Do You Want to Fast This Lent?
In the words of Pope Francis:
Fast from hurting words … and say kind words.
Fast from sadness … and be filled with gratitude.
Fast from anger … and be filled with patience.
Fast from pessimism … and be filled with hope.
Fast from worries … and have trust in God.
Fast from complaints … and contemplate simplicity.
Fast from pressures … and be prayerful.
Fast from bitterness … and fill your hearts with joy.
Fast from selfishness … and be compassionate to others.
Fast from grudges … and be reconciled.
Fast from words … and be silent so you can listen.
Pope Francis gives us profound words for our Lenten journey. Lent is a season of prayer, fasting, and giving to those in need, It is a time we turn away from sin and believe the Good News. We enter into this call of conversion by reflecting on the life, mission, passion and death of Our Lord.
Lent is a time of dedicated positive actions (as suggested by Pope Francis or by increasing our prayer life, or saying one positive thing to a person each day, etc.) or an act of self-denial ( e.g. giving up sweets, limiting television viewing, etc.) as a way to reflect on the sufferings of Jesus and His undying love for us.
Lent is a time of almsgiving…of making personal sacrifices for the poor. So many in our school community are struggling due to unemployment and Covid related issues. As a school, we are gathering food and personal hygiene items to be distributed to those in need.
Lent is a time of prayer. It is a time to reflect on our own spiritual journey as we walk with the Lord during these forty days of Lent. Our school Lenten schedule includes:
- Morning Prayer — Lenten Scripture readings/prayers
- Ash Wednesday Liturgy — Grades 9 and 12
- Ash Wednesday Liturgy — Grades 10 and 11
*The Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has modified the method of distributing ashes for this year only in light of the pandemic. The priest or Eucharistic minister will say the formula: “Repent and believe in the Gospel” once for all present. Then they will take the ashes and sprinkle them on the head of each person without saying anything. This change minimizes the necessity of physical contact between the minister and recipient and removes the need to speak in close proximity.
During Lent, we will also be scheduling these opportunities for prayer:
- Class Mass — Grade 9
- Class Mass — Grade 10
- Class Mass — Grade 11
- Class Mass — Grade 12
- Stations of the Cross — March 29
Theology classes will make regular visits to the chapel for Lenten prayer experiences.
Food and Personal Hygiene Service Project is scheduled for Feb. 17 to March 29.
Sue Trewella
Cardinal Mooney High School Campus Minister
Click here to download our full February 14, 2021 bulletin (PDF Format)