DOCSLIB.ORG

LENT: 40 Days for Purification & Enlightenment

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
LENT: 40 Days for Purification & Enlightenment LENT: 40 Days for Purification & Enlightenment LOGISTICS of LENT Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts six full weeks Lent ends with SUNDOWN on Holy Thursday With sundown on Holy Thursday, the TRIDUUM begins The TRIDUUM is three “holy days” – from sundown on Holy Thursday to sundown Sunday (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, essentially) HOLY WEEK is the final week of Lent, and it begins with Palm Sunday Palm Sunday might also be called “Passion Sunday”: it is our first reading of the Passion of Jesus Christ in the liturgy At the beginning of Mass on Palm Sunday, Catholics receive blessed palms and re-enact the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, before recalling his passion and death Catholics will take the Palms to their homes after Mass and put them in a place of prominence: just before Ash Wednesday, some persons bring the palms back and they are burnt to make the ashes Anyone can receive ashes – you do not have to be Catholic! The DISCIPLINES of LENT: Mandatory FAST & ABSTINENCE (according to Precepts of Church) o Ash Wednesday and Good Friday – all Catholics from 18 to 59 years must fast on Ash Wednesday & Good Friday o Ash Wednesday & All Fridays of lent–Catholics 14 years and older must ABSTAIN from meat o FAST as prescribed by the Catholic Church means only one meal (and that is to be a small, simple meal) and up to two snacks that together do not add up to a second small meal Catholics are all called to embrace three spiritual disciplines: PRAYER, FASTING, ALMSGIVING o PRAYER is the foundation of the spiritual life; it is the place of encounter between us and God. Without prayer we are not able to know the love of God or His will for our lives. All things are possible through prayer, according to the will of God. o FASTING helps us to leave behind all that is not from God, certainly sin, but sometimes even good things. Through fasting God liberates us from distraction, clarifies our desires and our response to Him. When we are hungry and resist the temptation to eat, we tend to remember God more readily. Our minds are often more clear, and certainly our desires can be purified. Every person should choose a form of fasting that is consistent with his/her own life and struggles to be open to God. Our fast should be challenging enough that it really does help us focus on God and his will for us – but not so challenging that it becomes an exercise in pride, taking all our focus to accomplish, distracting us even more from God. It is not often helpful to make the fast known, except maybe to one or two others that can provide encouragement: it is not a community building exercise, but a moment of being radically open to allowing God to do what God wants with our lives. o ALMSGIVING reminds us that we are actually rich because of the love and mercy of God, and that all we possess we have been given for the good of all (ourselves and others). Giving alms helps us to see, really SEE, other persons when our tendency might be to think more of ourselves or look inward. Giving alms helps us to remember that we are all brothers and sisters, all children dependent on our loving God. CONFESSION o All Catholics MUST go to Confession at least once a year (this is a PRECEPT of the Church, see page 334 of the USCCA): Lent is the time set aside to look into our soul and repent from what is bad, give strength to what is good and holy – as we see ourselves clearly, we realize our need for God’s grace and love in our lives. We put on sackcloth and sit in ashes to show our willingness to change our hearts and lives. Confession is central to observing Lent and “returning to God” with all our heart. The Spirituality of Lent: Breaking Open the Scriptures Significance of the 40 days… Noah & the Ark Genesis 6:5-8:22 Jonah, the prophet Book of Jonah Exodus Exodus 13:17-40:38 Jesus, tempted in the desert Mateo 4:1-11; Lucas 4:1- 13; Marcos 1:12-13 In Preparation for Baptism: the Period of Purification & Enlightenment for those seeking Baptism is similar to…. o When the floods which washed (drowned/killed) wickedness and depravity from the earth – while Noah and his family were carried safely through the waters in the Ark for 40 days and 40 nights (NOTE: The flood waters prefigure Baptism; the ark prefigures the Ark of the Covenant - and the Church.) o When the people of Nineveh who humbled themselves immediately by dressing in sackcloth and ashes - presuming nothing, leaving everything, they escaped God's wrath: God "repents" of his plan to destroy Nineveh within 40 days. Jonah, the reluctant prophet, is not happy to see Nineveh repent and be saved. o When the people escaped slavery in Egypt — and then wandered through the