LENT: FEBRUARY 26-APRIL 12 2020

 

 

The 2020 Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday, February 26, for Latin-rite Catholics with Easter Sunday on April 12.

 

During Lent, we are asked to devote ourselves to seeking the Lord in prayer and reading Scripture, to service by giving alms, and to practice self-control through fasting. Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. Contemplate the meaning and origins of the Lenten fasting tradition in this reflection. In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God’s gifts—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: “Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446).

 

In Lent, the baptized are called to renew their baptismal commitment as others prepare to be baptized through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a period of learning and discernment for individuals who have declared their desire to become Catholics.

The key to fruitful observance of these practices is to recognize their link to baptismal renewal. We are called not just to abstain from sin during Lent, but to true conversion of our hearts and minds as followers of Christ. We recall those waters in which we were baptized into Christ’s death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.

On these pages, you will find a variety of suggestions and resources to help you “raise up,” “sacrifice,” and “offer” during this Lent and to embrace your baptismal commitment.

Catholics are also encouraged to make going to confession a significant part of their spiritual lives during Lent.  The U.S. Bishops’ statement, “God’s Gift of Forgiveness: The Pastoral Exhortation on the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation” can be distributed and shared in parishes.  Dioceses are encouraged to make the sacrament available often during Lent and to use these resources to promote participation.  We also have resources to help individuals who have not been to confession in a while “rediscover” the sacrament. 

READ MORE

http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/lent/index.cfm

ASH WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2020

 

 

 

ASH WEDNESDAY   26 FEBRUARY 2020

Readings

Book of Joel 2:12-18.
Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings and libations for the LORD, your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly;
Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room, and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep, And say, “Spare, O LORD, your people, and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them! Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?'”
Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.

Psalms 51(50):3-4.5-6ab.12-13.14.17.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.

For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”

A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Second Letter to the Corinthians 5:20-21.6:1-2.
Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says: “In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 6:1-6.16-18.
Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But 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.
When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

Ash Wednesday

Commentary of the day
Saint Maximus of Turin (?-c.420), Bishop
Sermon 28
Forty days that lead us to baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ

“In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you.” (Isa 49:8) After quoting this, the apostle Paul continues with the words: “Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor 6:2). I, in turn, call upon you to witness that now the days of redemption have come, now has come, in a sense, the moment of spiritual healing. We can take care of all of the stains from our vices, all the wounds from our sins, if we pray constantly to the doctor of our souls, if …we do not neglect any of his prescriptions…

The doctor is our Lord Jesus who said: “It is I who bring forth both death and life.” (Deut 32:39). The Lord first brings forth death and then he gives back life. Through baptism, he destroys in us adulteries, homicides, murders and theft; then he brings us back to life as new persons in eternal immortality. We die to our sins, of course, through baptism, we return to life in the Spirit of life… Let us surrender to our doctor with patience in order to regain health. Everything that he will have detected in us that is unworthy, soiled through sin, eaten by ulcers, he will trim, he will cut it, he will take it away, so that once all the wounds inflicted by the demon have been eliminated, only what belongs to God will remain.

This is his first prescription: to consecrate forty days to fasting, to prayer, to vigils. Fasting heals flabbiness, prayer nourishes the reverent soul, vigils reject the devil’s traps. After this period of time given to all these observances, the soul that is purified and exhausted from so many practices, comes to baptism. It regains strength by plunging into the waters of the Spirit: everything that had been burnt in the flames of illness is born again in the dew of heaven’s grace… By means of a new birth, we are born again changed.

 

 

https://sites.google.com/site/thedivinityofjesus/home/ash-wednesday

 

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW: CHAPTERS 3 AND 4 BAPTISM TEMPTATION AND BEGINNING OF MISSION

 

Matthew 3 

3 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4 And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

 

Matthew 4 

4 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

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BIBLE KJV

https://sites.google.com/site/thedivinityofjesus/home/the-gospel-according-to-st-matthew-chapters-3-and-4-baptism-temptation-and-beginning-of-mission

FEAST DAY OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES 11 FEBRUARY

 

 

11 FEBRUARY    FEAST DAY OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES

 

The Apparitions of The Blessed Virgin to Bernadette at Lourdes.

Lourdes 1858.

At Lourdes, on the feast of the Annunciation [March 25th] the Blessed Virgin acknowledged explicitly the Church declaration of 1854 that had, at last, proclaimed Her Immaculate Conception to be an article of Faith. This unprecedented happening reveals Its great significance. That She so explicitly acknowledged the declaration reveals how important the understanding of the Immaculate Conception is; that She is pure; without sin, as befits the Mother of God, that She is all powerful in defeating the evil ones, She is the Woman of the Book of Revelation, She is the Woman of Genesis.

