Saint Charles Borromeo Church Lent 2016
Transcription
Saint Charles Borromeo Church Lent 2016
Saint Charles Borromeo Church Destrehan, Louisiana Telephone (985) 764-6383 Lent 2016 Penance P Al r ye a r ms gi vi ng Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, knowing full well that this trip would end in his sacrificial death for the sin of humanity. He sent two disciples ahead to the village of Bethphage, about a mile away from the city at the foot of the Mount of Olives. He told them to look for a donkey tied by a house, with its unbroken colt next to it. Jesus instructed the disciples to tell the owners of the animal that “The Lord has need of it.” The men found the donkey, brought it and its colt to Jesus, and placed their cloaks on the colt. Jesus sat on the young donkey and slowly, humbly made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. In his path, people threw their cloaks on the ground and put palm branches on the road before him. Large Passover crowds surrounded Jesus, shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David!. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest.” By that time the commotion was spreading through the entire city. Many of the Galilean disciples had earlier seen Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. Undoubtedly they were spreading the news of that miracle. The Pharisees, who were jealous of Jesus and afraid of the Romans, said: “Teacher rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent the very stones would cry out.” Bible References: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19 Opportunities for Prayer Prayer - Prayer places us, our needs and the concerns of the global family in God’s care. Prayer not only puts us in God’s presence; prayer has the power to transform our relationships with all the needs, people and situations for which we pray. Daily Eucharist – the Eucharist is celebrated at 8:15am in the church Monday through Friday and on Tuesdays at 6pm. Rosary before Mass at 7:30 am and 5:30 pm on Tuesdays. Eucharistic Adoration – The Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open and available twenty-four hours each day, seven days a week. The entrance is from the outside at the back of the church building. Sacrament of Reconciliation – Saturdays 3:15 pm to 4:15 pm or anytime by request. During Lent & Advent on Saturdays 5:30 to 6 pm. Additional times for confession during the Lenten Season will be available here and in all Parishes in the Archdiocese: Wednesdays, March 2, 9, and 16 from 56:30 pm Novena To Our Mother of Perpetual Help - Tuesday evenings following 6 pm Mass. Holy Face of Jesus Devotion - Fridays after morning Mass, a 20 minute devotion which includes songs, prayers, acts of reparation, and individual veneration of the Holy Face Image. On First Friday, due to the School Mass, devotions begin prior to Mass at 7:15 am R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is for those adults who are interested in becoming members of the Catholic Church. Please call the church office if you or someone you know is interested. No commitment is necessary, just an inquiring mind. At the Easter Vigil this year, John Poppell, Jennifer Waguespack, & Naomi Westbrook will be Baptized, Confirmed and receive Eucharist. Being received into Full Communion with the Catholic Church, which includes Profession of Faith, Confirmation and Eucharist will be: Jody Fahrig, Michael Jones & Jessica Stonestreet. Receiving Eucharist will be Gina Clark. Being confirmed at St. Louis Cathedral on Pentecost Sunday, May 15th will be Crystal Anderson, Gina Clark, Ryan Derbes, Rhett Goertz, Monica Mustacchia, Brandi Nesladek & Michael DeLon Nesladek. Please keep them in your prayers this Lenten Season . -2- Stations of the Cross - Every Friday at 7pm followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. You are also welcome to join Grades 2nd - 4th from our Parish School at 2:15 pm on the following Wednesdays: February 17, & 24, March 2, 9, 16 & 23 and with the CCD School of Religion on Monday, March 21st at 6:15 pm. For individuals who wish to practice this devotion alone, special station booklets are provided at the rear of the church. Ash Wednesday—Blessing and Distribution of Ashes - February 10th Masses at 7 am, 5 pm and 7 pm. Liturgy of the Word at 12 Noon. The blessing and imposition of ashes takes place only on Ash Wednesday, ordinarily during the celebration of the Eucharist. If the Eucharist is not celebrated, the blessing and distribution will take place within the celebration of the Liturgy of the Word. World Day of the Sick - Healing Mass - Anointing of the Sick Thursday, February 11, 2016 5:30 pm. Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes - Comforter of the Afflicted, Health of the Sick and Refuge of Sinners. Messages of his holiness Pope Frances for the 24th World Day of the Sick 2016. Entrusting Oneself to the Merciful Jesus like Mary: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5) Men’s Morning of Spirituality - The 2016 Men’s Morning of Spirituality, themed “God is My Anchor” will feature well-known news personalities Bob Breck, Karen Swenson, and Ed Daniels as well as Mass with Archbishop Aymond, Reconciliation, Adoration, and great music! It will be held at St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Orleans on Saturday, February 20, 2016, from 9 am -1 pm. Parish Lenten Mission - ValLimar Jansen will present our Parish Mission on February 21, 22 & 23, 2016. She will speak at all Masses on Sunday February 21st the 2nd Sunday in Lent. The mission will begin on Sunday night following the 6 pm Mass and continue on Monday & Tuesday at 7 pm. A reception will follow in the Borromeo Room at the conclusion of the mission on Tuesday night. ValLimar Jansen is a Roman Catholic inspirational speaker and story teller as well as a singer, composer and recording artist. But she’s also a college professor, a leader of worship and prayer and a workshop presenter at conferences across the United States and abroad. She started singing sacred music at the age of five. She then played the role of Beneatha in the European premier of the Broadway musical Raisin. She went on to co-author a one-woman musical about the life of Ethel Waters, receiving a special commendation from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She composes much of her music with the help of her husband Frank. They live in California and have three children. -3- The Next Chapter - A support group formed to offer moral and spiritual assistance to anyone who has suffered any type of loss - meets twice monthly with alternating round table discussions and guest speakers. Meetings are held in the St. Mark Room at 7pm. (Please check the bulletin for dates.) Angie Matherne, our facilitator, invites you to attend and share your feelings about your loss or just listen to others. It can be helpful just getting to talk with other people who are in the same situation. Family and friends are always welcome to attend with you. S.A.M. – A Substance Addiction Ministry—Addiction is a spiritual illness that disconnects a person from self, loved ones, and God. The mission of this ministry is to help these individuals to reconnect through education, prevention, referral, family support and mostly spiritual support. Open to those who have been “affected” by those struggling with addiction, “afflicted” with this struggle. Meetings are held bi-monthly at 7 pm on Wednesday nights in the St. Matthew Room. (Please check the bulletin for dates.) SCB Men’s Club - with wives and/or guests will meet on Wednesday, February 17th at 6 pm for their Lenten Mass and a walk-thru Way of the Cross. The Parish is invited to attend. The narration is by Fr. Jeffrey Bayhi with Aaron Neville singing “Were You There When They Crucified my Lord”. Come share this special Lenten experience with us. Anointing of the Sick - will take place on Saturday at the 4:30 pm Vigil Mass on March 5th. Anyone who is seriously ill, about to undergo surgery, aged persons in weak conditions, sick children who have sufficient reason to understand and be comforted by the sacrament, any person who is mentally ill as well as seriously sick, and any person who is mentally ill but physically healthy who would be comforted by the sacrament should consider receiving this anointing. Any person previously anointed, recovered and is sick again with the same illness or a person who has been previously anointed but whose condition has become worse should also consider receiving this sacrament. School Passion Play - Thursday, March 24, 2016, 2:30 pm in Church. All are invited to see our 7th Grade students display their love and appreciation for our Lord as they journey with him to his death on Calvary. Special Stations of the Cross - on Good Friday March 25th @ 6 pm Led by the Men of Manresa, about an hour in duration, this special Mary’s Way of the Cross which suggests Mary’s thoughts during her Son’s Passion, will include music, commentary and reflection. Our parishioner, Robert Bourg, will provide a drawing of each station that will be displayed in church. Lenten Literature - Lenten Care Notes and notes for the bereaved or troubled can be found in the rack on the table in the back of the church. The Magnificat Lenten Companion will also be distributed to all parishioners during the Lenten Season. -4- LENTEN OPPORTUNITES AND ACTIVITES FOR YOUTH Sneak on over to . . . P.A.W. Praise! Adore! Worship! - Sunday, February 14, 2016 from 7-9 pm in the SCB Youth Center. Come spend some time in prayer with your Lord. This is a prayerful evening of Praise & Worship and Eucharistic Adoration for youth, young adults, adults, parents, family & friends. Jr. High SCB Fountain of Youth Night - All SCB Jr. High Members are invited to the February Youth event on Thursday, February 18, 2016 from 6-8 pm in the SCB Youth Center. It will be a fun night of “Jesus” games: Jesus Bingo, Bible Charades, ‘Scripture’nary, etc. Come join the fun! Fish Fry - Join us on Friday, February 26, 2016 in the SCB Cafeteria from 5-8 pm for the Annual SCB Fountain of Youth Lenten Fish Fry. All proceeds benefit the Fountain of Youth Mexico Mission Trip. Tickets will