desert for 40 years— in this time God led them by a column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night - they received water from the stone, manna & quail, all from God's hands - for forty years they had to depend on God alone, though they often turned their backs on Him and complained about His care o When the People received the 10 Commandments, the great Covenant with God; Moses remained on Mt. Sinai for 40 days and nights, receiving the Commandments written on stone tablets which became the “Ark of the Covenant” o When Jesus confronted the Evil One - and refusing to be dominated by him despite 40 days without food, in the desert: Jesus, in the whole of His life, passion and death took all evil in Himself and conquered it once and for all. Now we enter the new Covenant in Christ Jesus. We enter into this Covenant through Baptism. We begin anew in every Confession and Eucharist. o Our own celebration of the Scrutiny Rites of the RCIA when we join the Elect in prayer and self-scrutiny, that the Elect and all of us may be strengthened in what is righteous, strong and good AND be delivered from all that is weak, defective or sinful. o Meditating on these Scriptures may be especially fruitful: o Matthew 4:1-11 o John 4:5-42 o John 11:1-45 o John 3:1-17 o John 9:1-41 o Matthew 26:14–27 .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Noah and the Ark (Genesis 6-9)
    Noah and the Ark (Genesis 6-9) There once was a man named Noah. Noah was a good man and he walked with God. The rest of the people on earth were bad. When God saw that everyone on the earth did only bad things, he said to Noah, "Because people are doing only bad things, I will destroy all of them. Build a boat out of gopher wood for you and your family. I will bring a flood of water on the earth to destroy all living things. But you and your family will all go into the boat. Also, you must bring into the boat two of every animal, male and female. Also, gather some of every kind of food and store it on the boat so you and the animals won’t be hungry. Noah did everything that God commanded him. Then God said to Noah, "I have seen that you are the only good person, so you and your family can go into the boat with all the animals. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth. It will rain forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe off from the earth every living thing that I have made.” When Noah was six hundred years old, the flood started and Noah and his family got on the ark and it rained for forty days and forty nights. But God remembered Noah, and he made a wind blow over the earth, and the water went down. Noah opened the window in the boat, and he sent out a raven.
    [Show full text]
  • OLD TESTAMENT Bible Story
    OLD TESTAMENT Bible Story STORY TITLE: Noah Builds a Boat BIBLE PASSAGE: Genesis 6:9 - 8:22 KEY POINT: God protects His people COLORING PAGE: Noah's Ark (x6) ACTIVITY: Rockin' Ark; Two-by-Two; Rainbow of Promise Genesis 6:9 - 8:22 Noah Pleases God This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. The Ark Prepared And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.
    [Show full text]
  • Comm Class Teaches Students to Be 'Mindful'
    Features: On Page 3: Arts: & Entertainment On Page 5: Sports On Page 7: Theatre program seeks All-American honors Magoc wins national award donations for ‘Hurst lacrosse Read more inside & online HE EST. 1929 VTOL. 88 NO. 14 MerciadEDNESDAY EBRUARY MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY W , F 25, 2015 Student Union, Hirt flood is no certain date for when the By Nathan Turner restoration and repair is going News Editor to be finished, according to Sue Johnson, Director of A main water pipe in Her- Administraion and Executive rmann Student Union rup- Assistant to the President. tured on Feb. 21 as a result “It’s going to be an exten- of prolonged exposure to sive repair,” said Johnson. extreme cold, causing severe “We are hoping, and this is water damage to the middle at best case, that when kids and lower levels of the build- come back from spring break, ing. it will be done. That’s not a The building is currently guarantee. It could be another closed until further notice in week or so beyond that.” order to clean up the water Replacing the drywall in the and begin to restore the Union will be the most time damage. All offices based in intensive part of the resto- the Student Union have been ration because of the height moved to Egan and Warde. the water reached and the “When you walked in, there extent the water saturated the was already about an inch of wall, according to Johnson. water on the main floor,” said The computers used by the Erin Herschelman, a sopho- Student Activities Committee more Accounting major and and Mercyhurst Student Gov- the Student Activities Com- ernment to conduct business mittee Financial Secretary.
