Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 22 February. The season of Lent is a time in which we do penance and prepare ourselves for the wonder of Easter. We pray more. We make a greater effort to financially help those in need. (This is called almsgiving.) We make special efforts to make amends for our sinfulness (penance), and we curb our physical desires by restricting our intake of food.
Fasting means that we eat only one full meatless meal and two smaller meals with no snacking between meals. This obligation is applied on Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent) and Good Friday. This law applies to Catholics aged 18-59.
Abstinence means that we eat no meat (including poultry) or meat by-products. We observe abstinence from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent. This regulation applies to all Catholics over the age of 14.
People who are ill or have particular medical conditions, and women who are pregnant, are not obligated to observe these regulations. Of course, people in these circumstances are urged to pray, do penance, and help the less fortunate as a sign of their repentance and sorrow. ~Loyola Press
“And no small tempest lay on us …” – The Story of a Storm That St. Paul
Endured and What It Has to Teach Us About Sin
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With yesterday’s feast of Pentecost, our reading of Acts suddenly ends and
hence we miss some important stories of Paul’s journey to Rome. This is
perhap...
1 day ago
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