The eighteen apparitions at Lourdes saw the Blessed Virgin revealing Herself as our Advocate and Mediator, She explicitly revealed, during the first apparition, when the seer; Bernadette, said the Rosary, how our prayers are heard through Hers:

“The Lady, now holding her own rosary in her joined hands, turned towards Bernadette, and
made the Sign of the Cross in a manner so reverent and dignified that the beholder strove to
reproduce it all the days of her life. Then,without moving her lips, she passed the beads
through her fingers one by one as the little girl, who had sunk to her knees, recited the prayers.” 

The apparitions saw the Blessed Virgin voicing Her concerns for Her children, She who sees the punishments that await sinners. During the sixth apparition, February 21st, Bernadette asked Her what made Her sad, the Blessed Virgin replied:”Pray for sinners.” She called on people to repent, saying “repentance, repentance, repentance.” During the February 27th apparition She spoke of penance, asking Bernadette to do penance for herself first and then for others.

In the second apparition, the Blessed Virgin had also drawn our attention to the next life and to Her powerful role; remember that for those who embrace Her and who are devoted to Her, She is our Mother in this life and the next; She said to Bernadette: “I do not promise to make you happy in this world, but in the other.” The Blessed Virgin also performed a public miracle at Lourdes. On 25th February, the ninth apparition, She pointed to a piece of ground; Bernadette scratched away at the surface and a spring of water rose steadily from the spot. Twenty seven gallons of water have gushed forth from the spring every day since, and from which comes the wondrous healing waters of Lourdes. The final apparition (the eighteenth apparition) took place on July16th, feast of Our Lady of Carmel: As Lane points out: “The people of Lourdes have always cherished a special devotion to this feast. Perhaps that is why Our Lady chose it for Her final visit.”

Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for us.

https://catholicismpure.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/feast-day-of-our-lady-of-lourdes-11th-february/

FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD IN THE TEMPLE

 

Celebrated February 2

 

The feast of Jesus’ presentation in the temple forty days after his birth, celebrated on February 2nd, has a long history in the Eastern and Western Church.

The Mosaic law prescribed that every firstborn male in Israel had to be consecrated to God forty days after birth and redeemed with a sum deposited in the Temple treasury. This was in remembrance of the firstborn sons being preserved from death on the night of the first Passover during the exodus from Egypt. The Gospel according to St. Luke gives us this account of Jesus’ presentation in the Temple: when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.”( Lk 2:22.)

St. Joseph and our Lady entered the temple, unnoticed among the crowd. The “desired of all nations” came to the house of his Father in his Mother’s arms. The liturgy of this feast-day exhorts us, in the Responsorial Psalm, to adore the King of Glory in the heart of his humble family: Attolite, portae, capita vestra, et elevamini, portae aeternales, et introibit rex gloriae: “Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.”( Psalm 23 (24): 7)

The Church of Jerusalem began the annual commemoration of this mystery in the 4^th century. The feast was celebrated on February 14^th, forty days after the Epiphany, because the Jerusalem liturgy had not yet adopted the Roman custom of celebrating Christmas on December 25^th. That is why when this became the common custom throughout the whole Christian world, the feast of the Presentation was moved to February 2^ndand was soon celebrated throughout the entire East. In Byzantium, the emperor Justinian I introduced it in the 6^th century, under the title “Hypapante” or “encounter,” referring to Jesus’ encounter with the aged Simeon, who was a figure of the just men of Israel who had patiently awaited the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies for so many years.

During the 7^th century, the celebration also took root in the West. The widespread name of Candlemas comes from the tradition instituted by Pope Sergius I of having a procession with candles. As the elderly Simeon proclaimed, Jesus is the Savior, prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles.( Lk 2:32.)

In commemorating the arrival and manifestation of the divine light to the world, the Church each year blesses candles, symbol of Jesus’ perennial presence and the light of faith that the faithful receive in the sacrament of Baptism. The procession with lighted candles thus becomes an expression of Christian life: a pathway illuminated by the light of Christ.

The annual commemoration of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple is also a Marian celebration and therefore at certain times in the past it was also known as the feast of the Purification of Mary. Even though Mary was preserved by God from original sin, as a Hebrew mother she chose to submit to the Law of the Lord, and therefore offered a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.( Lk 2:24.)

Mary’s offering was thus a sign of her prompt obedience to God’s commands. “Through this example, foolish child, will you learn to obey the Holy Law of God, regardless of any personal sacrifice?”( Saint Josemaria, Holy Rosary, 4^th Joyful Mystery.)

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https://opusdei.org/en/article/feast-of-the-presentation/

https://sites.google.com/site/maryofnazarethblessed/home/feast-of-the-presentation-of-the-lord-in-the-temple