Posted on 03/23/2009 7:32:43 PM PDT by Salvation
Good idea!
I’m reading “The Seal” by a local priest, Fr. Tim Mockaitis about how the State of Oregon challenged the privacy of the confession of a death-row inmate.
Very intriguing at this point.
And you still got my Bach pun on that (anti-)monetarist thread? Very impressive.
Seriously, your purposefulness and its underlying purpose are inspiring.
In addition to another family member, or requested intention, I include my hubby, SirKit, with each Rosary. He's almost got an answer figured out on some extremely difficult Math Research, which could be groundbreaking. Could y'all please include him in your prayers? He's been completely focused on this for several months, after playing with it for the last two years, and he feels like he's almost there!
We also take part in the food gift card program for the Family Services group at a neighboring Parish.
SirKit and I will also lead one of the hours of the 24 Hour Rosary for Life, and Eucharistic Adoration, later this week. We have the midnight hour for the night owls.;o)
I prefer DOING things that are helpful to others, during Lent, rather than 'giving things up', which only affects me.
Thanks for the Fast/Feast, I had never seen it before.
That’s an impressive list. I especially like the 24 hour Rosary for Life.
ping
The 24 Hour Rosary and Adoration begins after Mass at 8:30 on Friday morning and ends with Mass at 8:30 Saturday Morning. They always plan for at least two people to be there at all times, just like they do during their regular Friday Adoration. It's always held on a Friday during Lent.
It sounds great — I’m going to suggest it to my priest. He wants more prayer and spirituality.
Good talk, Vlazny, and I’m sure you’re sincere. But it’s time to walk the walk. As for almsgiving, this Archdiocese is overflowing with money, so when are we getting a Respect Life Office, staffed by one priest at the very minimum? ONE PERSON in a huge archdiocese to work on prolife issues, we don’t have. How about closing down that “progressive” Peace and Justice Office that keeps using our alms to sponsor talks by Democrats, Global Warming Seminars and free attorneys for illegals? What’s this $70 MILLION new campaign you’ve got going in addition to the dozen special collections we already have every year (including the ACORN one). Hired a fancy outside consulting firm to go around and browbeat priests into how to badger parishioners into enrolling in automatic checking account withdrawals. No, I’m sorry, I don’t feel obligated at all to contribute to that because my money goes to feminists, abortionists, and all sorts of leftists nuts. Your excellency, you are clearly sincere about personal holiness, good. But you are clueless about what the heck is wrong with your Archdiocese. Fire about 75% of your staff would be a good start. They all voted for Obama. I wonder if you did.
Tuesday - Novena and Scripture Study (not just during Lent)
Friday - Mass followed by Stations of the Cross
A special presentation later this week on the Passion of the Christ by a local Youth Group.
We also had a special Missions all last week.
Your suggestions are fine, S. But frankly, denying the self through fasting and abstinence, will lead to the virtues and practices you list...and many, many more.
As you know, the Orthodox fast for Great Lent means no meat or meat products (eggs, dairy), no fish with a backbone, virtually no oil, virtually no wine. Most of us do it, at least the no meat part. Of course, we are very bad people and need it. But going the 40+ days without that food is frankly, tough. It makes the joy of Pascha all the greater, however, so much more so that most of us actually look forward to Lent.
Say the rosary WITH your kids when you are in the car for more than 20 minute stretches. My dad did this with me, and I still follow this after 61 years.
I never understood why other Christian denominations don’t observe Lent like Catholics do. No Good Friday Stations of the Cross or anything given up.
That is how St. Therese prayed. During 'dry' spells, she imagined young Jesus playing with a ball and, growing tired, he layed down to take a nap. She was the ball :-)
Like you, I too have a hectic daily schedule. To compensate, I get up 20 minutes earlier and pray the Daily Office. This began as a Lenten project 3 years ago and is now a daily habit. In fact, those prayers are now the food that feeds me throughout the day. At lunch, I need to stretch the legs and take a walk. I use that 15 minute break to walk the halls and pray the rosary with my fingers. Each decade is offered up for a particular cause - the 'snowflake' babies (frozen embryos), government officials (conversion of heart), my pastor and fellow parishioners (emotional support), my co-workers (fallen away Catholics) .... etc. In the evening, I watch EWTN and feed off the words of Fr. Corapi and Fr. William Casey's lenten reflections. I also say the evening prayers from the Divine Office and, if time allows, do some spiritual reading ('The Story of a Soul' is my lenten read and will be followed by 'The Life of Christ' from Archbishop Fulton Sheen).
Might I suggest that you ask our Lord and His Blessed Mother to assist you with your prayers? "Ask and you shall receive ...". They will not fail you.
IMHO, most Catholics give up virtually nothing. We are slaves to appetite and impulse. There is no serious struggle for conversion going on. The Orthodox are an example we should be looking into.
I bet it is -- though I'm guessing it helps to have company. If I understand you, the fast/abstinence discipline include Sundays?
“If I understand you, the fast/abstinence discipline include Sundays?”
Yes, though we are allowed wine on weekends and fish with a backbone on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (March 25th) and Palm Sunday.
As for the having company part, well, yes it does help and in any event recipes get swapped and everyone learns new Lenten meals to prepare. Orthodoxy is very “communal” and fasting together, like worshiping together, is part of our Ortho-praxis.
All of this reminds and teaches us that to the extent we tame and control our appetite, so we die to the self that the “eye of the soul”, the “nous” becomes clearer and better able to focus on the Light of God and thus we advance in theosis.
I have achieved the advanced age where I'm excused from fasting but not from abstinence. But the old metabolism is so goldarn flakey I have to be careful.
But of course, fasting ain't all of it. For the trifecta we gotta have prayer and almsgiving.
But yeah. Lent always excites me, and the stretch from Laetare (and the Annunciation) to Easter is like the assault on the summit. Yowsa! Charge!
LOL!! I know THAT feeling, even when I only had to go without it for a few days prior to a medical procedure!
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