Download - Lent and Easter. Click Title Overview What is Lent? Length of the Season Renewal of Baptismal Promises Ash Wednesday Penance Three Pillars of Lent Traditions

Lent and EasterLent and Easter

Click TitleClick TitleOverviewOverview• What is Lent?

• Length of the Season

• Renewal of Baptismal Promises

• Ash Wednesday

• Penance

• Three Pillars of Lent

• Traditions of Lent

• Holy Triduum

• Easter Season

Click TitleClick Title

What is Lent?

Click TitleClick TitleWhat is Lent?What is Lent?

• Lent is one of the 5 seasons in the liturgical year

• The word “lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word from springtime, lencten

– Spring is a time of change and renewal – “new birth”

– Lent is a time for spiritual growth


How long is the season of Lent?


• The season of Lent is 40 days - a time of purification and preparation

– It took 40 years for Israel to enter the promised Land

– It took 40 days and 40 nights for the earth to be purified from sin in the story of the flood

– Jesus prayed 40 days and 40 nights to prepare for his ministry

How long is the season of Lent?How long is the season of Lent?


• Sundays not counted during Lent– Sunday is the day of the “resurrection”

• For Christians Sundays are like mini Easters

How long is the season of Lent?How long is the season of Lent?


• Early on, as part of the process of becoming a Christian, candidates prepared for their rite of initiation through a retreat lasting 40 days– Period became known as “Lent”

– For those already baptized and members of the Church, it was a time to fast, encourage and to pray with the candidates and to renew baptismal promises

• The focus of Lent shifted from Baptism preparation to penance and prayer

Short History of LentShort History of Lent

Click TitleClick Title• Do you reject Satan? I do.

• And all his works? I do.

• And all his empty promises? I do.

• Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth? I do.

• Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father? I do.

• Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting? I do.

• God, the all-powerful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and forgiven all our sins. May he also keep us faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever. I do.

Renewal of Baptismal PromisesRenewal of Baptismal Promises


What is the Color of Lent?


• The color of Lent is purple

• Purple is a symbol of Penance

What is the Color of Lent?What is the Color of Lent?


• The tradition of Mardi Gras (French, “Fat Tuesday”) began as a pre-Lenten day of feasting and carnival

• Foods forbidden by the church’s severe Lenten discipline were the ones needing refrigeration

– Since controlled refrigeration was unheard of until the 19th century, it made sense to eat what would otherwise spoil during the 6 weeks of Lent

Mardi Gras / Fat TuesdayMardi Gras / Fat Tuesday


When does Lent begin?

Click TitleClick TitleWhen does Lent Begin?When does Lent Begin?

• The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday

• This day is called Ash Wednesday because Catholics receive the ashes on their foreheads as an invitation to conversion


• Ancient symbol of repentance

• The mark of the penitent (a person who repents for wrongdoing)

• A public sign that we are about to embark on a conversion of heart

• Symbol that life is fragile

What is the meaning of the Ashes?What is the meaning of the Ashes?


Where do the ashes come from?


• The ashes are made from the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year

• The ashes are christened with Holy Water and are scented by exposure to incense

Where do the Ashes come from?Where do the Ashes come from?


• Lent is about conversion, turning our lives more completely over to Christ and his way of life

– That always involves giving up sin in some form

– Conversion means leaving behind an old way of living and acting in order to embrace new life in Christ

Giving Something Up for LentGiving Something Up for Lent


What is Penance?


• Penance is making amends

– Amends is making up for what we do wrong

• Lent is a time to “clean up the mess” and fix our lives and our relationships with God and neighbor

What is Penance?What is Penance?


Provide some examples of Penance you can do


• By letting go of sinful behavior

• By seeking conversion (interior change)

• By practicing Penance

• By following the teachings of Christ

• By practicing the three pillars of Lent

How do we prepare spiritually for Lent?How do we prepare spiritually for Lent?


What are the three traditional pillars of Lent?


• Prayer

• Fasting

• Almsgiving (charity)

What are the three pillars of Lent?What are the three pillars of Lent?


How is fasting different from dieting?


• Dieting is something we do for health or cosmetic reasons

• Fasting is a spiritual exercise– Fasting is an expression of wholeheartedness

and penance

– Reminds us to have control over our desires

Why is Fasting different from Dieting?Why is Fasting different from Dieting?


How is fasting different from abstinence?

Click TitleClick Title• Fasting

– Traditional form of penance

– Way of purifying the spirit; sacrificing some good to the Lord

– Consists of one’s free choice to limit the kind or quality of food or drink

• Abstinence

– Doing without meat or another food or drink

– Abstinence from meat is mandatory on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays in Lent

Fasting vs. AbstinenceFasting vs. Abstinence


• The U.S. Catholic bishops call for all Catholics 14 years and older to abstain from meat on …

– Ash Wednesday,

– Good Friday and

– Fridays of Lent

• Catholics who are 18 to 59 years old are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting refers to the quantity of food eaten

– Traditionally, fasting calls for refraining from eating between meals and consuming only one full meal per day

Regulations on AbstinenceRegulations on Abstinence


• Devote more time to prayer

• You could pray for the grace to live out our baptismal promises more fully through conversion of heart

PrayerPrayer


How can we improve our prayer during Lent?


• Divide your prayer time in three parts– Morning

– Afternoon

– Evening (night)

• Spend 15 to 20 minutes alone, meditating, talking to God

How can we improve our prayer during Lent?How can we improve our prayer during Lent?


• Become familiar with the life of Jesus by reading the Gospels

• Each day read a different chapter from each of the Gospels

• Try to visualize what is happening

How can we improve our prayer during Lent? How can we improve our prayer during Lent?


What is almsgiving?


