St.

Patrick Catholic Community

Scottsdale, Arizona

CHRISTIAN DISCIPLES IN MISSION

A S H W E D N E S DAY / L E N T N E W S L E T T E R
2013

Lenten Survival Kit

Here is a simple guide to help our Lent/Easter journey be more fruitful. Lent is a season of discipline, self-denial, and renewal, preparing us to celebrate the great season of Easter. Provided here are a few ways that can guide us spiritually at this time of year. Praying During Lent/ EasterMake a commitment to Mass, attend daily Mass; spend time in quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament (open every day); commit

By fr. Eric tellez

LENT-TRIDUUM

to five or ten minutes of EASTER mediation being still with God; pray the stations of SCHEDULE 2013 the cross on Friday evenings; pray as a family FOUND ON PAGE 16 by reading through the upcoming Sunday reading INSIDE: from our website; find a 1 devotion of prayer for this Lenten Survival Kit Letter from the Pastor 2 special season; and as a Lent and the Bible . . . . . . . . . 3 family listen and talk about Walking With Both Feet. . . . . 4 The Music of Lent & Why. . . . 6 the gospel. Fasting-A Spiritual Discipline. . 7 Season of Discipline Almsgiving & Social Justice. . . 8 Fasting or giving up things Stewardship Pillar . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Lent and Vatican II. . . . . . . . . . 10 for Lent is a powerful Rite of Christian Initiation . . . .11 experience. Fasting would Lenten Season & Liturgy. . . . .12 Parish Information. . . . . . . . . . 15 entail eating less than normal, or fasting from the
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SAVE THE

Lent fasting & abstinence

Fasting and abstinence promote self-discipline and support prayer. Often associated together, fasting and abstinence are two different Church disciplines. Fasting refers to the quantity of food consumed on a particular day. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, healthy adult Catholics, ages 18-59, are required to fast, limiting food to one full meal with minimal food eaten at the other two meal times and nothing in between. Abstinence refers to the kind of food one denies oneself, such as meat. During Lent, healthy Catholics age 14 and older are required to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday of the season.

WEEK!
HOLY WEEK Palm Sunday March 24 Easter Sunday March 30

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NEWSLETTER

2013

For Christians there is a challenge in how we approach the subject of sin. Ash Wednesday and Lent provide great insight for a healthy approach to dealing with sin. We need to start off understanding that our faith teaches us we are created as good. God is pleased with who we are. The mystery of God becoming man through Jesus has made humanity holy. Gods love for every person is never earned or conditional, but given freely. Sin is denying the truth of who we are and choosing to be less than fully human. When we come to see the sin in our lives, we can ask for Gods help in dealing with the consequences of our sinful acts. God never stops loving us; God does not punish us; God only offers mercy and forgiveness to help us be the good humans we have been created to be. In scriptures we learn to approach sin in this way: a) name the sin, meaning it needs to be identified and seen: b) call it out, meaning admit to what it is by being truthful and calling it a sin: c) lament, express sorrow and give penance through good acts that help us correct our lives. This process is a life long journey done over and over. There should be no discouragement in continuing to do the same sin over and over. Gods grace is what helps us, not just our own self will. As long as we keep desiring Gods grace all throughout our lives, God will see us through.

So how does one identify sin in their lives? Here are some items to help us focus on what needs to be examined during the Lent/Easter season: Do I trust God? Do I judge others harshly, thinking only the worst in others? Do I think I am always right in ways that shut others down? What earthly things do I place above my relationship with God? What needs to change to make sure I love myself? Who do I need to forgive? Am I carrying anything that does not allow me to forgive myself? What needs to change in my relationship with my spouse, family member, co-worker, or neighbor? What sin that I see in the world do I conform to? Do I blindly participate in such acts? Do I remain silent? Do I love God? Are my daily acts self-centered? Is my first concern only about my needs and with no concern of how others may struggle? Is my love of wealth/greed, power, lust or security consuming me in ways that is not making room for God in my life? Hopefully this guide to examine our lives will help us go deeper, more than just confessing the symptoms of daily life, but to get at the root of what keeps us from being fully human which God sees as good. (Please refer to page 5 for reconciliation opportunities.)

