Are We Ready … Or Getting Ready For LENT?

“… God has not grown weary of us. Let us welcome Lent as the great season in which he reminds us: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex 20:2). Lent is a season of conversion, a time of freedom …

Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for Lent 2024

BISHOP
KEVIN J.
SWEENEY

“Ready or not,” … Lent is quickly approaching. We can say that Lent (and Easter) comes “early” this year. This is also the second time in six years (and only the third time in 79 years) that Ash Wednesday falls on Feb. 14 — also known as (St.) “Valentine’s Day.” I will say more on that topic (opportunity?) below, but first, do you know how the Church determines the date of Easter each year? There is a very good (very brief) article on Catholic News Agency that offers a good explanation, mentioning:

“The Catholic Church determines the date (of Easter) based on the fact that Christ’s death occurred near the Jewish Passover...” And: “The First Council of Nicea, held in 325, decided that Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox, making the earliest possible date for Easter March 22 and the latest possible April 25.”

I am sure that many readers are asking themselves and others, “How do you celebrate as a Catholic when it is Ash Wednesday and St. Valentine’s Day?” Some may be asking themselves the (even more challenging) question, “What can/should a Catholic (Christian) couple do when Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s fall on the same day?” I was able to find two articles online that, I believe, do a very good job of answering both of these questions [see links below]. The article from the Catholic Company that answers the first question gives seven practical, wise, and spiritual answers — and includes a pretty good cartoon! The article from Our Sunday Visitor reflects on the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting (sacrifices), and almsgiving (charity) and applies them to “life as a (married) couple.”

Single, married, priest or religious, young or not so young … beginning on Ash Wednesday, we all have the opportunity to live more fully our lives of faith, especially by thinking about and putting into practice those “Lenten practices” of which we hear Jesus speak in the Gospel proclaimed (every year) on Ash Wednesday (Mt 6:1-6, 16-18). If we “listen closely,” we will hear Jesus speaking to us, his disciples, on a very personal level, “When you give alms… When you pray… When you fast.” One way that you can prepare for Lent is to pray with that Gospel passage in the days leading up to Ash Wednesday. We should think about something (Facebook or Social Media, candy, dessert, or video games, etc...) that we will “give up” (fast from) during Lent, but we should also think about how we will pray (give to God) and works of charity we will do (give to others) during Lent.

If you like a challenge, I would encourage you to read, as soon as possible, Pope Francis’ Message for Lent 2024, cited at the beginning of this column. After introducing the theme: “Through the Desert God leads us to Freedom,” the Holy Father begins the second paragraph with these words:

“The exodus from slavery to freedom is no abstract journey. If our celebration of Lent is to be concrete, the first step is to desire to open our eyes to reality. When the Lord calls out to Moses from the burning bush, he immediately shows that he is a God who sees and, above all, hears: ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians…’ ”

And continues: “Let us ask ourselves: Do we hear that cry? Does it trouble us? Does it move us? All too many things keep us apart from each other, denying the fraternity that, from the beginning, binds us to one another.”

Over the years, I have found that one of the more beautiful aspects of the “Lenten Journey” is the way in which we each are invited to respond to the Lord’s call at an individual level, yet we “journey together” with the whole Church. Hopefully, each of us will make some personal decisions about what we will “give up” and about other spiritual practices, prayer and charity, that will help us to “… return to the Lord with your whole heart …” (See Jl 2:12–18). Those same “Lenten practices” should also remind us that we are not alone, but we walk the journey of Lent together with the whole Church, praying especially for those who are preparing to enter and be fully initiated as members of the Church through the “Easter Sacraments” of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion. One sign of this “unity” is the days of “Fast and Abstinence” that we observe during Lent:

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.

USCCB on fasting and abstinence

You can follow the link below or go to the USCCB website to learn more and (just in case) be ready to answer the question, “Why do Catholics not eat meat on Fridays during Lent?”

In conclusion, I would like to offer a few “practical suggestions” to consider as you prepare for Lent:

1. Daily (and Sunday) Mass — Participating in Mass every day is one of the “hidden secrets” for those who want to progress in the spiritual life. On a practical level, because of family, work, school, or other obligations, it may not be possible for some to attend Mass every day, but Lent is a great time to ask, “Can I attend Mass more often?” For those who struggle (or have gotten out of the habit) of attending Mass every Sunday, Lent is a great time to re-commit yourself to something that is more than an “obligation” but is a response to Jesus’ invitation, “Do this in memory of Me.” For those who do attend Mass every Sunday, if you may not be able to attend Mass every day during Lent, you can consider going “once or twice a week” (in addition to Sunday) or on as many days as possible during Lent.
2. The Sacrament of Reconciliation, “Welcome Home to Healing” — I will share more on this topic next week, but, for the moment, I encourage every Catholic to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconcili­ation (go to Confession) during Lent. If you haven’t celebrated this Sacrament in more than a year or in many years, please consider doing so — and please look for my column in The Beacon next week, where/when I will share some further thoughts and reflections on this beautiful “Sacrament of Healing.”
3. “Do Something” (practical) and take some (prayerful) time to prepare — St. Thérèse of Lisieux, along with St. Teresa of Calcutta (St. Mother Teresa) and many other saints, teach us to “do little things with great Love.” Mother Teresa often said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we all can do small things with great Love” and “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” So, I encourage each reader and all to take some time between now and St. Valentine’s Day, between now and Feb. 14, Ash Wednesday, to prayerfully consider both “what you will do and/or give up” (be specific) for Lent and how you will strive to do it with “great Love.” I believe that if you and I do that, then you and I will be “ready for Lent.”