempt to increase our quality time to prayer. The gift of prayer adds a spiritual rhythm to our daily life. It makes us less self-centered and more aware of the many opportunities we have to honor God and serve others.• Fasting is a form of penance. It is doing with less and voluntarily limiting the amount of food we eat during a specific day. It is also a form of prayer that expresses our desire to empty ourselves for God. Catholics between the ages 18 and 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. This means we may eat one full meal on those days. Catholics who have reached the age of 14 are obliged to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent.• Almsgiving is a practical way to express our love for God by expressing our love and generosity for others. Acts of charity are a basic part of Christian living. When we share our time, talent, and treasure with people in need, we are acknowledging that God is the source of our many blessings.

Stations of the CrossIn the early centuries of Christianity, pilgrims visiting Jerusalem would meditate on the Passion and death of Jesus. At one time, the Stations of the Cross were part of the Good Friday liturgy. The modern devotion and practice of the Stations of the Cross is attributed to the Franciscans. In 1342 they were given custody of the Holy Land and were eager to foster piety and devotion to these holy places. But great numbers of the faithful were not able to travel to the Holy Land. For that reason shrines and stations were placed in local churches. The idea was to commemorate the important events in the life of Jesus—especially his passion and death. Today, there are fourteen stations; this has been true since the 17th century. However, some liturgists suggest that devotion to the suffering and death of Jesus is incomplete without the Resurrection. So in many cases a fifteenth station –“Jesus is raised from the dead” is often added to the traditional fourteen Stations of the Cross.

Questions for Reflection:1. How does the season of Lent help you to get back to the basics of faith?2. What spiritual practices do you put into practice during Lent?3. How do these practices help you prepare your heart and mind for Easter?4. Discuss this statement. “Faith in the resurrection of Jesus can give us an attitude of joy that is so secure that we do not lose it even in moments of tragedy.” –C.S . Lewis5. Read and discuss Romans 8:31-32. The words. “If God is for us, who can be against us?’ remind us that when we belong to Christ, we live in a new dimension. We have new power and new hope. We are no longer on a treadmill. God has given us his own Spirit to live within us.