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Newsmagazine Bringing the Good News to the Diocese of Fort Worth Vol. 27 No. 2 March 2011 Pure Reality Rally off ers a Christian vision for relationships between men and women And the T-shirts off er a challenge (NTC photo/Joan Kurkowski-Gillen) Story and Photos by Joan Kurkowski-Gillen Rally speakers offer a Christian take on the holiness of marital love, the integrity of body, mind, and spirit Christine Aubert played a testimony with 1,100 young people Evert; Stephanie Balser, a member part of the pro-life movement attending the Pure Reality Rally of the Texas-based Th eology of before she was ever born. Her held Feb. 12 at the Metro Center in the Body Evangelization Team; ultrasound image, taken at eight Arlington. Sponsored by the Youth Steve Pokorny, associate director weeks gestation, became a pivotal for Life offi ces of the dioceses of of the Offi ce of Family Life for moment in her father’s conversion. Fort Worth and Dallas, the event the Archdiocese of San Antonio; (CNS photo/Lisa A. Johnston) As a young man, Chris Aubert is an opportunity to help young and Aubert who lectures on the believed abortion was a woman’s people strengthen their moral abortion issue from the male The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, March 9 choice and stood by as two former convictions in regard to chastity perspective. Fort Worth Bishop Msgr. John Shamleff er places ashes on the forehead of a child during Ash Wednesday girlfriends terminated pregnancies. and the Culture of Life. Kevin Vann and Dallas Bishop Mass in 2010 at St. Joseph's Church in Clayton, Missouri. The Catholic Church observes the His opinion quickly changed Th e rally began with a Kevin Farrell concelebrated a start of Lent by marking baptized Christians with a public and communal sign of penance. after viewing the grainy picture praise and worship concert closing Mass with the teens. of a perfectly formed daughter in by Joe Languell and featured Fifteen-year-old Christine This year Ash Wednesday is March 9. (CNS photo/Lisa A. Johnston) utero. Th e skeptic turned pro-life presentations by nationally- Aubert, who attended the rally with advocate and father shared his recognized chastity speaker Jason SEE PURE, P. 20 PAGE 2 NORTH TEXAS CATHOLIC, MARCH 2011 ShepherdOur Speaks Growing closer to Christ during the season of Lent Dear Brothers and Th ere are many things that we can do desire to understand its true content: what during the season of Lent to bring about does the biblical text say in itself? Without Sisters in Christ, penance, conversion, and atonement for this, there is always a risk that the text will n these days, we fi nd ourselves in sin. One way is certainly through fasting become a pretext for never moving beyond the early Sundays of Ordinary Time and abstaining from meat. Ash Wednesday our own ideas. Next comes meditation Ibetween the end of the celebration of and Good Friday are both days of fast and (meditatio), which asks: what does the the Christmas season and the beginning abstinence, and all Fridays during Lent are biblical text say to us? Here, each person, of the season of Lent. Th is time is called days of abstaining from meat. While these individually but also as a member of the Ordinary Time, not that there is something are days in which fasting and abstinence is an community, must let himself or herself less important or less interesting than other obligation, we can also fast during other days be moved and challenged. Following times and seasons in the Liturgical Year, as a way of doing penance and mortifi cation. this comes prayer (oratio), which asks the but because the season is governed by the Fasting is a powerful way of not only doing question: what do we say to the Lord in Sundays that are counted by the ordinal penance, but curbing the desires of the fl esh response to his word? Prayer, as petition, numbers, that is the third, sixth, fourteenth and increasing in virtue and self-control. intercession, thanksgiving and praise, is the Sunday, etc. It is during this time that we Another way we can grow closer to primary way by which the word transforms continue to journey with the Lord and Christ during the season of Lent is through us. Finally, lectio divina concludes with ponder the mysteries of his life and saving an increase in prayer and in practicing contemplation (contemplatio), during mission, and work to allow the grace of the many rich devotions the Church has which we take up, as a gift from God, his Christ to illuminate our hearts and minds as provided for us over the centuries. Prayer own way of seeing and judging reality, and Bishop Kevin Vann we continue on our pilgrimage of faith as the is the way we off er our hearts to God, and ask ourselves what conversion of mind, Body of Christ, the Church. Th e color for in preparation for his public ministry. After the more that we take the time to pray, the heart and life is the Lord asking of us? In Ordinary Time is green, which is the color the legalization of Christianity in the Roman deeper our relationship with Christ will be. the Letter to the Romans, Saint Paul tells of hope because we await in joyful hope the Empire the 40 day penitential season of Lent It is important to remember that ultimately us: “Do not be conformed to this world, coming of the Lord and always live our lives became much more universal and is even prayer should be from the heart, and that but be transformed by the renewal of your with great hope in the promises of Christ. mentioned in the disciplinary canons of the even the shortest spontaneous prayer from mind, that you may prove what is the In a few short weeks, we will once again Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. Since this the heart can be very powerful. In fact, our will of God, what is good and acceptable begin the season of Lent which is quite a bit time, the 40 days of Lent and its penitential everyday lives can be fi lled with prayer, if we and perfect” (12:2). Contemplation aims later this year due to the lateness of Easter. focus has been universally observed in the are open to the Holy Spirit and simply talk at creating within us a truly wise and Lent is a time that is set aside by the Church Church. to God throughout our day. In the words of discerning vision of reality, as God sees to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Ash Wednesday, celebrated on March St. John Chrysostom: “It is possible to off er it, and at forming within us “the mind Christ’s death and Resurrection during 9 this year, begins the season of Lent with fervent prayer even while walking in public of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). Th e word of God Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum of the sober reminder: Remember that you or strolling alone, or seated in your shop,… appears here as a criterion for discernment: Holy Th ursday, Good Friday, and Easter. are dust and to dust you shall return.” while buying or selling,…or even while it is “living and active, sharper than any Lent is given to us as a time to examine our Ash Wednesday reminds all of us of two cooking.” two-edged sword, piercing to the division lives, to seek a deeper and more profound important things. First, it is a reminder Finally, reading and praying with of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, conversion to Christ, and to make reparation that God created us “out of the dust of the Sacred Scripture can be another very and discerning the thoughts and intentions for sin through prayer and almsgiving. As ground” (Genesis 2:7) and that we were powerful and fruitful Lenten devotion that of the heart” (Heb 4:12). We do well also Th e Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the created by God and are called to live in the can signifi cantly deepen our relationship to remember that the process of lectio Second Vatican Council states, "Th e two goodness and grace of Christ. We do not live with Christ. One way of praying with and divina is not concluded until it arrives at elements which are especially characteristic this life for ourselves, but for others and are contemplating with Scripture that has been a action (actio), which moves the believer of Lent — the recalling of baptism or the called to live a life of faith, hope, and love. part of the Church’s life for centuries is lectio to make his or her life a gift for others in preparation for it, and penance — should be Secondly , it reminds us that we will all at divina. Pope Benedict XVI on his recent charity (Verbum Domini, 86). given greater emphasis in the liturgy and in some point suff er death and will face our Apostolic Exhortation on the Word of God in liturgical catechesis. It is by means of them own particular judgment before Christ of the Mission of the Church, Verbum Domini As we approach the season of Lent and that the Church prepares the faithful for the how we lived our lives and cooperated with highlighted and encouraged lectio divina as enter into it, you will certainly be in my celebration of Easter, while they hear God's the graces that were given us.