Season of Lent
The 2010 Season of Lent
Weekly Reflection - First Week of Lent:
Reflection on the Music –
TAKE, O TAKE ME AS I AM
Each Sunday of Lent during our communion procession we sing this refrain:
Take, O take me as I am.
Summon out what I shall be.
Set your seal upon my heart
and live in me.
These are words by John Bell, drawn in part from the scriptures. They are a Lenten prayer that could be sung also at home, perhaps at a regular time each day (before the evening meal or at bedtime).
Each Sunday the cantor sings verses. They have the same melody as our refrain so these too can be sung at home. (If you are not comfortable enough with this melody to sing it at home, these words can also be sung to the familiar melody of “At the Cross Her Station Keeping.”) The cantor ends each verse with words that lead back into our refrain: “But you, O Lord . . .” On the First Sunday of Lent, the cantor’s verses include:
Eve and Adam’s distant child,
Fasting Jesus not beguiled:
Strengthen us this Lenten while.
The church tells the story of Jesus’ fast and temptations this Sunday and in doing this remembers Adam and Eve. The Genesis story of how they gave in to temptation sets the stage for their descendant Jesus, who does not give in. And so we pray to this Jesus for strength during our Lent.
How in fasting shall we thrive?
Battle greed and greed deprive?
God’s own word in us alive!
Fasting is hard but isn’t about misery. It’s about joy. Clarity. Life. It is a struggle to overcome all sorts of greed (and so fasting isn’t limited to fasting from food). Fasting, we are to fill ourselves with God’s word.
One of the verses we will hear each Sunday has these words:
Marked with ashes we have come,
We, the world so troublesome,
We, the members; Christ our sum.
We wear ashes, the remains of what has been destroyed, the whispered promise of new life. It is our Lenten mark. We wear ashes because we are the world that God loves no matter what. We who wear the ashes are the body of Christ, the beloved of God.
Fasting –
The Gospel turns our attention to fasting as a way to connect ourselves to God and the mission to which he calls us. The church’s call to fast is not to punish or add an undue burden.
“In our own day, fasting seems to have lost something of its spiritual meaning, and has taken on, in a culture characterized by the search for material well-being, a therapeutic value for the care of one’s body. Fasting certainly brings benefits to physical well-being, but for believers, it is, in the first place, a “therapy” to heal all that prevents them from conformity to the will of God. In the Apostolic Constitution Pænitemini of 1966, the Servant of God Paul VI saw the need to present fasting within the call of every Christian to “no longer live for himself, but for Him who loves him and gave himself for him … he will also have to live for his brethren“(cf. Ch. I). Lent could be a propitious time to present again the norms contained in the Apostolic Constitution, so that the authentic and perennial significance of this long held practice may be rediscovered, and thus assist us to mortify our egoism and open our heart to love of God and neighbor, the first and greatest Commandment of the new Law and compendium of the entire Gospel (cf. Mt 22, 34-40).
The faithful practice of fasting contributes, moreover, to conferring unity to the whole person, body and soul, helping to avoid sin and grow in intimacy with the Lord. Saint Augustine, who knew all too well his own negative impulses, defining them as “twisted and tangled knottiness” (Confessions, II, 10.18), writes: “I will certainly impose privation, but it is so that he will forgive me, to be pleasing in his eyes, that I may enjoy his delightfulness” (Sermo 400, 3, 3: PL 40, 708). Denying material food, which nourishes our body, nurtures an interior disposition to listen to Christ and be fed by His saving word. Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God.”” – Pope Benedict’s 2009 Lenten Message. To read more go to the Vatican’s website and click on Liturgical Year.
Let us pray that our Lenten journey will strengthen us in the struggle against all forms of temptation.
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Lenten Regulations
All who have reached their 14th year are bound to:
- Abstinence from meat on Ash Wednesday, all Fridays in Lent, and Good Friday
- Fasting (until the age of 60) -- this means limiting oneself to one full, meat-less meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (two smaller meals may be taken to maintain strength)
- One should not dispense oneself from these practices except for grave reasons, such as health, and they should try to substitute some other penitential practice, such as praying a rosary, reading Scripture, or fasting from television.
Ash Wednesday Mass… February 17, 2010, 8:00 AM and 7:30 PM
Parish Lenten Programs…
Mini-Parish Mission - Baptism – Our Call to a Life of Conversion
Sunday, February 28th – 2 to 4 pm - Church
Monday, March 1st – 6:30 to 8:30 pm - Church
(Nursery Provided)
Lent is a time “to deepen and renew our own baptismal commitment” (NDC 37 A.). Holy Family’s Lenten Mission will focus on that commitment of life long conversion, renewing one’s understanding of and one’s commitment to love God (a.k.a . Change of heart). Music, water, prayer, community, and reflection will envelope participants in each session to help lead them to better understand and renew their Baptismal call.
The Monday and Sunday sessions will both be unique, so one could go to one or the other. However, Monday’s session will build upon Sunday’s session, so we encourage, those who are able to, to attend both sessions.
Adults at any spiritual level are invited to attend this free event. The nursery will be open and staffed with volunteers for children ages 0 to 8. If you intend to bring children, please contact Ricardo in the parish office (301-373-4800 ext. 13) to RSVP.