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The word Lent is not found in the Bible, but as of the 4th century, the liturgical season of Lent, which prepares believers, both as individuals and as a faith community, for Holy Week and the commemoration and celebration of Jesus passion, death, and resurrection, has revealed unmistakable roots in the Sacred Scriptures. Lent is made up of 40 days, which do not include the Sundays following Ash Wednesday through Palm Sunday. In both the Hebrew and the Christian Scriptures, the number 40 holds high significance: in Genesis, chapter 7, the Great Flood, destined to eliminate all evil from the earth, is caused by incessant rain for 40 days; Numbers, 14:32-35 claims that following their escape from Egypt, the Hebrews under Moses leadership wander in the desert of Sinai for 40 years until the generation which left Egypt dies due to their unfaithfulness; Deuteronomy, chapters 9 and 10, teach that on both occasions when God was writing the ten commandments on stone tablets, Moses remained on the mountain for 40 days and nights, neither eating bread nor drinking water. In the Christian Scriptures, as related in Mark, chapter 1, in Matthew, chapter 4, in Luke, chapter 4, Jesus, immediately after his baptism in the Jordan river, went into the desert for 40 days and while fasting confronted and rejected Satans temptations. As Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:1-18, true penance is to be expressed in fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Clearly, Lent is not primarily a period of self-deprivation from pleasurable foods, beverages, or other enjoyable practices. Again, as individuals and as a parish community, reducing the amount of food we consume encourages us willingly to discipline our hunger while restricting our dietary habits. More frequent prayer and more focused on our need for forgiveness and redemption is the second prescription. Almsgiving invites us as disciples of Jesus to develop a preferential option for the poor, assisting those who have less than they deserve. Lent urges us to embrace the grace of conversion, to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel, as recommended in Mark 1:15. It also reminds us that

conversion includes affirming the vital choices that God places before us, as found in Deuteronomy 30:19 and 20, I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life That Lent opens with the imposition of ashes on the Wednesday following Mardi Gras traces its origins to several Hebrew Scripture texts, among them Jonah 3:5-9, where sitting in ashes is joined to fasting and wearing sackcloth as expressions of repentance for evil-doing and as a prayer for Gods mercy. In the Christian Scriptures, Matthew 11:20 and 21 quotes Jesus condemning cities which have turned away from his teaching and ignored the signs he performed in their midst, if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. While many Christians continue to receive ashes on their foreheads at the beginning of Lent, far fewer follow through with the prescription of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Might this be, at least in part, because we view receiving the ashes as an individuals choice while neglecting to understand that, as in all matters liturgical, it is also the faith community, - as a community, - which is called to embrace the penitential meaning of the forty days as an invitation to conversion. The full and correct meaning of Lent requires a wholehearted acceptance of the biblically inspired characteristics of a period of repentance and conversion so that our celebration with the Risen Christ finds us renewed in heart and soul and blessed with the pledge of Life Eternal.

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NEWSLETTER

2013

T R

he Lenten season is a journey of conversion, of spiritual growth, a new way of life living as Christian Disciples in Mission. What does that call you to? Lets reflect on the 5 pillars Liturgy, Stewardship , Social Justice, Hospitality and Formation. Of course, my focus will be on the pillar of social justice on effecting change for the working poor. How you ask? Walk with both feet two feet of love in action Justice and Charity. emember the Giving Tree ? ? ? One question read, What can I do to influence change for the working poor who cannot afford housing? Wow, that question seems complex and complicated, but it doesnt have to be. Just walk with the two feet of love. How? Listen to the working poor; hear their stories so that we may understand their issues. Be informed. Did you know the median price in Greater Phoenix (December, 2011) for an existing single family home is $125,000? The necessary income to buy an existing home is approximately $60,000 a year. In 2010, 14% of all households in Arizona earned below $15,000. It takes an average hourly wage of at least $30.66 to afford an existing home or an hourly wage of $15 to rent. The median hourly wage is $9. (AZ Dept. of Housing) Learn who is involved and working on the issue. Did you know that St. Patrick Habitat for Humanity Ministry has provided affordable housing in Maricopa County for 15 years? Yes effectively changing lives for over 28 families-135 individuals. With our help, Habitat families are provided affordable housing - a 0% interest mortgage with an average payment of $400-500/month. In return, Habitat families must put in sweat equity (400 hours of labor) on the construction of their home and others homes.

