What is Lent about?
Photo by Ahna Ziegleron Unsplash
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FACT:
Ash Wednesday is 46 days before Easter, and opens the season of Lent. The ashes symbolise the dust from which God made us, as the priest puts them on our heads he says "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return" or he may say "Repent and believe in the Gospel." |
Ashes are administered during Mass and everyone is invited to accept the ashes as a visible symbol of penance. Even non-Christians and people who no longer attend Mass are welcome to receive the ashes. The ashes are made from blessed palm branches, taken from the previous year's Palm Sunday Mass.
Photo by Ravi Roshanon Unsplash
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The Catholic Church highlights Lent as a time for us to reflect on our relationship with God.
God loves us into being and sent Jesus to help us understand how we can respond to this HUGE, constant offer of love and friendship. God gifts us Lent to help us understand our relationship with God, with each other and with the world. |
The last week of Lent is called Holy Week.
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It begins on the sixth Sunday of Lent, Passion (Palm) Sunday, which remembers Jesus entering into Jerusalem and being welcomed by people waving palms and praising him as the Messiah.
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The beginning of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening marks the end of Lent and the beginning of the Easter Triduum. The Triduum includes the days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
The liturgical colours of Lent are violet or purple, and change to red and white or gold in Holy Week.
Lent is a time to STOP, to REFLECT and to BE
- to attend to the heart.
- to attend to the heart.
DISCOVER as a family:
As a family take some time to think about everything you do during a typical week.
- List some of the things that you give priority to as a family and as individuals.
- Discuss which of these things are necessary and are positive or life giving.
- Do you put any time aside during the week to spend on feeding your soul?
- Do you spend any time during the week to just sit and be with God in prayer?
Discuss how you can support each other as a family
to make positive changes in your lives.
