Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at the Celebration of the Lord's Supper. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter.
Upcoming Lenten Events and Opportunities:
Expand all | Collapse all
What: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Eucharistic Adoration, Music, Confessions, and Solemn Benediction, followed by social with free food.
When: Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. (March 6, March 20 & April 3)
Where: Chapel of the Holy Family
What: Taizé Prayer is filled with song, scripture and silent meditation. Those who attend regularly find a profound peace and tranquility in this style of prayer.
When: March 24 at 7 p.m.
Where: St. Joan of Arc Chapel
Stations of the Cross at Gesu Parish
What: Pray through the fourteen stations as one commemorates Jesus's passion and death on the cross.
When: Fridays of Lent (3/7, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28, 4/4 & 4/11) after the 12:05 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Masses
Where: Gesu Parish (Lower Church)
Lenten Disciplines
Lent is like a pre-Easter retreat in which we do special things that keep us focused and prepare us to walk with Jesus through his passion, death, and resurrection. Christians traditionally observe Lent with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These disciplines are in no way meant to be an indulgence in masochism or self-punishment or self-improvement. They are meant to lead us back to the grace we received in Baptism.
Expand all | Collapse all
How can I pray more? Try taking more time for quiet. Stop in at the Chapel of the Holy Family, or the Eucharistic Chapel in the AMU, or St. Joan of Arc to be quiet with the Lord. Do some "spiritual reading." The Memorial Library has a good selection of books on the lives of the saints, prayer styles, and reflection. Campus Ministry also has a small lending library. Just stop in AMU 236 and ask at the front desk if you can see the selection and check out a book or two.
Why should I fast? Fasting is a discipline Christians use - just as Jesus did - to lead us back to the fervor of our baptism when we put on Christ and vowed to follow Him. Our fasting reminds us to be more Christ-like in our everyday lives. “By denying ourselves food at certain times, we recall the reality of hunger, the needs of the poor, and our citizenship in the heavenly kingdom by moving ourselves away from an unhealthy focus on material goods and their consumption and intentionally changing our body’s focus.” (Blaha, Lenten Disciplines)
What are the Church Laws on fasting and abstinence during Lent?
- Catholics who have celebrated their 14th birthday are bound to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and each Friday of Lent.
- Catholics who have celebrated their 18th birthday, in addition to abstaining from meat, should fast (i.e., eat only one full meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday). Smaller quantities of food may be taken at two other meals but no other food should be consumed at other times during those two days. Catholics should not lightly excuse themselves from these prescribed minimal penitential practices.
Why should I give alms? Almsgiving helps us to focus on someone else's needs instead of our own. Lent is not a personal spiritual workout; it is a communal experience of renewal and a recommitment to our Catholic beliefs and mission.
“Giving “alms” is more than simply giving money; it is a matter of heart-felt concern for those in genuine need. The Bible speaks of almsgiving as a God-given duty, which must be carried out freely and joyfully, but also with a sense of responsibility. We need to distinguish the truly poor from the various forms of begging which do not help them. Jesus himself encourages a quiet and sincere concern for others who need our help, but warns against acts of charity performed to gain the approval of others. In our efforts to be merciful, let us take to heart his words: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).” Pope Francis on Mercy and Almsgiving at Jubilee Audience, 2016.
What is Lent?
Lent comes from an Old English word meaning “springtime”. In preparation for the new life of Easter, which Catholic Christians experience through baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist, those preparing to celebrate these sacraments, or mysteries, spend 40 days praying, fasting, and giving alms. As a sign of solidarity with these catechumens and candidates, fully initiated Catholics enter into a special period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – using this time to reflect upon their own baptismal calling. Essentially, Catholic Christians attempt to discern how they have been living as disciples of Christ. Thus, Lent takes on a penitential character, which stems from our shared realization that we are sinners and do not always act as images of Christ.
The sacrament of reconciliation or confession takes on a prominent role within the Lenten season. Reconciliation provides many Catholics with an opportunity to ask forgiveness for deliberate, freely chosen actions that have damaged relationship with others – with God, brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow human beings, and nature. This is also an opportunity to renew and recommit ourselves to our baptismal calling. Through the waters of baptism, we become members of the Body of Christ. In the sacrament of reconciliation, we celebrate our commitment to this baptismal gift.
Lenten Resources
10 things to remember during Lent
Pope Francis Message for Lent 2024
Laudato Si' Lent
Season of Lent
Lent Calendar