    [Show full text]
  • Journeyfl Feb 22.Pub
    February 22, 2015 EVENTS THIS WEEK DAYS TIMES Morning Worship Today 9:30 am & 11:15 am Journey Kidz Baby Zone (Infant - 24 months) Tot Zone (age 2-5) Live! Zone (K-6th grade) Bible Studies Today 9:30am Korean Fellowship Jr/Sr High (at the office) Prayer Ministry Today 6:30 pm in the Journey office REFUEL Student Ministry Wednesday 6:30 pm at the Pittman’s Ladies’ Coffee Break Thursday 10:00 am Teen Girls Bible Study Saturday 9:30 am At Grounded Coffee Life Groups Meet - check out the flyer on the welcome desk for Sun - Fri Various times specific days and times Love God … Love Others … Love the World! World! the Others … Love God … Love Love Upcoming Events Thank you for choosing to worship with us today! Please fill out a connection card and note any prayer requests and praises on the back. Thank You. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25: REFUEL Attention all Jr/Sr High! This Wednesday, Refuel is at the Pittman’s at 6:30pm-8:00pm. We will have our usual hang out time and activities, and continue our study in Basic Bible Doctrine. If you have questions, contact Adam Schuster at [email protected]. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28: JOURNEY OUTDOORS HIKE The Journey sponsors a monthly hike and this month Steve McDonald is heading it up. It will be a 5.4 mile hike in the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy. As usual, meet at the Journey at 9:00 am to carpool. Contact Steve with other questions at [email protected]. SUNDAY, MARCH 1: MISSIONS TEAM MEETING Join us in the back of the sanctuary right after the second service (about 12:45).
    [Show full text]
  • Passing the Test 2017-03-05-Yeara-Lent1 Forty Days and Nights in the Desert with No Food and Jesus Was Famished. Actually, A
    Passing the Test 2017-03-05-YearA-Lent1 Forty days and nights in the desert with no food and Jesus was famished. Actually, a more literal translation would be that Jesus was hungry. Famished implies an intensification of the language that is not present in the original, except insofar as anyone who hadn’t eaten for forty days and nights would be famished—or perhaps more accurately, dead. Matthew doesn’t intensify the level of Jesus’ hunger because the point of saying forty days and nights wasn’t to describe the literal amount of time that Jesus went without food and his miraculous survival capacity. Instead it was to tie Jesus to an Old Testament legacy of wilderness waiting. 40 days and 40 nights is likely most intended to connect Jesus with the 40 years of wilderness waiting of the Israelites following their escape from Egypt. The connection with the 40 years in the wilderness is probably strongest because all of Jesus’ responses to the devil, which come from passages in Deuteronomy that describe that period in Israel’s history. But there are several other 40-unit periods of waiting in scripture. Noah and his family spent forty days on the ark, waiting for the rain to stop. Moses spent 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai waiting for the two tablets of the covenant. Elijah had a forty day- and forty-night journey through the wilderness to Mt. Horeb where he waited to hear from God. So, you might want to make a note, if you ever find yourself wandering in the desert for some forty-day or forty-year or forty-unit period of time, expect to hear from God.
    [Show full text]
  • Living Faith
    Living Faith Dear Faith Shapers, Even though Lent doesn’t start until March 6, I wanted to get you to start thinking and be prepared for the season of Lent. I hope these resources help you to have a mean- ingful Lenten journey as a family (or congregation). What is Lent All About? (you can find this on the synod website as well) I also included a few Lent is a 40-day liturgical season that begins on Ash things as we think about Wednesday and concludes on Easter. Sundays are not Valentine’s Day and loving included in the 40-day count because every Sunday is a joyful celebration of Jesus' resurrection. Though not not only the ones close to biblical, Lent has long been a tradition in the Christian us, but all of our neighbors Church, and it is thought that the tradition of the 40 days that we are called to love. recalls the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and being tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11), the 40 days and nights Noah and his family spent on the ark Deb Bachman and the 40 years of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness. Focused on the Easter promise of new life and renewed Director of Faith Formation faith, Lent invites us to look honestly at ourselves as we at St. Paul’s Lutheran seek to be strengthened in the call to be Christ’s disciples. Church & School Lent is considered a time of penance, discipline, almsgiving (sharing what we have), prayer (for ourselves and others), and fasting (special resolve to work on greater faithfulness).