be sold in advance after all Masses on the weekend of February 20 & 21, 2016. Young Adult Ministry - Calling all young adults (age 18 & up) to a gathering at Don Jose Mexican Restaurant in Kenner (corner of Williams & Veterans Blvd.) on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 4 pm to discuss the start of this wonderful new ministry. It will be a great place to renew old friendships, build new friendships; share your faith; support one another; a safe place to be yourself; to unwind; to relax; to refresh and to renew. Lenten Reconciliation Service/Mass - Tuesday, March 1, 2016 is the date for the Confirmation students, their parents & sponsors beginning with 6 pm mass. All are invited to the 5:30 pm Rosary. Abbey Youth Fest - All youth 8th - 12th grade are invited to participate in the 2016 Abbey Youth Fest on March 12, 2016 at St Ben’s Seminary in Covington, LA This is a beautiful outdoor Catholic picnic filled with Christian singers, speakers, vendors, and ends with outdoor Mass 7 Adoration. The cost is $45 which include registration, t-shirt and transportation. Deadline to register is Sunday, February 7, 2016. -5- Houma Thibodaux Youth Rally - All youth 8th—12th grade are invited to participate in the 2016 Houma Thibodaux Rally at Nicholls State University on Saturday, March 19, 2016 from 10 am to 10 pm. This is a very high-powered day of prayer, (Reconciliation, Adoration, Group Prayer, Mass); Praise & Worship, Interactive Games (Velcro wall, rock wall, bungee run, etc.); Workshops (Right to Life, Living a Faithful Life, Faith & Prayer, Morality, etc.) The cost is $50/person which includes rally materials, name badge, admittance to workshops, youth village, mega workshops, dinner, t-shirt & transportation. Deadline to register is Sunday February 7, 2016. Sponsor-a-missionary/ Educate - an orphan - All are invited to pray about supporting the SCB Fountain of Youth on their Annual SCB Mexico Mission Trip. You can assist in several ways: 1) Sponsor-a-missionary: the cost of the trip is approximately $650 per person. Any donation no matter how large or how small is a great help for those who need assistance. 2) Educate-an-orphan: tuition / supplies / school uniform is approximately $200 per child for 1 year in Mexico. Doesn’t sound like much to us but it is a lot for a family who makes less than $50 / week. Many children drop out of school at the age of 15 to try to find a job to help support the family. 3) Prayer: remember our mission, our missionaries and our orphans in your daily prayer. Thanks for believing in the young people of our parish and their mission in Mexico. Opportunities for Fasting & Abstaining Abstinence From Meat is to be observed by all Catholics 14 years of age and older on Ash Wednesday, all the Fridays of Lent and Good Friday. Fasting is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday by all Catholics who are between 18 and 59 years old. Fasting means only one full meal. Two smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength according to each one’s needs, but no snacking in between. You should know by the end of the day that you have drastically reduced your normal eating habits. The obligation to observe penitential days of the Church is serious. Failure to observe individual days of penance is not necessarily consider sinful. No one should be scrupulous in this regard. People should seek to do more rather than less, since fast and abstinence on these days is a minimal response to the Lord’s call to penance and conversion of life. The American Bishops have asked us to enter into the spiritual purpose of the discipline – for the welfare of others. Specifically, we have been asked to make the Fridays of Lent a time for almsgiving to the poor, prayers for peace, and acts of charity. If Friday is not a convenient day, then choose another day. The point is that all of us need to do penance. The life I live now is not my own: Christ is living in me. I still live my human life, but it is a life of faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:19b-20 6- Opportunities for Almsgiving and Works of Charity Almsgiving - is an ancient Hebrew practice which rectified economic inequalities in society. “Alms” means “justice” or “righteousness.” “Giving alms” helps to reestablish order and justice in God’s creation. Parish Food Drive - Bring non-perishable food items to Sunday Eucharist. Food will be distributed by the St. Charles Borromeo, Ministry of Care. The container for food is located at the rear of church. Poor Box - Deposit a monetary gift in the poor box by donating the cost of a latte, a pack of cigarettes, a movie, or some other practice that gives witness of a desired change in your life which will affect others in a positive way. Fish Fry - Friday, February 19th - Sponsored by the Little Red Church Food & Fun Festival, in the cafeteria from 5 to 8 pm. Proceeds benefit school and parish needs. Friday, February 26th - Fountain of Youth Annual Fish fry in the cafeteria from 5 to 8pm. All proceeds benefit the SCB Fountain of Youth. Second Collections During Lent - Contribute