As a Christian Disciple in and serve. St. Patrick Habitat for Mission pray Humanity Ministry needs ministers to help with construction, provide lunch for the workers and to pray for the families and the ministry. Lenten Habitat for Humanity Banks. Give so that we may continue to provide affordable housing in our community. Use the Lenten Calendar to focus your thoughts, prayers and actions for decent, affordable housing. The calendar reminds us to be grateful for the gifts God has provided us. (Plus it is a great dinner topic at the family dinner table!) We can effect change for the working poorby walking with both feet, by praying, serving and giving . . . by being a Christian Disciple in Mission. Get involved! Live lent all year!

et involved.

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good things we love to eat. As Catholics we are asked not to have meat on Fridays as a reminder of our call to die to sin. We may fast from television, social technology instruments, things that consume us, bad habits, while we reflect on how fasting from such things might help us live differently at Easter time. Season of AlmsgivingWe remember others in their poverty and suffering. As a family, put money aside as an offering to a cause that helps the needy; bring food for the poor each Sunday to Mass and place it in the bins at the entrance of the church; reach out to neighbors, coworkers and others who could use your help/support; use your parish mailed Habitat for Humanity bank to place loose change inside to help build a house for a family; work for justice by witnessing people not as charity cases but as brothers and sisters on our own level; lessen anothers burden by placing the needs of others before your own needs; and be open to understanding your own blindness to the suffering around us.

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NEWSLETTER

2013

uring Lent, we will see a change in the music we sing and hear. We have in the past always changed the mood and tone with the music we select and pray together. We often do this with music that is simpler and more repetitive. We also do this by using less instrumentation and unique instruments. For instance we have an oboe join us on Passion Sunday and throughout Holy Week. Also we sometimes enter or go forth with an instrumental piece, allowing us to be touched by the beauty of the music and using that time to reflect on what the Lord is calling us to do in this celebration or as we go forth. We sing the penitential act, which is the new term the Church uses for what we have called the penitential rite. Often we sing a chant like response as we sing the Lord have mercy and sometimes we sing the ancient Greek text, Kyrie eleison. The Church asks us to omit the singing of the Gloria, until we celebrate Jesus resurrection on Easter. We also are asked to not sing our Alleluias and kind of fast from using this Easter phrase till we shout it loud in our Easter celebrations. We replace the Alleluia with a Gospel Acclamation. There are eight choices available, although we usually only use a few. This year we will use Glory to you, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ! which is the response we used last year. We also will chant the Our Father and sing the Agnus Dei in Latin for the Lamb of God. Why all the changes??? Well, whenever we want to highlight the change of season we do it by using music, environment, color, silence, and texts to show that this is a more reflective time and more penitential, as we prepare to celebrate the great feast of Easter. Looking forward to hearing you sing this Lent!