    [Show full text]
  • Lent, Holy Week and Easter
    they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe PREPAREFASTGIVEPRAY and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. Mark 15:19-20 CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH March 2015 Lent, Holy Week and Easter We are currently in the midst of the sea- The culmination of Holy Week is our Inside son of LENT, journeying to the cross and celebration of Christ’s victory over ultimately to the empty grave. As Chris- death and the grave with our Easter this issue: tians, we use these forty days for a time Worship services: of reflection, repentance, prayer and Easter almsgiving. Our Wednesday Lenten wor- Saturday, April 4 at 5 pm ship services continue through March From the Pastor’s Study 2 Sunday, April 5 at 6:30 & 9 am 25th with our featured drama: Invited to the Banquet of the King. Did you know…? Church Family News 3 We encourage everyone to attend these Lent is tradition- mid-week opportunities to worship and ally described as reflect. If you missed a week and wish to lasting for forty Mission & Outreach 4 “catch up” on the continuing dramatic days, in com- series, visit our website to view a video. memoration of Each week’s drama is videoed with per- the forty days Youth Ministry 5 mission from the author, Rev. Steven E. which, according King, General Editor at Sola Publishing. to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus Beginning with Palm Sunday, our Holy spent, before beginning his public min- Ministry Opportunities 6-8 Week services remind us of the path of istry, fasting in the desert, where he suffering taken by our Lord and Savior, endured temptation by the Devil.
    [Show full text]
  • Noach Artscroll P.30 | Haftarah P.1131 Hertz P.26 | Haftarah P.41 Soncino P.34 | Haftarah P.56
    13 October 2018 4 Cheshvan 5779 Shabbat ends London 6.59pm Jerusalem 6.46pm Volume 31 No. 6 Noach Artscroll p.30 | Haftarah p.1131 Hertz p.26 | Haftarah p.41 Soncino p.34 | Haftarah p.56 In loving memory of Yaacov ben Shmuel “…On that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth; and the windows of the heavens were opened” (Bereishit 7:11). 1 Sidrah Summary: Noach 1st Aliya (Kohen) – Bereishit 6:9-22 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 9:18-10:32 Noach is introduced as a righteous man who Noach plants a vineyard, eventually drinking its “walked with God”. He had three sons, Shem, wine and becoming drunk. Cham enters Noach’s Ham and Yefet. The people have become tent and disgraces his father; Shem and Yefet thieving and corrupt. Noach is told by God that then protect Noach’s dignity. After Noach wakes He will destroy the world with a flood and up, he realises what has happened and curses commands him to build a wooden Ark with Cham and his descendants, but blesses Shem specific dimensions. Noach and his family are to and Yefet. Noach dies at the age of 950. Cham enter the Ark, as well as a male and female of and Yefet’s descendants are listed, including every non-kosher species of animal and bird (see Cham’s great grandson Nimrod, a mighty warrior p.3 article). and conqueror. Point to Consider: How were Shem’s 2nd Aliya (Levi) – 7:1-16 descendants rewarded for the honour that In addition, seven males and females from each Shem showed his father? (see Rashi to 9:23) species of kosher animal and bird are to enter the Ark.
    [Show full text]
  • Genesis 7:1-16 ~ Commanded 1. the Building of the Ark Has Been
    Genesis 7:1-16 ~ Commanded 1. The building of the ark has been commissioned by the Lord a. Noah has found favor from the Lord, and his family is to be saved b. Now, Noah and his family had to build and prepare i. Gathering supplies and laying their hands to the long hours of labor that would be needed to build the ark ii. No one knows for sure how long the building of the ark took 1. Certainly, using only the tools available, it would have taken decades c. We also don’t know how long the ark had been completed when Chapter 7 opens with the Lord’s command… 2. It’s Time ~ Genesis 7:1-5 a. Pack up and load up i. The ark is ready—completed and prepared to house Noah, his family, and the animals that the Lord will send to board the ark ii. The reason Noah and his family are to be saved is once again repeated by the Lord 1. Noah’s “righteousness” a. Noah has been obedient to the Lord—not sinless, yet obedience has predominated b. Noah has not sought after the evil that the rest of the world has been seeking b. Load the animals into the ark i. Of the unclean animals—only a single pair, male and female ii. Of the clean animals—seven pairs, male and female 1. There is some debate over the exact number intended in the Hebrew a. It could be seven pairs b. It could be seven times seven iii.
