Lent

While we don't 'celebrate' Lent, we do observe it, by living out and practicing the three pillars of Lent: prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. Where do these three pillars (or acts of righteousness) come from? Straight from the Bible! Read the Gospel of Matthew 6:1-6, 16:18, which is the Gospel reading on Ash Wednesday.

How can you incorporate more prayer at home? Try these ideas with your family:

• Set aside the same time each day to build the habit of praying together as a family. This could be prayer before meals, bedtime prayers, or when driving to school/daycare together.
• Take time for each member to say their prayer intention for the day; which could be praying for a grandparent, a sick friend, or doing well on a test.
• Learn and prayer the 5 Finger Prayer!

St. Joseph's passes out rice bowls every Ash Wednesday to the school children. This year our Faith Formation programs are collecting change for our sister parish in India.

Families could do their own project as well, such as giving to Churches United, the Dororthy Day Food Pantry, and many other local charities. 

Church Regulations Regarding Fast and Abstinence:

• Abstinence from meat is to be observed by all Catholics 14 years old and older on Ash Wednesday and on all the Fridays of Lent.
• Fasting means limiting oneself to one full meal on a given fast day. Catholics who are 18 years of age but not yet 60 are obligated to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
• On fast days, two additional smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength. However, the two smaller meals together may not equal one full meal.  Moreover, eating solid foods between meals on fast days is not permitted.

We Catholics cherish the Good Friday liturgy and the tradition of praying the Stations of the Cross at our parish. While most of us are not able to participate in these holy traditions at our parishes this year, we can still meditate on the Passion of Christ at home.

Here's a three-step guide for honoring Good Friday at home:

1. Gather supplies
Get a Stations of the Cross booklet for each member of your family, or a plaque that displays all the Stations.

2. Pray at 3:00 p.m.
Gather your family together at the hour when Jesus died, or go to a quiet spot in your home where you can meditate.

3. Venerate the Cross
Once you've prayed the Stations of the Cross, and read the readings for the Good Friday liturgy, put a crucifix in a place of honor and spend time in prayer before it.

Source: The Catholic Company