to the Collection Catholic Charities, February 20 & 21, and Catholic Relief Services (Bishop’s Overseas Appeal) on the weekend of March 5 & 6. The Annual Collection for the Holy Land will be taken up on Good Friday and the Annual Archdiocesan Seminary Collection will be on Easter Sunday. SCB PTFO Golf Tournament—Friday, March 18th at The Cypress Lakes Country Club, Destrehan - Become a sponsor of this wonderful event. For more information on sponsorship levels or to donate prizes and promotional items, please visit our school website or contact Josh Hafford at 504-251-6169. This fundraiser helps provide SCB students with items that would not otherwise be included in the school’s budget. Little Red Church Food & Fun Festival - “Paving our Way to Heaven” April 29, 30 & May 1, 2016 Fair Workday - Scheduled for Saturdays—April 9, 16 & 23. Help with Fair Booth Construction, anytime from 7:00 am to mid-afternoon. Volunteers are also needed to stuff confetti eggs and grab bags on these work days from 9 am until 1 pm. Envelopes for “start-up” donations will be mailed to you in your March envelopes. These funds are used to buy necessary items to begin our fair such as booth construction, entertainment deposits, etc. Donations Needed - Sweet Booth - Cake mixes, pecans, flour, sugar, cake icing, etc. Volunteers to bake cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and other baked items. Volunteers to make candy and fudge. Hollow Egg Shells - to prepare confetti eggs which bring in a $3 profit for the fair. Stuffed Animals and Trinkets - to prepare grab bags and for prizes at some of the booths . -7- .St. Joseph’s Altar - In honor of St. Joseph’s Feast day the St. Joseph Altar Society at St. Charles Borromeo will host an altar in the Borromeo Room on March 18 & 19, 2016. March 19th is the Feast Day for St. Joseph who is recognized as the Patron of the Universal Church. Families, Workers, Virgins, Children, Exiles and the Dying. The altar tradition dates back to a famine in Sicily during which Sicilians prayed to St. Joseph for assistance. When the drought was over, the Sicilians showed their gratitude to St. Joseph by preparing a feast from the bountiful harvest. Devotion to St. Joseph was also encouraged by St. Teresa of Avila, mystic and Doctor of the Church. For more information or if you would like to assist in the preparations, please visit the web site: https:// scbstjosephaltar.shutterfly.com/ BEYOND CHOCOLATE: GOING DEEPER IN LENT From the time we were children, our first question for Lent was often, “What are you giving up for Lent?” Giving something up for these 40 days is a custom that, when we were younger, helped us enter into the season with a sense of purpose and a greater awareness. As adults, we might want to consider looking at Lent in a deeper way. We are probably much more settled into our behaviors and patterns of life and sometimes giving up something is where we begin—and end—our reflections on Lent. It can be tempting to say “I am giving up chocolate” or beer or even all sweets and all alcohol. But without more reflection, it can become simply a way I show God how strong I am. It is more about me than any conversation with God. Lent isn’t simply about us “giving up” something. The real grace is when we recognize that Lent is a season in which God wants to give us something. God wants to help us transform our lives and make us more free as people—not just freer with God, but in the way we live our lives and love our families. It is much easier for us to simply choose something to give up—then we can dismiss Lent! I am giving up TV for Lent.” I am giving up movies...Snacks… Soda Pop.” We give it up and exercise our willpower for 40 days to prove to ourselves and to God that we can do it. And at the end of Lent we can return to what we gave up. But this year we might reflect and ask the deeper question: What is God inviting me to change this Lent? How do I know what God might be stirring in me? I begin by listening to the movements in my heart. Where am I feeling uncomfortable with choices I am making? With the things I have done? With the habitual ways I respond? The Lord will be speaking to me in those small nagging moments of discomfort in my heart. It might be that we know deep down that we drink too much and that giving up alcohol would make us less irritable each night. Then giving up alcohol would be the right thing, Asking what we would like to change about ourselves this Lent requires a little reflection. What pattern of behavior in my life needs changing? What do I need more of in my life? Patience? Unselfishness? More loving behavior toward my spouse or children? -8- But each of us can think of something that gets in the way of our being loving and self-sacrificing. Too often the ordinary conflicts, divisions and difficulties in our family life result from simple selfishness on my part. I choose to fight. I choose to defend my opinion. I choose to use things I know about my partner, my children, my parents against them. I choose to hurt them. The results of that behavior are never good and always