    [Show full text]
  • Noach Beresheet (Genesis) 6:9 - 11.32
    Noach Beresheet (Genesis) 6:9 - 11.32 Noah is a righteous individual, unusual in his generation. Our Rabbis devoted a great deal of commentary to this opening statement of the Parshah, wondering if Noah was to be considered righteous only by the low standards of the time, or would he have been considered righteous by other generations as well. The rest of humanity, however, is corrupt and G-d decides to destroy it. G-d commands Noah to build an ark and to bring into it seven pairs (male and female) of all clean animals and one pair of all unclean animals found on earth. Noah also takes along his wife, their three sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their sons’ wives. A great flood, lasting 40 days and nights, covers the earth, destroying all living creatures save Noah, his family, and the paired animals on the ark. Once the flood subsides, Noah and his family inhabit the earth and multiply. G-d’s promise to not destroy the earth again becomes a covenant with the people and is symbolized by the rainbow. Another important event in this Parshah is the story of the tower of Babel. When all the inhabitants of the earth spoke the same language, they decided to build a city and a tower which would reach to the sky in order to make a name for themselves. It was another challenge to G-d’s authority. In response, G-d confounds their speech and scatters them all over the earth. The portion ends with Terach, his son Abram, daughter-in-law Sarai, and grandson Lot settling in Haran.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comparative Study of the Biblical Deluge Myth in Film
    religions Article “Not Your Grandmother’s Bible”—A Comparative Study of the Biblical Deluge Myth in Film Marianna Ruah-Midbar Shapiro * and Lila Moore Department of Mysticism and Spirituality, Zefat Academic College, Safed 1320611, Israel; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 13 August 2019; Accepted: 11 September 2019; Published: 21 September 2019 Abstract: The biblical story of the Flood, which portrays a humanity worthy of annihilation, is the fundamental myth used by generations of interpreters as they radically criticized the society and culture in which they lived. Accordingly, the Deluge myth’s various versions and interpretations over the years mirror ever-changing cultural dilemmas and values. Our comparative–historic study observes this mirror and how changes in modern Western culture are reflected in it through the analysis of selected films. It exemplifies the representation and evolution of the Deluge myth in cinema from its inception to the present day, and demonstrates that the myth’s cinematic adaptation and its infusion with current interpretations turn it into an imminent apocalyptic threat. Apparently, the Flood becomes a relevant concern involving a wide scope of cultural, theological, and ethical issues, e.g., the problem of evil, ecology, the treatment of animals, family values, feminism, the Other, and deification of science and technology. Keywords: popular culture; deluge; flood; apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic films; bible films; ecology; theodicy; ecofeminism; science-fiction; feminism; comparative study 1. “The Myth as Consisting of All Its Versions” (Lévi-Strauss) Several ancient books mention the “Book of Noah”, which fiercely criticizes humanity. However, since this criticism is expressed in varied and contradictory ways, some scholars believe that this book never truly existed, but was rather an imaginary object used to make religious–social criticism (Werman 1999).
    [Show full text]
  • Doubling Gap Church of God Beacon 50 Mccrea Road Newville, PA 17241 717-776-6092
    Doubling Gap Church of God Beacon 50 McCrea Road Newville, PA 17241 717-776-6092 www.doublinggap.org Standing in the GAP with the Gospel FROM THE DESK OF PASTOR DON March 2019 “Time of Preparation” Volume 19, Issue 3 Luke 4:1-14 This month we will observe Ash Wednesday and in so doing begin a time of preparation, what some call Lent, leading up to Holy Week. The symbolism Inside this Issue: of the 40 days was not lost on the early Church as they would have been very familiar with the ‘40’ of scripture; 40 days and nights of rain in the days Pastor Don’s Info 1 of Noah, 40 days that Moses spent on the mountaintop with the Lord, 40 days that the spies explored the promised land, 40 years of wondering in the wilderness for Israel under Moses, the 40 days of temptation in the wilder- Pastor Brian’s Info 3 ness for our Lord as he prepared for the intensifying of his ministry, and 40 days of walking the earth in His resurrected body. So the number 40 has taken on a deeper meaning among the faith community. During Lent, many Schedules 4-5 people decide to give up something as a way of increasing their focus and attention on prayer and/or personal devotions. Often this ‘giving up’ involves Women’s Ministries 6 food and there is nothing wrong with that. But in the past several years I have been challenged and have extended that challenge to the body here at Financial 7 the GAP, to not give something up for Lent but to give something over to the Lord for Lent.
    [Show full text]