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LENT AT ST. MICHAEL
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Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross are a 14-step Catholic devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ's last day on Earth as a man. The 14 devotions, or stations, focus on specific events of His last day, beginning with His condemnation.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?
Here at St. Michael, the faithful are provided English guides for our Stations of the Cross. The priest/deacon along with candle-bearers move to the 14 stations, indicated by icons on the walls around the inside of the church. At each station, the faithful recall and meditate on a specific event from Christ's last day. Specific prayers are recited, then the priest/deacon moves to the next station until all 14 are complete.
The Eucharist will be exposed while Stations are occuring, so out of respect for the Eucharist, please reverence the Eucharist on the altar by bowing or genuflecting when you walk in and out of the church.
View Stations of the Cross on Instagram Stories (coming soon)
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LENTEN, MEATLESS MEALS
- 3/3: Fish Fry at 6 PM (to-go option available)
- 3/10: Soup Dinner at 6:30 PM, provided by Cursillo*
- 3/17: Fish Fry at 6 PM (to-go option available)
- 3/24: International Dinner at 6:30 PM, provided by Religious Ed*
- 3/31: Fish Fry at 6 PM (to-go option available)
*The meatless meals on 3/10 and 3/24 are free to the parish, and we will be collecting donations for CACUAF.
FISH FRY MENU- Fish box (fried fish, fries, coleslaw, drink): $10
- Pizza plate (pizza, fruit cup, drink): $5
Cash, check, credit card, and Venmo will be accepted for Fish Fry.
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What is Lent?
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 thru Thursday, April 6, 2023
Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.In Lent, the baptized are called to renew their baptismal commitment as others prepare to be baptized through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a period of learning and discernment for individuals who have declared their desire to become Catholics.
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The Pillars of Lent
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PRAYER
Why do we pray? St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologia noted: “We need to pray to God, not in order to make known to him our needs or desires but that we ourselves may be reminded of the necessity of having recourse to God’s help in these matters.” In other words, we pray as a way of turning ourselves to God and in remembrance that only Jesus saves. The continued act of turning our hearts and minds to God in prayer creates within us a habitual disposition of humility. Additionally, as a conversation with God and a way to silence our minds and hearts, we grow in our ability discern to the movements of the Holy Spirit and hear His words in the “gentle wind” (cf. 1 Kings 19:10-12).
Some ways you can grow and deepen your prayer life are:
- Read the Bible. We recommend beginning with the Gospels.
- Listen to the Bible in the Year Podcast
- Explore different ways to pray: visio divina, lectio divina, imaginative prayer, and many others
- 10 minutes more of prayer time
- Visit the church or Frassati Chapel at 342 N College St. throughout times during the week… P.S. Frassati has 48-hour adoration from Tuesday at 6:30 PM to Thursday at 5:45 PM!
- Do a scriptural rosary
- Say the Litany of Humility each night
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FASTING
Fasting challenges us to enter more deeply into ourselves and find what we desire most. As you fast this Lent, explore what is occurring in your heart. In your fast, pray through the desires that are hurtful and misleading to you and others. In your fast, you are not losing yourself, you are pruning what does not bring you closer to divine intimacy. If you haven’t noticed already, you should consider which of the seven deadly sins (Pride, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, and Envy) are causing you to separate yourself from intimacy with our Lord.
Some ways you can fast are:
- From perfection and control
- From unchaste thoughts, words, and actions
- From the extra helping during dinner
- From wanting what I don’t have
- From neglecting your spouse, friendships, and/or yourself
- From road rage
- From (excessive) social media usage
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ALMSGIVING
A foundational call of Christians is to charity. Charity is an outward sign of Christian love for another. Charity is extending and reflecting the love that Jesus has brought to us and willing the good of the other. More than simply giving money, almsgiving is an act of love that incorporates both prayer and fasting and manifests itself by caring for our neighbor in need. As we help our brothers and sisters who live in poverty, we come into spiritual communion with one another which unites each other in our suffering. The primary way we, as Christians, do this is through the corporal acts of mercy: to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to give shelter to travelers, to visit the sick, to visit the imprisoned, and to bury the dead.
Consider these acts of almsgiving:
- Serving at a Soup Kitchen
- Assisting with EaseHouse meal ministry
- Donating food to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry
- Increase your donation to charitable organizations (St. Michael)
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What is Ash Wednesday?
by Fr. Larry Rice
For centuries, Catholic Christians have marked the beginning of the season of Lent by receiving ash on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday. This tradition has its roots in the Old Testament, where wearing ashes was a common sign of repentance for sins, and a sign of one’s humility before God. Since Lent is a season of penitential renewal through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, it’s appropriate that this ancient sign marks the beginning of the season.The ashes themselves are usually made by burning the palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. This symbolically connects the beginning of Lent with its end, connecting our change of heart with Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.
Ashes are usually distributed as part of the Mass on Ash Wednesday, often after the homily. As people approach the priest or other minister, he presses the ashes to their foreheads, and speaks one of two phrases: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
In many places, Ash Wednesday services are among the most popular of the whole year—a day that’s not even a Holy Day of Obligation. Cynics have suggested that this is because people “get” something, as they do on Palm Sunday. But there’s nothing particularly appealing about getting smudged with ashes. Perhaps, the appeal is the expression through a physical sign of a desire for interior conversion.
The Gospel for Ash Wednesday is a reminder that the real purpose of the season of Lent isn’t to make public demonstrations of piety—even the wearing of ashes—but to seek conversion of heart.
Fr. Larry Rice is the former vocations director for the Paulist Fathers.
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What to Expect
Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence.
At St. Michael, Ash Wednesday Masses are typically very well-attended with Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
After the homily, the priest will say a blessing over the ashes. Select ministers will go up to distribute the ashes at designated places in the church. The faithful of any age are welcome to go up and receive ashes.
The Mass will continue with the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
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