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n Ash Wednesday we proclaim Jesus teachings on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as found in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthews Gospel. For fasting Jesus says: When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you. (Matt: 6:16-18.) For over 2,000 years the Church has recognized the great spiritual value of fasting not just from food but from those actions and thoughts that keep us from living a vibrant life as Christian Disciples in Mission. The Churchs guidelines on fasting and abstinence are listed on page one. Pope Benedict XVI reflects on fast and abstinence in these words: Denying material food, which nourishes our body, nurtures an interior disposition to listen to Christ and be fed by His saving Word. Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God. The key today for fasting is to see it first and foremost as Gods initiative. The greatest commandment, Jesus said, is to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, and with all your strength. Thats the fundamental rationale we need to consider for fasting: to place God more at the center of our lives, to better focus our consciousness upon God with the whole of our being in prayer that engages our body, mind and spirit. If fasting helps us to respond to the greatest commandment there is, can we afford to confine it to just a certain season? Fasting is not just for Ash Wednesday or Good Friday, or even the whole of Lent. It is for Christian life! Fasting that is pleasing to God and not merely an exercise of vanity or mere physical improvement is accompanied by a spirit of humility, repentance, and true sincerity of heart. Fundamentally, fasting represents offering oneself to God in a spirit of openness, readiness, and obedience, inviting the action of the Holy Spirit. It is the inner-working of the Spirit that can guide us through fasting not just from food but from those thoughts and actions that keep us from our truest self as we live our life of discipleship. May each of us this Lenten Season come to understand and live the deeper meaning of fasting in our life and so be renewed to celebrate more fully the great Paschal Mystery of our faith this coming Holy Week. Here is a prayer for use during Lent: All praise be yours, God our Creator, as we wait in joyful hope for the full flowering of justice and the fullness of peace. All praise for this day. By our fasting and prayer cast out the spirit of violence, greed, fear and mistrust, and make us grow hungry for human kindness, thirsty for justice and solidarity with all the peoples of your earth. May our prayer, our fasting and our deeds, done in the name of Jesus, give you glory and advance your reign in our hearts and in our world.

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NEWSLETTER

2013

n my family, as probably with yours, there is a rhythm of life. Birthdays and anniversaries are celebrated; holidays mark different seasons; and there may be vacations and special events. For us, an annual family trip to the coast is always something we look forward to. This was the best trip ever or what is one more birthday? are some of the echoes heard throughout the years.

There is a rhythm to our Catholic family as well; it brings with it a sense of tradition, stability and comfort. Just as in our families, we have all heard similar echoes to these: that was the best Christmas ever! or Is it time for Lent again? How does one move with the rhythm of life in a way that transforms us even if it is same ole, same ole? Prayer, fasting, almsgiving, the three marks of Lent, can bring us to a deeper understanding of Gods unconditional love each year or can leave us empty and waiting for Lent again next year. Almsgiving is prayer and involves fasting. It is prayer because it is giving to God and not merely philanthropy. It is a form of fasting because it demands sacrifice not just giving up something, but giving until it hurts. Almsgiving, which is sometimes the most neglected of the three marks, is an act of social justice. Any material favor done to assist the needy, and prompted by charity, is almsgiving (re: Catholic Encyclopedia). It is evident, then, that almsgiving implies much more than the transmission of some temporal commodity to the poor. In our temporal world, every material deed done to benefit another is almsgiving. According to Catholic tradition, almsgiving implies a material service rendered to the poor for Christs sake. On the surface there is scarcely any difference between these two views. The Psalmist says: Blessed is he that considers the needy and the poor (Psalm 41:2) not that he gives to the needy and the poor. From our faith perspective, they are essentially different. In his 2008 Message for Lent, Pope Benedict XVI challenges us to consider almsgiving with a more profound gaze that transcends the purely material dimension. We have an innate almost primal need to give back to God, whom we meet in our neighbor once we have experienced Gods unconditional love for us. I witness that in many of us at St. Patrick Community whether it is through our actions of discipleship, stewardship or social justice. As God gave Himself entirely to us, so we give ourselves entirely to Him. In the Eucharist, He holds nothing back. He gives us His body, blood, soul and divinity everything He has. That is the almsgiving we need to imitate this Lent. As we reflect on the Ash Wed Gospel from Matthew, let us be mindful it says WHEN you give alms not IF May our almsgiving be more than a donation may it transform us from same ole, same ole to a deeper union with God and each other.

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As we are entering into another season of Lent, we automatically look for the usual what are we going to give up this year? If youre looking for something different this year, I might have something for you. Its been hitting me for weeks, so I thought I should consider it. We need to find time to be quiet. And pray. Our world is full of distractions; cell phones, smart phones, iPods, iPads, computers, TV, you name it. There are even speakers playing music or ads at the gas pump! Its hard for us to get away from distractions, sound and noise. With all this distraction and noise its hard to hear God. In my house and in our car we turn down the music or tell the kids to put away the ear buds so we can talk. I wonder how many times God has asked me to put away the thing or the stuff so he can talk with me? Instead of giving something up this Lent, lets make a commitment to find a quiet spot and pray, to find a quiet place AND LISTEN. We know God wants us to know Him and to love Him. We feel the same way about our kids or our loved ones. Its hard if no one is listening, including us. This Lent make it a

habit to find time and pray.

