Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great LifeQuesters on the Web

LENT 2015 The Great Fast : 101

The Great Fast or complete men and women possessing the life, grace and Len—there are joy of God which completes and heals our nature as three others on human beings. the Byzantine The early Christians kept vigil during the last few days calendar: before of Holy Week. As time went on, the vigil was extended Christmas, before to approximately forty days. It was a period in which the the Dormition catechumens (candidates to become Christians) were (August 15) and given a last intensive preparation for baptism, chrismation before Ss. Peter and the Eucharist. It was also the time when the penitants and Paul (June 29) (“big time” sinners, such as lapsed Christians) did - the seven week penance, relearning the basic and beautiful lesson of the period of mystery and dignity of being a Christian and our way of preparation life in the Lord. They were reconciled with the rest of before the the faithful at the end of Lent. Since the season was type celebration of (Continued on page 3) Pascha (Easter). It is like a retreat held by the whole Church: a time of spiritual renewal, a time of Inside this issue: repentance.

Great Fast 101 1 Lent Is About Repentance Repentance is not “giving up”; it is a turning back to Events to Celebrate the Year 2 God who we realize is the very source and goal of our of Consecrated Life life. He is our life. By repentance we realize we aren’t Rooted in Love - The Life and 2 where we should be; we are far from our Father. Our Death Story of Sr. Dorothy happiness, our wholeness, our sense of identity, well- Stang being and joy flow from being close to God as the very , Scriptures & 4 center of our lives. So Lent, the time for repentance, is Solemnities the time to rediscover this truth, to be convinced of it and make it more of a conscious reality in our everyday House of Prayer 2015 Program 4 lives. In Pascha, the Easter mystery, Christ gives us a Schedule chance to be “born again” as children of God: as

For further information about the Year of Consecrated Life, visit www.nrvc.net. Upcoming events hosted by the Sisters of St. Basil are listed on page 2. The list will be updated as more events are confirmed. Visit www.sistersofstbasil.org for the most complete information. Page 2

Events to Celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life

In celebration of the Year of Consecrated Life, the Sisters of St. Basil are planning the following events throughout 2015. Please visit www.sistersofstbasil.org for the most up-to-date information.

February 2, 2015  Helping Hands Day, June 6

World Day of Consecrated Life - Give thanks for Religious.  Pilgrimage Prep Day, August 22

May 29-31, 2015 Parish groups or individuals assisting on scheduled dates between August 24 and September 6 Young Adult Retreat and Prayer Weekend with the Sisters of St. Basil August 2015 through Pascha Season, 2016

Summer 2015: Days of Mission and Service with Companioning Experiences - opportunities for women to Religious shadow a Sister of St. Basil in prayer, community life and ministry.

Events will include joining the Sisters of St. Basil in their ministries or special projects such as:

Rooted in Love - The Life and Death Story of Sr. Dorothy Stang Written and performed by Sr. Nancy Murray, OP (Sister of )

On Sun., Feb. 8, 2015, at the , Para, a section of Sr. Dorothy was a member of O’Connor Auditorium Trinity ’s Amazon rainforest. the Sisters of Notre Dame de Washington University,125 Namur, an international Michigan Ave NE Washington, A citizen of Brazil and the Catholic religious order of DC, there will be a free United States, Sr. Dorothy women serving on five presentation of Rooted in worked with the Pastoral continents. Love - The Life and Death Land Commission, an Story of Sr. Dorothy Stang. organization of the Catholic The presentation is sponsored Church that struggles for the by Billiart Center for Social “We must be poor with the Moved by the words of rights of rural workers and Justice Trinity Washington poor and recapture a tender John XXIII, Sr. Dorothy Stang peasants, and defends land University. moved to Brazil in 1966 to reforms in Brazil. Her death and kind relationship with help poor farmers build came less than a week after For information and Mother Earth. Then we will independent futures for their meeting with the country’s reservation, contact: Sr. know how to act.” families. She was shot to death human rights officials about Camilla Burns, SND via email: [email protected]. - Sr. Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN on Sat. Feb. 12, 2005, in threats to local farmers from illegal loggers and ranchers. NEWSLETTER TITLE Page 3

