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Pope says Lent is time to let go of the frivolous, to choose truth, love
… superficial, showy and self-centered, Pope Francis said during a Mass to mark the beginning of Lent. Lent is the time, he said, "to proclaim that God alone is Lord, to drop the pretense of being … of the matter, and fail to embrace the true meaning of our lives in this world!" he said. "Lent is a time of truth, a time to drop the masks we put on each day to appear perfect in the …
Let's make the Beatitudes our guide for Lent
… Antonio Remedios … Lent, that time of somber reflection, has begun. Many of us, after years of warmed-over helpings … the church has something critically important to offer in all of this, especially during Lent. A lot of the issues listed above can aggravate the divisions and polarization so evident in … the street or for earthquake victims in Syria or Turkey. So what's left for the Catholic in Lent? Perhaps the answer lies at the heart of our Gospel. Maybe this Lent, as we step away from …
Why Catholics need Ash Wednesday
… I was growing up, our CCD teacher one year told us that instead of giving something up for Lent, we were going to do something positive. How thoroughly American. Even though I couldn't … and death, that he has in fact already conquered sin and death. We Catholic Christians love Lent because we need it. …
Welcome to Lent 2023
… (Joel 2:12). … Ash Wednesday … Joel 2:12-18 ; 2 Cor 5:20—6:2 ; Matt 6:1-6, 16-18 The start of Lent today has me thinking of specifics I can do, or do without, for the next six weeks to get my … heart-wrenching images each day to remind us of life’s uncertainties. The world has felt like Lent for a long time. How do we make sense of so much suffering? Today's Scripture readings draw … activities that tend to fragment and distract us from what is most important. I imagine a Lent during which I constantly remind myself that God “sees” me. This is more than just …
March 26, 2023: Fifth Sunday of Lent
Let's do mercy for Lent this year
… you do ..." Ash Wednesday is on Feb. 22, and as is often the case, I'm not prepared for Lent. Like many folks, I found it difficult to embrace fasting and other acts of sacrifice during … life has returned to some semblance of normalcy, that hardly seems like an excuse to avoid Lent's disciplines. Yet I think "giving up for Lent" sometimes overshadows the other two Lenten …
"Jerusalem tomorrow"
… will save the world by sacrificing himself. All of his disciples will share in the paradox. Lent reminds us that we, too, are on the way with Jesus. The road to Jerusalem will strip us of …
Joyce Rupp talks Lent, conversion and the one thing that gets her in trouble
… … Bestselling author and international retreat leader Joyce Rupp thinks she may finally have Lent figured out. It's not a focus on her sinfulness that elicits inner change, she has found, … obviously mined the depths of spirituality for many years. How do you continue to approach Lent with fresh eyes over and over again? What advice would you give someone who might be feeling dry and stale inside as Lent begins? … I recently read a quote from the wonderful author John Shea . He comments that …
Slouching toward Easter with the Wisdom books
… Peter Gilmour … Here comes Lent. Again! Lent is a moveable feast. Its date is dependent on the date of Easter which, in turn, is … on the date of the full moon on or after the Spring Equinox. Got that? The 40 days of Lent this year begins Feb. 22, when foreheads of the faithful and of the nonfaithful will be …
Pope: Synodal and Lenten journeys require effort, sacrifice, focusing on God
… Francis said. "Jesus is himself the way, and therefore, both in the liturgical journey (of Lent) and in the journey of the synod, the church does nothing other than enter ever more deeply and fully into the mystery of Christ the savior," the pope said in his message for Lent, which begins Feb. 22 for Latin-rite Catholics. Released by the Vatican Feb. 17, the text of … Integral Human Development, presented the Lenten message at a Vatican news conference. Lent is a time for Catholics to "work on ourselves" and understand that a "change of mentality -- …