Solitary prayer was a habit for Jesus. Many times we see in

Scripture where Jesus goes off by himself to pray to his Father. He goes to a quiet spot, to the Mount of Olives and to other deserted places to pray. Im not saying we need to head out toward the McDowell Mountains or Pinnacle Peak, but to find a quiet spot at home, in the car or at church. Prayer for Jesus was not some activity he did when he had the time; prayer was at the center of his life. Jesus prayed because he needed to pray. If Jesus needed prayer, why do we think that we can get along without it? We need to treat prayer as a first priority not as a last resort. The problem for many of us is that weve tried it and it didnt take. It didnt stick. It didnt work. Some of us dont know how to pray. Weve tried reading the bible, saying a Rosary, reciting prayers, etc., etc., and we get lost or bored. This Lent, lets just take it SLOW. Take your prayer time little-by-little. Find your quiet place, find a time each day or every other day for the first week or two of Lent, and pray for just a minute or two. Then, as Lent goes on, increase the time you pray each day littleby-little. Shoot for your quiet, prayer time to be 5 minutesjust YOU AND GOD. Have a conversation. Begin by thanking Him for all your blessings. Talk about the times when things went great and not-so-great over the past day. Ask God for

forgiveness and peace. Take a few moments and just LISTEN. Be quiet and just listen. Pray for people who need Gods healing and blessing that day. Finally, end with an Our Father. It could be just that simple. Matthew Kelly, Catholic speaker and author, has a book called The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic. In it he talks about the 4 things that dynamic Catholics, people he has met over the years at parishes and events he attends, and even the holy men and women who have walked this earth before us, (like Mother Theresa, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Therese of Lisieux, Pope John Paul II) have in common. The number one thing they all have in common is a daily habit of PRAYER. God wants to transform us and the way we live. If we can take incremental steps, small baby-steps, to spend just a little more time with Him, it just might happen. Seeing how we are Christian Disciples in Mission and that Stewardship is one of the 5 pillars of that mission, and that as disciples we are called to praying, serving and giving, it seems to me that for Lent, we should focus on #1, Praying. So this Lent, lets take these little stepstogetherone day at a time for 40 days and see what God does with us and for us, and for our parish. It just might workat least for me, but I think for all of us too.

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RITE

NEWSLETTER

2013

s Christians enter the liturgical season of Lent, the center of our focus is on prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Catholics however, must not overlook the reality that there is a unique group of people entering the final stages of preparation for the Easter sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. This process is called the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (often known as the RCIA). These adults and children in the RCIA, consist of Catechumens (those being baptized) and Candidates (those baptized in another Christian tradition who will make a profession of faith in the Catholic Church). These folks are approaching the final days and rites of their process. Like all of us, they are not at the end of their journey but on a continuing path of conversion. Having initially been called by God, they have spent time forming an intimate knowledge of and enhancing their relationship with Jesus Christ. Growing in understanding, love and dedication to His teachings, they are entering the Lenten phase of their process. On February 17, the catechumens will stand before the community and inscribe their names in the Book of the Elect. The Lenten season leading to the Easter Vigil will be spent in a period of Purification and Enlightenment. Using sacred scriptures as their source material they will be called to open their hearts, minds and whole being to the words and actions of our Savior. They will be called to die with Jesus in the waters of Baptism and through a new faith filled trust they will rise with him in the glorious joy of Easter Sunday. Part of the period of Purification and Enlightenment is given over to three scrutinies. Following intense personal discernment each catechumen chooses to proceed to this step in the process. The scrutinies take place on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays during Lent. These rites are solemnly celebrated and reinforced by prayers of exorcism so that the catechumens as well as the entire assembly may be freed from the effects of sin and the negative influence of our secular and overly materialistic world. Each scrutiny is a rite for self-searching and repentance encompassing above all a deep spiritual purpose. Scrutinies are meant to uncover and heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect; to bring out and then strengthen all that is upright, strong and good. In a similar way, faithful Catholics examine their conscience, change their hearts through prayer and meditation, and choose to receive sacramental forgiveness through the Rite of Reconciliation.

