Almost half of adult Catholics, 45 percent, typically receive ashes – made from the burned and blessed palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday – at Ash Wednesday services, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.
Lent begins with the celebration of Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on March 1. It is a season that urgently calls us to conversion and is a time for deepening our spiritual life, most especially through prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
by John Fitzgerald, If I had more time I would have prepared much more…. If I knew how important the event was I would have made better preparations. If I had some direction to follow I would have been better prepared.
At Sunday Mass, Father Steve told the congregants that they should not wait until Ash Wednesday to plan how they would observe Lent. Now is the time. Many with good intentions wait until Lent begins and then before you know it, half the season is over and we haven’t even begun preparing for Easter Sunday.
Lenten events in Brooklyn and Queens through March 25.
Just as the crowds and government officials tried to dodge responsibility for Jesus’ fate after He was arrested, so today too many individuals and countries want someone else to care for refugees fleeing violence and migrants seeking a better life, Pope Francis said.
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio led a Jubilee Year of Mercy Holy Hour for diocesan priests March 13 at Our Lady of Hope Church, Middle Village. It was the last of four prayer services held for priests during Lent.
At the annual Lenten Penance Service at St. Dominic Church, Bensonhurst, young people acted out how Jesus defeats the world’s efforts to reduce people to instruments. The message was that He is there to help people get over life’s temptations.
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, The season of Lent is a time of reflection and, for most of us, it means that we can frequent the sacrament of reconciliation at least once during this season. One might say that the sacrament of reconciliation has fallen on hard times. Long ago were the days when long Saturday confession lines were a normal feature in our Church history. Although the frequency of confession has greatly diminished among our Catholic people, the need for confession remains.
Alcoholics Anonymous is a program of recovery from alcoholism based on principles that form the foundation for a new way of living. Reflecting on these steps, Msgr. Joseph Calise invites readers to see the parable of the Prodigal Son in a new light.
