2010 Special
Lent Edition

Growing in FAITH

    Discovering hope and joy in the Catholic Faith.

One Minute Meditations
Not the old life
When Jesus rose from the dead, he didn't just resume his old life; he was given a new and glorious life. That is what awaits all those who follow him.

Ashes to ashes ...
To ancient jews, wearing sackcloth and sitting in ashes showed repentance and humility and acted as a penance. Today wearing the ashes of Ash Wednesday is meant to show our repentance but also acts as a witness of our faith. Take the opportunity to explain the practice when others ask why you wear the ashes.

A prayer for Lent
I"God of all mercy and steadfast love, we do not always live the way you want us to. Forgive us. Help us during the season of Lent to examine how we can be more faithful followers of Jesus Christ, your son. Guide us in our pilgrimage of discipleship. May our words and actions truly reflect your will for us. Amen."

The Essential Catholic
Prayer Book, Liguori
Publications.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Make the journey back to God during Lent
Why do we begin the holy season of Lent with ashes on our foreheads - a sign of repentance? Throughout the year we may have turned from God in many small ways and perhaps significant ones too. While God respects the freedom he has given us as his children, he urges us to come back to him to reconcile. Our wise Father knows that it's the only way we can be truly happy.
The Church has identified three tools we can use to make our Lenten journey back to God more effective: prayer, fasting and almgiving. These tools will help us to clear the static in our connection to God and help us to take our places as his true children.

Prayer
"... When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you" (Matthew 6: 5-6)

Shine the light. When you string lights or light Advent candles, let them be a reminder to you throughout the Advent and Christmas season to share the light of your faith with others through you words and action.

Conversational prayer
All relationships need nurturing - even our relationship with God. It is in prayer that we can confide our deepest desires, hurts, needs. It is in prayer that we discern God's voice. Especially during Lent, make time every day to talk to God and grow in love with him. Remember, he finds everything about you interesting.

Community prayer.
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). Praying in a group not only brings God into your circle, it also makes members aware of the needs and concerns of others who may be outside the circle.

The Rosary prayer. 
The Rosary is a time-honored way to pray to Jesus and his mother. This year why not make the Rosary your Lenten prayer? If time is limited, do a decade at a time and watch them add up by the end of the day. Consider offering a special Rosary in honor of the Year for Priests. Go to the U.S. Conference of Catholics Bishops website for more details: http://www.usccb.org/yearforpriests/prayers.shtml.

The Stations of the Cross prayers. 
Walking the Stations of the Cross is a powerful way to pray during Lent. If your parish doesn't offer a Stations of the Cross prayer service as a community, take a few moments each week to stop and meditate at each of the Stations displayed in your church. Reflect on Jesus' journey from judgement to burial.

Private Eucharistic prayer
Praying before the Eucharistic is one of the most sacred places to pray. Consider arriving for Mass early to spend extra time in prayer before the tabernacle.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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