Soon to be Elect of God

Lent is the season for two beautiful RCIA presentations. The first presentation to the elect is the presentation of the Creed. In the early church, known as The Way, when persecution of Christians abounded, adults who desired to join, were not given the Apostles Creed until YEARS of preparation were complete. Today the elect receive the Creed after the first scrutiny as a final means of learning about the faith to which they will claim allegiance. The second presentation to the elect is the presentation of the Lords Prayer. From antiquity, the Lords Prayer has been the prayer proper to those who in baptism have received the spirit of adoption. When our elect take part in their first complete celebration of the Eucharist, they will join the rest of the faithful in saying the prayer that Jesus taught. Our Elect of God request this Lent that each of you from the community of St. Patrick please hold them in prayer as they proceed through this important season of our church year and of their lives.

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People often think that the Second Vatican Council changed the rules for fasting and abstinence during Lent, but that is not really the case. It is true that by the close of the Council the rules had changed for Lent but, oddly enough, the revision of those rules did not come from the Council itself. They came from a directive from Pope Paul VI, in a document entitled Paenitemini, which coincided with the end of Vatican II but was separate from it. The language of the document, however, makes it very clear that Paenitemini was inspired by the vision of Vatican II. Some of the Holy Fathers most interesting observations, all based directly on the Council Vatican II document Lumen Gentium, are:

Internal renewal or metanoialiterally, a change of heartis an essential element of Lenten practice, but so are external acts. In inviting everyone to accompany the inner conversion of the spirit with the voluntary exercise of external acts of penitence," Paul VI, rather than relieving the faithful of the requirement to do penance through fasting and abstinence, in fact called them to do other forms of penance as well. The Holy Fathers references to Lumen Gentium make it clear that he expects such acts to contribute to the Churchs mission to bring good news to the poor. . . to heal the contrite of heart . . . to seek and save what was lost . . . to encompass with love all those who are afflicted by human misery . . . and to do all in [our] power to relieve their need. The triple acts of prayer, fasting and charitytraditional to the Churchs practice of penitenceshould be strongly witnessed during Lent. Interestingly, Paul VI suggests a guideline for who should focus on which element: Countries of economic well-being should practice asceticism (renouncing material comforts and practicing self-denial) and charity toward those who suffer poverty and hunger. In countries where the standard of living is lower, he urges the offering of their suffering in prayer to God. Another very valuable exercise of Lenten penitence is the persevering faithfulness to the duties of ones state in life, the acceptance of the difficulties arising from ones work and from human coexistence, and the patient bearing of the trials of earthly life and of the utter insecurity which pervades it. The Holy Father here points to the essential spirit of the Council which affirmed the goodness, the innate holiness, of ordinary, everyday human beings going about their life and labor.

With respect to customs of fast and abstinence, Paul VI modified the requirements:

Where previously all the faithful were to fast for all 40 days of Lent (which meant only one meal, though "a small amount of food" could be taken "in the morning and in the evening"), now those days are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, for those 21-60 years old. Abstinence (no meat; eggs and milk and condiments made of meat are permitted) is to be observed every Friday in the year in addition to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. However, local conferences of bishops are encouraged to establish their own norms for Lent, to correspond with local realities and conditions. In the United States, the USCCB allows the substitution of some other form of penance for abstinence on all of the Fridays of the year, except for those Fridays in Lent.

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NEWSLETTER

2013

Lent originates from the word, lencten, which is an AngloSaxon word for spring. The season of Lent is linked with the progression of light from winter to spring. Lencten illustrates the steady growth from dark to light in a day, which takes place after the winter solstice. In the early church, Pascha, from the Hebrew pesach, which means passing by or through, was celebrated as one feast. The early church did not recall the life, death, and resurrection of Christ as separate and distinct actions, but they remembered it in one observance. Closely associated with LentTriduum-Easter is the Jewish feast of Passover. It commemorates the liberation of Israel from the oppression of Egypt, when the angel of death slaughtered the firstborn of Egyptian families, but passed over the homes and firstborn of the Jewish people. Jesus death and resurrection took place during the ritual of Passover when Christ passed through suffering and death on the cross to newness of life in the resurrection. Christians share in eternal life with Jesus because of Christs great act of love and devotion to the Father and his people. The initial origins of Lent began with the early Christians in the second century. The early church would fast for two days in preparation for Easter. By the third century Christians were absenting from food and drink for all of what today we call Holy Week.

