Lent is a wonderful season of Grace. It is a very special season for the Catholic Church. It prepares us to celebrate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The liturgy prepares the Catechumens (RCIA), for the celebration, of the Paschal Mystery through the various stages of Christian initiation; it also prepares the faithful, who recall their baptism and do penance, fasting, and praying in preparation for Easter.
This year Lent begins on ASH WEDNESDAY, the 5th of March. During this period, Lent, we don’t say the Gloria and the Alleluia; the Apostles’ Creed may appropriately be used as an alternative when the Creed is appointed to be said. The Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation may appropriately be used with their own Prefaces or with a Preface of Lent.
This year, Pope Francis, in his Lenten message, is inviting the faithful to “journey together in hope,” urging all to embrace the Lenten season as a time for conversion and spiritual renewal.
We would want this Holy Season of Lent to be more Spiritual, hence we are adding extra Spiritual Exercises to our normal way of Lenten observances.
- On Ash Wednesday, there will be two Masses one at 10am with the School attending and one at 7pm. Ashes will be distributed to the people at all the Masses.
- We want the Church to be open all day, from 11.00 am after Mass until 6.30pm before the evening Mass, with the Blessed Sacrament Exposed.
- We will need at least two people for about one hour in the Church praying: either by Adoration, the Rosary, Divine Mercy or Stations of the Cross. There is a Rota at the back of the Church: kindly sign up your name.
- Also, this Lent, on each Friday, after the morning Mass there will be an exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for about 30 minutes.
- We shall have the Stations of the Cross, every Friday at 7:00 pm, starting on 7th March. We need lay Ministers to lead the Stations of Cross. Could you kindly give your name to Deacon Eze, Aileen or Elizabeth if you, or your group/association will want to lead the Stations of the Cross.
Details of Retreat and Penitential Service will be provided very soon.
Let us all be part of this Spiritual Exercise, a journey, towards the celebration of our liberation and Redemption.