• Almsgiving is another word for charity

• Charity is love in action

• Charity is a way to reach out to those who are in need (e.g., collecting food cans for the hungry)

What is Almsgiving?What is Almsgiving?


• Discipleship is a learning to be a disciple

• The word disciple means “student”

• Student is the one who learns from the master

• Discipleship is learning to be like Christ

What is discipleship?What is discipleship?


• Study Christ’s teachings

• Follow Christ’s teachings

• Witness Christ’s teachings in your life and in the world

How do we learn to be like Christ?How do we learn to be like Christ?


• Temptation: Any incitement to sin arising from the world

• God allows us to be tempted (trial) but never beyond our powers to resist

• The trial provides the occasion for moral and spiritual growth

• Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the desert (Mark, Matthew and Luke)

TemptationTemptation


• The temptation for pleasure regardless of the consequences

• The temptation for power

• The temptation for popularity

What are the three universal temptations?What are the three universal temptations?


• The Sacrament of Penance is the liturgical celebration of God's forgiveness of the sins of the penitent

– Conversion from sin, confession of guilt, forgiveness of the wrong done, and reconciliation with Christ and His Church

• You should come to the Sacrament of Penance at least once each year during Lent or Eastertide and as often as necessary when conscious of serious sin

– Anyone conscious of grave sin should not receive Holy Communion before being reconciled to God by sacramental confession and absolution

Sacrament of PenanceSacrament of Penance


• Lent is a season of penitence, reflection, and prayer, worship during this time is solemn and restrained

• Somber atmosphere

– Weddings are normally not scheduled during Lent because they are joyful events

• Penitential practices such as fasting and abstinence

• Devotions centered around the suffering of Jesus

Traditions of LentTraditions of Lent


• Devotion found in the Catholic tradition of piety

• Stations of the Cross is representative of 14 particular events experienced by Jesus as He walked to Calvary

• Every Friday in the Chapel at 6:00 pm

Stations of the CrossStations of the Cross


• The height of the season of Lent is Holy Week

• Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and ends with the Holy Triduum

• Triduum means: three days

– Holy Thursday

– Good Friday

– Holy Saturday

Holy WeekHoly Week


• The Triduum is a celebration that highlights the Paschal mystery

• Through these three days the Church remembers that Christ suffered and died, but that he also came to life

• The Triduum is the celebration of the Church’s salvation through Christ

Holy TriduumHoly Triduum


• Lent officially ends on Holy Thursday

• The Holy Triduum begins on Holy Thursday

• On Holy Thursday there is only one Mass– The Mass of the Lord’s supper which is

celebrated in the evening, and includes the washing of the feet

– No morning Masses are celebrated on this day

The Holy TriduumThe Holy Triduum


• The faithful gathers in church to celebrate the institution of the Eucharist and priesthood

• Washing of the Feet - a reminder of Jesus’ command to serve one another

• The Blessed Sacrament is moved to a chapel

• The faithful is invited to stay in the chapel to pray before the Blessed Sacrament until midnight

• The sanctuary is cleared. All decorations are removed from the church

Holy ThursdayHoly Thursday


• This is a holy day of fasting and abstinence

• A Mass is not celebrated

• The liturgy of the Lord’s passion is celebrated, followed by a homily, the General intercessions, communion, and the veneration of the cross

• There is no procession on this day

Good FridayGood Friday


What is the veneration of the Cross?


• The veneration of the cross is the last section of the Liturgy of Good Friday

• The faithful are presented with the cross, then the faithful venerate the cross with a kiss, as a sign of respect and devotion

What is the veneration of the Cross?What is the veneration of the Cross?


• The Easter Vigil is the highest point of the Easter Triduum

• The Easter Vigil begins on Holy Saturday

• This is the longest celebration in Catholic worship

• The celebration proclaims Jesus’ triumph over the powers of evil and death

Holy SaturdayHoly Saturday


• The Easter Vigil begins at night with the blessing of the fire and the exultet– The exultet is a song sung by the deacon or

cantor proclaiming the salvation of the risen Christ



• The fire is blessed, from this fire the Paschal candle is lit

• The priest blesses the candle reminding people that Jesus is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end



• The Paschal candle is carried by the deacon into the darkened church

• As the procession progresses the lights of the church are gradually turn on

• People light their own candles from the Paschal candle carried by the deacon

• At the end of the procession the deacon sings the Exultet or exultation song. The people hold their candles during the song



• The darkened church, the procession, the paschal candle, the fire, and the exultet are all symbols that remind us that Christ’s resurrection defeated the darkness of evil

• This ceremony reminds us the power of Christ cannot be defeated nor those who have his power



• After the homily the baptismal water is blessed with the Paschal candle

• The catechumens and candidates are initiated with the sacraments of initiation

• The congregation renews their baptismal vows• After the baptismal ceremony the second part of the

Mass, the liturgy of the Eucharist, continues as usual• This is the first Mass of Easter day, and the beginning

of the Easter season, fifty days of celebration that end on Pentecost Sunday

Easter VigilEaster Vigil


When does the Easter seasonbegin and end?


• The season of Easter beings with Easter Sunday and ends with Pentecost

• Symbols associated with Pentecost

– Dove, tongues of flame, and wind

– Red vestments and decorations, which symbolizes the intense love and fire of the Holy Spirit

EasterEaster

Click TitleClick TitleSummarySummary• What is Lent?

• Length of the Season

• Renewal of Baptismal Promises

• Ash Wednesday

• Penance

• Three Pillars of Lent

• Traditions of Lent

• Holy Triduum

• Easter Season

Download - Lent and Easter. Click Title Overview What is Lent? Length of the Season Renewal of Baptismal Promises Ash Wednesday Penance Three Pillars of Lent Traditions

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