The use of ashes on a persons brow to begin the Lenten season has its roots among the Jewish people who wore sackcloth and ashes (Jeremiah 6:26, Matthew 11:21) as a penitential discipline. In approximately 300 A.D. sinners who were guilty of adultery, apostasy, heresy, and murder, were for the time being excommunicated from the church and marked with ashes, required to do penance before they were readmitted to the church community. At this time there was no prescribed Ash Wednesday ceremony. It was not until the 4th century that a separate and extended period of time developed into what we today call Lent. The season of Lent arose when three observances intersected. The first observance was that the two-day Easter preparation fast progressively grew into a 40-day adherence. Secondly, the initiation process progressively transitioned into an extensive catechumenate with a concentrated phase of spiritual development that led to the Easter sacraments. In the year 313, the emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, and because of Constantines conversion the Romans no longer persecuted Christians. A public catechumenate (from the Greek word katechein which means to proclaim or to teach) developed and adults, who accepted Jesus as the Messiah, were welcomed into the church. The third event was the order of penitents. This was a

process of conversion for those who were already members of the church, but had fallen into grave sin after receiving the Sacrament of Baptism. Modeled on the initiation process for those seeking baptism, the order of penitents reached its climax with reconciliation prior to Easter. Since fasting, baptism, and penitential practices were joined together, Lent began to take on a solemn and serious tone. With an emphasis on personal sin, the liturgy adopted a penitential theme incorporating violet as the liturgical color for Lent. No longer was the Gloria nor the Alleluia to be sung, and in some churches a ceremony was held to remove the Alleluia for the season of Lent. Incorporated into Good Friday services, the ritual of venerating the cross developed late in the fourth century in Jerusalem. The veneration of the cross became a yearly custom for Christians to honor, revere, and kiss the cross. In the eighth century the veneration of the cross was formally integrated into the liturgy. In the fifth century the Sacred Triduum (from the Latin meaning three days) was gradually developed and was based on historical events of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. The early church did not celebrate Holy Week, but remembered the Paschal Mystery of Jesus in the framework of one day, which was the vigil of Easter. It was only during the fifth century that

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Christs life, death, and resurrection was distinguished and separated into three different days. Those three days are Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil/Easter. The ritual of Ash Wednesday expanded in seventh century with sinners being placed in the order of penitents. The sinner would first confess their sins in private to the bishop; then receive the laying on of hands, and then the imposition of ashes. As a reminder of Adam and Eves banishment from the Garden of Eden, the sinner was banished and forced to live separately from the church community during Lent. The penitents dressed in sackcloth and ashes, and were obliged to do penances for their sins. A serious problem was developing in the church in the Middle Ages, Catholic were receiving the Eucharist with less frequency. Parishioners believed it was more important to view the Eucharist then to consume it. This was caused by an overstated personal sense of sinfulness and shamefulness on the part of Catholics. The church decreed in the year 1215 at the First Lateran Council that the faithful must receive communion at least once a year. This pronouncement eventually came to be called Easter Duty. During the Middle Ages, because Lent was being viewed more and more as a penitential season, with a focus on personal sin and spiritual self-discipline. Abstaining from food and drink,

and fasting went from an intentional and voluntary observance to a regulation by the church that was considered rigorous and strict. At this time the catechumenate and the order of penitents were progressively abandoned. Lent was becoming more a time for private and inward devotion, rather on the focus of the communitys need for communal conversion. Lent was still seen as a period of time in preparation for Easter, but the focal point was no longer of the initiation sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. What was viewed as important was the individuals spiritual cleansing of personal sinfulness through the Lenten activities of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. With the authority of the Council of Trent (1545 to 1563) and the influence of the Middle Ages the paschal season remained primarily unchanged for hundreds of years. It was not until the Second Vatican Council that the Catholic Church sought to go back to the practice of the early church. The document, The Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy from Vatican II stated:

word more frequently and devote more time to prayer. a. More use is to be made of the baptismal features which are proper to the Lenten liturgy. Some of them which were part of an earlier tradition are to be restored where opportune. b. The same may be said of the penitential elements. But catechesis, as well as pointing out the social consequences of sin, must impress on the minds of the faithful the distinctive character of penance as a detestation of sin because it is an offense against God. The role of the Church in penitential practices is not to be passed over, and the need to pray for sinners should be emphasized. During Lent, penance should be not only internal and individual, but also external and social. The practice of penance should be encouraged in ways suited to the present day, to different regions, and to individual circumstances (109-110).
The Catholic Church revitalized the catechumenate for adults when it published The Rite of Christian Institution (RCIA) in 1972. Included in the rites during the Sunday liturgy in Lent are: the rite of election, the scrutinies, the presentations of the creed and the Lords Prayer.

The two elements which are especially characteristic of Lent the recalling of baptism or the preparation for it, and penance should be given greater emphasis in the liturgy and in liturgical catechesis. It is by means of them that the Church prepares the faithful for the celebration of Easter, while they hear Gods

Excerpted from What Every Catholic Needs to Know About Lent, Triduum & Easter by Kevin McGloin. Resources Publications.

A S H W E D N E S DAY / L E N T

NEWSLETTER

2013

I was watching the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade one Saturday afternoon, about the quest for the Holy Grail, which is the chalice Jesus supposedly used at the Last Supper. As the movie was coming to its climactic ending where Indiana (Indy to his friends!) had to pass three tests to get to the Holy Grail, I was moved to recognize in those tests how we can come to know Jesus. Lets go on the quest with Indie and see if we cant follow in his footsteps to a closer relationship with Jesus this Lenten season.

Clue to Test #1: A Penitent Man Shall Pass. As Indy makes his way into a cave to face the first task,
he knows that those before him have literally lost their heads to this task. As he is moving closer to the opening, repeating a penitent man a breeze blows over him (the Spirit of understanding) and he realizes that a penitent man is a man seeking forgiveness and would bow before the one from whom he seeks this forgiveness. He bows and keeps his head in-tact as a large blade swings past where his head was just sitting. In Psalm 51:19 we are told that the sacrifice our God wants is a softened and contrite heart, this God will not scorn. When we come to God this season, will we humbly bring who we truly are to God warts and all to do with what He will? For this heart he will not scorn.

Clue to Test #2: Through the footsteps of God, you will proceed.
Indy has made it to the second test and he now needs to follow in the Footsteps of God so that he can proceed. Gods footsteps are found in His Word. And so we wont stumble, He tells us that (His) Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, (Psalm 119:105). He will always show us the right way. How much time do we spend reading Gods Word? You know, theres an app for that!

Clue to Test #3: Only in the leap from the lions head will he prove
his worth. Indy has found the right path and is now faced with a chasm that looks to the eye impossible to cross. This will require both a spiritual and physical leap of faith. How often are we faced with chasms that look insurmountable loss of employment, death of a loved one, debilitating illness? With Faith must come Trust. Do we trust that God has a plan already in place in spite of how the eye perceives it? For Indy, it was a bridge that, when the eyes perspective was changed, had been there all along. Do we trust that God has a bridge for us, too? And like Indy, will we step out in faith on to it? We have reached the Grail! But the tests arent over yet. Indy enters a room full of chalices of all shapes, sizes and materials, and is challenged to find the one that he thinks Jesus would have used. His opponent did not choose wisely and dies because he did not know Christ. Indy, who has now travelled the path with Him and has come to know Him, makes the wise choice and lives. Do we know Jesus well enough to know which cup he would use? The journey to know Christ is a simple one. Seek Him. Proceed with a humble heart; consult his Word for a better understanding. Then leap into His arms, trusting He will always be there to catch us, and be ready for the journey of a lifetime!

Do not fear: I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10

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A S H W E D N E S DAY / L E N T

NEWSLETTER

2013