About the Presenter: Martin Iott OP is a Dominican friar of the Southern Province. Most of his 37 years as a priest have been spent full time in the ministry of preaching - retreats and parish missions. He has served in parish ministry and as a university and hospital chaplain. He has been involved over many years in various aspects of initial formation for Dominican novices and students. He has maintained a special interest in Eastern Christian theology, spirituality and liturgy, with a special emphasis on the spirituality of the icon.
Lenten Bible Studies:
Wednesday Bible Study – will be starting February 17th and continue until March 24th. Sessions start at 10:00 am at the church. The Seven Last Words of Christ by Rich Cleveland (The Word Among Us) is the text being used. The cost is $10 per book. If you have any questions or would like to sign-up, contact Ricardo Valdez in the parish office or via email (rvaldez@hfccmd.org).
Small Discussion Groups – Sign-ups for the groups start this weekend and will go until they are full or the Monday before Ash Wednesday. Groups start meeting the week of Ash Wednesday (February 17th) until the week before Holy Week (March 22nd) a total of 6 sessions. They will be using The Seven Last Words of Christ by Rich Cleveland (The Word Among Us) as a guide for the groups. The cost of the text is $10. Sign-ups are happening in the Legacy Room after the weekend liturgies until February 14th 2010. People are also welcome to stop by the parish office throughout the week (M-F: 9-5).
The Seven Last Words of Christ by Rich Cleveland (The Word Among Us) – Is the text being used in our Lenten Small Groups. “The Seven Last Words of Christ from the cross, as recorded in the gospels, have been the subject of many traditional devotions and prayers over the centuries, especially for Lent and Holy Week. These seven short sentences, uttered by Jesus as he endured his crucifixion, are filled with significance and meaning. They are both brief and poignant, capturing the depths of Jesus’ mercy, physical suffering, emotional torment, and spiritual isolation. If we want to mediate on Christ’s experience of the Passion, we can turn to the Master himself as he spoke to those nearest to him and to his Father.” (First paragraph of the Introduction).
Labyrinth:
Due to the weather cancelations over the past two weekends, the Labyrinth, planned for Feb. 10-11-12 has been postponed. A future Spring date is planned. Look for further information in the bulletin.
Come and spend an hour or so in a unique prayer experience.
A labyrinth can have a transforming effect; to walk a labyrinth is to invite change.
As Lent approaches, why not risk letting God into your life in this unique way.
The labyrinth will be available from Wednesday, February 10th through Friday, February 12th.
So that each participant in the Labyrinth can have adequate spacing, it is helpful to schedule each person a time slot. Please contact the parish office to sign up for a time when you will not be hurried or distracted.
Days and Times Labyrinth is available:
Wednesday, Feb. 10th - 9:00 am to 900 pm – Church
Thursday, Feb. 11th - 9:00 am to 900 pm – Church
Friday, Feb. 12th - 900 am to 900 pm – Church
Soup and Stations of the Cross
Parishioners of all ages are invited for soup in the Legacy Room. A small donation per family is asked to defray costs.
After soup families are invited to attend a prayer and reflection on the Stations of the Cross in the church. While children are more than welcome to participate in the Stations of the Cross they are also invited to work on crafts with volunteers from the Elementary and Family Faith Formation Committee four of the six Fridays. Nursery will be available for children ages 0 to 5 each of the six Fridays during the Stations of the Cross.
| Soup and Stations Schedule 2010 |
| Friday, February 19th | Soup 6:30 to 7:15 pm K-5 Craft 7:30 to 8:30 pm Stations 7:30 to 8:30 pm |
| Friday, February 26th | Soup 6:30 to 7:15 pm K-5 Craft 7:30 to 8:30 pm Stations 7:30 to 8:30 pm |
| Friday, March 5th | Soup 6:30 to 7:15 pm First Friday 7:00 to 9:00 pm Stations 7:30 to 8:30 pm |
| Friday, March 12th | Soup 6:30 to 7:15 pm K-5 Craft 7:30 to 8:30 pm Stations 7:30 to 8:30 pm |
| Friday, March 19th | Fish Fry 6:00 to 7:30 pm Stations 7:30 to 8:30 pm |
| Friday, March 26th | Soup 6:30 to 7:15 pm K-5 Craft 7:30 to 8:30 pm Stations 7:30 to 8:30 pm |
Volunteers are still needed to help prepare soups, serve, and clean up. Teen and adult help is also needed for the K-5 Crafts. Contact Ricardo Valdez to volunteer in the parish office (301-473-4800 ext. 13) or via email (rvaldez@hfccmd.org).
Regional LENTEN Reconciliation Services…
Monday, March 15th - St. Katharine Drexel – Frederick, 7:30 pm
Tuesday, March 16th – St. John’s – Frederick, 7:30 pm
Tuesday, March 23rd – St. Ignatius – Ijamsville, 7:30 pm
Thursday, March 25th – Holy Family – Middletown, 7:30 pm
Come celebrate the Lord’s forgiveness in scripture, song, and prayer. Children and young people are also invited to attend this special service of God’s healing love.
The Light is On for You –
Reconciliation on Wednesday Nights in Lent
This year during Lent, our parish is participating in an Archdiocesan-wide reconciliation program initiated by Archbishop O’Brien called The Light is On for You. On three consecutive Wednesdays in Lent – February 24, March 3, and March 10 – the sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered here from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Every Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Baltimore will have confessions available on these Wednesdays and we invite you to join us here for this sacrament. If you have been reluctant to come to the sacrament or have been away for some time or just found it difficult to get to a Saturday afternoon confession time, this is a great opportunity to receive penance.
