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Lenten Practices

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Lenten Practices Lenten Practices Fasting and Abstinence During Lent we are asked to fast and abstain. The word fast means “to go with little or no food.” Fasting also can mean to give up one or more favorite foods or beverages, or even to give up a favorite activity. We might also fast from selfish acts or hurtful words. As a whole church we fast from food on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Individually, we often choose to fast from something we like, such as sweets, snacks, or a particular activity, for Lent, asking each other, “What are you giving up for Lent?” The word abstain means “to do without one kind of food or beverage.” The Church asks us to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent. Way of the Cross / Stations of the Cross One way we remember Jesus’ sacrifice and great love for us is by recalling his journey to Calvary. Calvary is the hill where Jesus died. We call this special devotion the Way of the Cross or the Stations of the Cross. Sometimes Christians visit the Holy Land, Israel, and actually walk the same path as Jesus. More often we reflect and pray at the stations (plaques, pictures or statues) in our church. There is no one way to pray this traditional Lenten devotion. Sometimes the priest, deacon, or lay minister leads the group from station to station inside the church, or outside on parish grounds. Sometimes we reflect and pray on our own. At each station we recall what took place at that point in Jesus’ journey to Calvary. We pause for silent prayer, and then sing a hymn. Often an extra station of the cross is added to the first fourteen. This 15th station represents the Resurrection and tells of our belief that Jesus’ story didn’t end with his death on the cross. We remember with joy that Jesus sacrifice end in new life for him and for us. Prayer Space Some families create a special prayer space in their home where they share family prayers during Lent. You may want to cover a table with a purple cloth and then place items which remind your family of God on this table: a cross or crucifix, a Bible, a candle, etc. Explain that purple is the traditional color for Lent. It signifies sorrow for sin and our willingness to do penance. Also, point out that the cross is the most important Christian symbol. We, too, must be willing to take you our own cross if we wish to follow Jesus. This Lent Perhaps this year your family will mark Lent in a special way. One possibility is the attached Lenten Cross. It has 40 different activities, one for each day of Lent. As we sacrifice and perform each activity, we remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross in a special way. .
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    Appendix 5 — Stations of the Cross Appendix 5 — Stations of the Cross Praying the Stations of the Cross (or “Way of the Cross”) is a popular devotion among Catholics. Praying the stations may be done at any time of the liturgical year, but it is most fitting during Lent, when we focus on the reality of what Jesus did for us and prepare to celebrate his resurrection at Easter. The stations involve a series of prayers and meditations on the suffering and death of Jesus. The person praying the Stations of the Cross moves, figuratively, through fourteen scenes that depict events in Jesus’ Passion on the Friday of his crucifixion. These fourteen scenes are generally depicted on the walls of Catholic churches in the form of artwork, which may be paintings or various forms of sculpture or simply fourteen crosses. They are often numbered with Roman numerals. You will also encounter Stations of the Cross out-of-doors at retreat centers and sometimes along the driveway or pathway into a shrine. The minimum, essential thing to properly practice this devotion (when you “do the Stations”), is to (1) name and contemplate the scene at each station, and (2) pray a brief, heartfelt prayer. It is also common but not critical to sing one verse of Stabat Mater Dolorósa (“At the Cross Her Station Keeping”) while moving from one station to the next. The traditional fourteen stations are: 1. Jesus is condemned to death 8. Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem 2. Jesus takes up his Cross 9. Jesus falls the third time 3.
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