divisive. We can imagine a Lenten practice in which each of us would tell members of our family—those whom we have most offended in these ways-that we are sorry and ask them to help us to work with us to bring more unity and peace to our family life. We can ask: What would it cost me to change this behavior? What would it mean if I didn’t walk around my family acting crabby all the time? What if I decided to be much more loving and patient with my spouse this Lent? What if I did decide to “give up” something really destructive in my life, like alcohol, pornography or on line friendships? As I reflect, I might realize that changing a particular way I live is coming to me as a call from God and I don’t have to do it alone. God is moving my heart to reflect on these changes and God will remain faithful and help me to stay open to the grace being offered to me for change. I need help. It may be something that I don’t want to change or acknowledge. I don’t think I can change it. But that’s where talking to God can make the difference. I am not doing this alone: I am doing it with God. When I look at challenges with my spouse, I might discover that one of the barriers to communication in my marriage is that I interrupt and disagree. In some place in my head I know that is an annoying habit, but I am not free enough to simply listen without objecting. Maybe I am unable to receive what my spouse says without coming to the conclusion that my spouse is wrong. What if sharing a different point of view was not about winning an argument but to advancing communication between us? In asking God for help, we might ponder one of the many healing gospels, like Mark 2:1-12. In this story, a group of friends carried a mat with a paralyzed man to Jesus, who was teaching inside a house. So many people crowded around the outside of the house that the friends were unable to get the mat inside. So they went up to the roof and moved aside the tiles and lowered their friend on the mat to Jesus below. The words to this gospel say that the friends on the roof had “broken through” the tiles to lower their friend into the house for healing. Their breakthrough led directly to the healing. Where do we need a breakthrough? What is the barrier that keeps us from asking for healing? In our own lives, we need to break through our denials, defensiveness and our unwillingness to look at ourselves. Discovering what the barrier is in my life is critical. If we don’t know what the barrier is, these weeks of Lent are a great time to reflect upon it. When we identify the barrier, we have made the breakthrough. That’s when Jesus can heal us of it. Why is this a good Lenten penance? Because it gets my attention where I live every day. It allows God’s grace into my soul and into the place where my real life exists. That’s where Jesus stands with me every day, waiting for me to be lowered from the roof so he can touch me and heal me. www.creighton.edu/CollaboratieMinistry/Lent -9- The Liturgical Environment Lent calls for simplicity and restraint in creating a liturgical environment. Our intent here is to create an environment of thoughtful reflection: an invitation to prayer, silence, and reconciliation with God. The environment is meant to remind the senses of what we ourselves are to experience in Lent. Purple is a sign of our repentance when we are acutely aware of our Baptismal identity, as participants in the Lord’s Dying and Rising. The Withered Tree planted in the sand is a reminder that our Lenten Journey is a “Desert Experience.” The same Spirit that “drove” Jesus into the desert “drives” us into the desert of our own hearts. Like the desert, our hearts are the hidden places where God dwells. Like the desert, our hearts are vast, austere and often unsettling places where we discover who we are and what we believe and what we want our lives to be. The Covered Statues remind us that we don’t clearly recognize God’s presence in our lives. Sin has blurred the vision of holiness and obscured the call of faith, hope and love. The Broken Pottery symbolizes our brokenness. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Blessed are they who recognize their own utter helplessness and put their whole trust in God, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The Display of Ashes warns that “we have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come.” The emphasis on the Stations of the Cross during Lent recalls the centrality of penance in our own lives. Brothers and Sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. Romans 6:3-5 -10- The Paschal Triduum The Triduum (The Three days), gives meaning to Lent, which precedes it and to the Fifty Days of Easter that follow. The THREE DAYS is a unique time of the year, period of total devotion to the Lord, free from distraction and focused on the great mystery of the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection that defines our identity in Christ. Holy Thursday, March 24, begins with The Mass of the Lord’s Supper, at 7 pm. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament continues in chapel behind the altar until 10 pm. Compline (Night Prayer) will end adoration. Good Friday, March 25, celebration of the Lord’s Passion with Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion at 3 pm. The Men of Manresa are sponsoring a Living Way of the Cross at 6 pm. Holy Saturday, March 26 the Easter Vigil at 8 pm with its four-part Service of Light, Word, Initiation of new members into the church and Eucharist. THE PASCAL FAST – The Second Vatican Council observed: Let the paschal fast be kept sacred. Let it be celebrated everywhere on Good Friday, and where possible, prolonged throughout Holy Saturday, so that the joys of the Sunday of Resurrection may be attended with uplifted and clear mind. EASTER SUNDAY MASSES, March 27, 2016 7 am, 9 am, and 11:00 am in Church In addition: 9 am in the Fred Roth Memorial Activity Center There is no 6 pm Mass on Easter Sunday -11- LENTEN DAILY FAMILY ACTIVITIES Ash Wednesday—February 10th Attend Ash Wednesday Mass or prayer service today. Thursday - February 11th As a family, select a charity that you will support during Lent. Friday - February 12th Fast from taking second helpings at meals. Saturday - February 13th Take over a disliked chore for a family member 1st Sunday in Lent - February 14th Attend Mass often. The Eucharist is our greatest communal prayer and a surefire way to encounter Jesus. Monday - February 15th Pray with your family at mealtime. Tuesday—February 16th At bedtime, pray for people who are homeless and sleeping on the streets tonight. Wednesday—February 17th Be more courteous in your attitude, words, and deeds. Thursday—February 18th Make a list of ten things your are grateful for in your life. Friday– February 19th Fast from criticizing others aloud or silently in your mind. Seek to understand instead. Saturday—February 20th Pray while creating a piece of artwork. Do something creative, and do so for the glory of God. 2nd Sunday in Lent—February 21th Forego a favorite TV program for a week. Monday—February 22nd Go through your closets and donate usable clothing and household goods to a local charity. Tuesday—February 23rd Pay attention to someone you are tempted to brush aside. Wednesday—February 24th Fast from gossip Thursday—February 25th Pray at the sound of sirens from emergency vehicles. Pray for the people who might be in trouble. Friday—February 26th Fast from e-mail, text messaging, or both for a day. Saturday—February 27th Speak less and listen more. Give others the gift of your undivided attention. 3rd Sunday in Lent—February 28th Pray while you go for a walk Monday—February 29th Fast from overscheduling your time. Leave some time to simply be. Tuesday—March 1st. Curtail your extra spending and donate what you save to your chosen charity. Wednesday—March 2nd At the end of the day, take time to thank God for all the graces you received during the day. Thursday—March 3rd Pray the Rosary or other traditional prayers of the Church Friday—March 4th Fast from the habit, substance, practice or mindset that most stands in the way of your growing closer to God. Saturday—March 5th While grocery shopping, purchase an additional day’s supply of food and drop it off at a local food pantry. Fourth Sunday in Lent—March 6th During your prayer, picture yourself meeting Jesus in a scene from the Gospel Monday—March 7th Send a greeting card to someone who is homebound Tuesday—March 8th Fast from eating food mindlessly Wednesday—March 9th As a gift for the good of all, clean up your surroundings. Thursday—March 10th Invite a widowed neighbor to join your family for a meal Friday—March 11th Fast from worrying—Trust God instead. Saturday—March 12th Plant a tree that will benefit future generations Fifth Sunday of Lent—March 13th. Pray for the willingness to seek forgiveness from people you have hurt. Monday—March 14th Fast from light. Sit by the light of one candle in your home. Remember that Jesus has called you to be a light for the world Tuesday—March 15th Perform a loving action for others Wednesday—March 16th Pick a day when you fast from using electronic appliances. Thursday—March 17th As a family pray for a person who may be in trouble. Friday—March 18th Get up early and use the extra time for prayer. Saturday—March 19th Pray for farmers and all those who help make available the food you bring to your table. Palm Sunday—March 20th Prayerfully read one of the Gospel accounts of Jesus” Passion, Death & Resurrection Monday of Holy Week—March 21st. Volunteer for a parish program that helps those in need Tuesday of Holy Week—March 22nd Let a favorite hymn run through your mind as a prayer. Wednesday of Holy Week—March 23rd Fast from comparing yourself to others . We are all one in God. Holy Thursday—March 24th Recognize your own needs and give them their due. Allow others to help you from time to time. Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion—March 25th Fast from complaining. Notice how often you are tempted to do so. Holy Saturday—March 26th Be mindful of all that God has done for you. Sunday–March 27th -The Resurrection - CELEBRATE EASTER !! www:loyolapress.com