The Great Fast : 101 of “boot-camp” in others, establishing a true Eastern program of fasting those gifts—and the gifts that for the catechumens and communion with them in the would mean: you are—sacramentally. All penitents, all the faithful Lord. 1. Abstaining from all things are potentially entered into the instructions, Fasting food and drink from sacramental, since they are prayers, fasting and preparation midnight until noon on all intended for communion with The reason for giving up as well as a type of renewal and weekdays; and, God and with each other. “refresher” course” in their something is that something When we share the goods of own living of the new life in better may take its place: 2. Not eating any meat earth in love, we are “in Christ given to us at Pascha. especially the things of God. or dairy products communion”, in fellowship in We fast so the we may “lay during the whole time of and with the Lord. aside all earthly cares, that we Lent. How are you handling your Lent Is About Being may receive the King of all”. The minimum asked by our material possessions? They are Does your life depend on food? Don’t “do”: rather “be” a Church for Lent is that we not ends in themselves, but You must eat to live, but no Lenten Christian. Live a keep this fast on at least the they are to produce that matter how much you eat, you Lenten style of life. Remember following days: the first day of communion. Are they? Look are going to die. Life depends, the basics: you are trying to Great Lent and the last three around you, and the Lord will not on food, but on God, the turn more fully to God days of the Great Week (the show you how to give alms, Giver of life. We fast to (repentance) and taste more abstinence from meat applies and exactly what you should experience that on a deep fully the beauty and dignity that to all Fridays of the year). As share. One idea is to save the level. Fasting has been are yours as a child of God. an intermediate step, some money gained by fasting and prescribed by Christ Himself. You must think about that— people are accustomed to use it for charitable purposes. The Church can and should which means eliminating some observe the entire first week, remove from the realm of Lent actually begins on Clean distractions—and seriously the whole of Great Week and obligation this or that exercise Monday, the day after the last turn to Him. The Church has every Wednesday and Friday. of fasting, but the Church of these pre-Lenten Sundays, three traditional helps for this: Each family or person should cannot dispense us from Cheese-Fare Sunday. And fasting, prayer and almsgiving. understand why we fast (the Christ’s command to fast. since the Church day always These three are spiritual purpose, pray over it begins at sunset, our first We must comply with that recommended by the and then decide what is to be Lenten service is on Sunday command as best we can. And, Scriptures and Tradition. They done in this regard during the evening. We have the beautiful of course, the abstaining from get to the very root of holy season. Forgiveness Vespers, at which we food should lead to an repentance, which is turning are reconciled with each other abstaining from sin and evil back to God. They help strip before beginning the Lenten intentions. Almsgiving away the glitter of a false self, a journey and usually have the false view of the world and In practice, fasting is Material gifts were given to opportunity for the sacrament others (secularism) and aid in expressed through abstaining us by God as gifts over which of penance. discovering our true identity, from certain foods for certain we are to be responsible our relation to God, others, times. To follow our full stewards. You are to use the world and ourselves. Fasting helps us discover our true hunger for God at the root of our being and our total Monday, February 16 marks the beginning of the Great Fast dependence on Him as the source of our life and strength. “This is the time of repentance! This is the day of salvation, the arrival of the Serious prayer puts us in Fast! Be watchful, my soul, close all the doors to passion, and look to the Lord communion with Him. alone.” - Matins for Pure Monday: Canon, Ode One Almsgiving helps us share God, His gifts and ourselves with Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great

Mount St. Macrina 500 West Main Street Saints, Scriptures & Solemnities Uniontown, PA 15401 Sun., Feb. 8 Sun., Mar. 1 Phone: 724-438-7149 Sunday of Meat 2nd Sunday of the Great Fax: 724-438-8660 Fare Fast E-mail: [email protected] 1 Cor 8:8-9:2 Heb 1:10-2:3 Mt 25:31-46 Mk 2:1-12

Sun., Feb. 15 Sun., Mar. 8 Sunday of 3rd Sunday of the Great Cheesefare Fast Rom 13:11-14:4 Veneration of the Cross Mt. 6:14-21 Heb 4:14-5:6; Mk 8:34-9:1 www.sistersofstbasil.org

Mon., Feb. 16 Sun., Mar. 15 First Day of the 4th Sunday of the Great Great Fast Fast Pamphilius & Others John Climacus Venerable Martyrs Heb 6:13-20 Gen 1:1-13; Prov 1:1- Mk 9:17-31 20 Wednesday, March 25

Sun., Feb. 22 Wed., Mar. 25 1st Sunday of the Annunciation of the Annunciation of the Great Fast Theotokos Heb 11:24-26.32-12:2 Heb 2:11-18

Jn 1:43-51 Lk 1:24-38

House of Prayer - 2015 Program Schedule

Lenten Morning Retreat Poustinia Weekend Sat., Feb. 28, 9:15 a.m. - 1 p.m. Mar. 13-15, 7 p.m. Fri. - 11 a.m., Sun. Presenter: Rev. Thomas Dansak Registration due: February 13. Offering: $85 Registration Due: Feb. 23. Offering: $30, includes lunch Praying with Scripture Tuesday, March 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Lenten Afternoon Retreat Presenter: Sr. Carol Join our mailing list and Sun., March 1, 1:15 p.m.-5 p.m. Registration Due: March 12. Offering: $30, subscribe to Presenter: Very Rev. Robert Pipta includes lunch Registration due: Feb. 24. Offering: $30, includes LifeQuesters on the supper Women’s Overnight Scripture Retreat Web: April 24-25, 6 p.m., Fri. - 4 p.m., Sat. Healing Retreat Presenter: To Be Announced Sat., March 7, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Registration Due: April 17. Offering: $85 Presenter: Father William Kiel Registration Due: March 2. Offering: $35, includes Young Adult Weekend Retreat Contact lunch May 29-31, 7 p.m., Fri. - 11 a.m., Sun. Sister Barbara Jean at Presenter: Sr. Barbara Jean & Young Adult Team Monday Reading Series Men and Women - Ages 18-35 [email protected] March 9, 16, 23, 30, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Registration Due: May 22. Offering: $100 Presenter: Sr. Barbara Jean Registration Due: March 2. Free will offering