1 – What is Lent?
We call Lent the period of forty days set aside to prepare for Easter, and indicated by the last preparation of the catechumens who were to receive baptism in it.
2 – Since when do we live Lent?
Since the fourth century, there has been a tendency to make it a time of penance and renewal for the whole Church, with the practice of fasting and abstinence. The penitential practice of Lent has been preserved with a great deal of vigor, except in the beginning, in the churches of the East, but a spirit of penitence and conversion must be observed.
3 – Why Lent in the Catholic Church?
“Every year, during the forty days of Great Lent, the Church unites herself to the Mystery of Jesus in the desert” (n. 540).
4 – So what is the Spirit of Lent?
It should be like a collective retreat of forty days, during which the Church, following the example of Christ in his desert retreat, prepares her faithful for the celebration of Easter solemnities, with the purification of the heart, a perfect practice of the Christian life and a penitential attitude.
5 – What is penance?
Penance, the Latin translation of the Greek word which in the Bible means the conversion (literally the change of spirit) of the sinner, designates a whole set of interior and exterior acts aimed at making reparation for the sin committed, and the state of affairs that results from it for the sinner.
Literally a change of life, it refers to the act of the sinner returning to God after having been away from Him, or the unbeliever coming to faith.
6 – What manifestations does penance have?
“The Christian’s interior penance can have very varied expressions. Scripture and the Fathers insist on three main forms: JEWS, prayer and Mass, which express conversion in relation to oneself, in relation to God and in relation to others. Along with the radical purification brought about by Baptism or martyrdom, they cite, as means of obtaining forgiveness of sins, the efforts made to reconcile with one’s neighbor, the tears of penance, the concern for the salvation of one’s neighbor, the intercession of the saints and the practice of charity “for charity covers the multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1434).
7 – Are we all obliged to do penance?
“All the faithful, each in his own way, are obliged by divine law to do penance; nevertheless, in order that all may unite in some common practice of penance, some days of penance have been fixed for the faithful who devote themselves in a special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity and deny themselves, fulfilling their own obligations with greater fidelity and, above all, observing fasting and abstinence.” (Code of Canon Law, c. 1249).
8 – What are the penitential days and times?
“In the universal Church, penitential days and times are every Friday of the year and the time of Lent.” Code of Canon Law, c. 1250).
9 – What should you do every Friday of the year?
In remembrance of the day on which Jesus died on the Holy Cross, “every Friday, unless it coincides with a solemnity, abstinence is to be observed from meat, or from such other food as may be determined by the Episcopal Conference; fasting and abstinence are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.” (Code of Canon Law, c. 1251).
10 – When is Lent?
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on the evening of Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. This whole period forms a unity, and the following elements can be distinguished:
Ash Wednesday.
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s ion.
The Chrism Mass.
Vacations.
11 – What is Ash Wednesday?
It is the beginning of Lent; a particularly penitential day when we express our personal desire to CONVERT to God. When we go to the temples where the ashes are placed on us, we express with humility and sincerity of heart that we want to be converted and truly believe in the Gospel.
12 – When did the practice of ashes originate?
The origin of the imposition of ashes belongs to the structure of canonical penance. It became obligatory for the entire Christian community from the 10th century onwards. The current liturgy preserves the traditional elements: the imposition of ashes and rigorous fasting.
13 – When are the ashes blessed and imposed?
The blessing and imposition of ashes takes place during Mass, after the homily; although in special circumstances, it can be done during a celebration of the Word. The ways of imposing ashes are inspired by Scripture: Gen 3:19 and Mk 1:15.
14 – Where does ash come from?
The ash comes from the branches blessed on the Sunday of the Lord’s ion the previous year, following a custom that dates back to the 12th century. The form of the blessing relates to the sinful condition of the person who received it.
15 – What is the symbolism of ash?
Man’s weak condition, heading towards death;
Man’s sinful situation;
Prayer and fervent supplication for the Lord to help them; Resurrection, since man is destined to participate in Christ’s triumph;
16 – What does the Church invite us to during Lent?
The Church continues to invite us to make this time a spiritual retreat in which the effort of meditation and prayer must be ed by an effort of personal mortification, the measure of which, from this minimum, remains the freedom and generosity of each individual.
17 – What should we continue to live during Lent?
If you live Lent well, you should achieve an authentic and profound personal CONVERSATION, thus preparing us for the greatest feast of the year: the Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection.
18 – What is conversion?
To be converted is to be reconciled with God, to turn away from evil in order to establish friendship with the Creator. It means and includes leaving repentance and Confession (see the Guide to Confession) of each and every one of our sins. Once in grace (without awareness of mortal sin), we have to change from within (in our attitudes) everything that does not please God.
19 – Why is it said that Lent is a strong and penitential time
“The times and days of penance throughout the liturgical year (the time of LENT, each Friday in memory of the Lord’s death) are strong moments in the Church’s penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as a sign of penance, fasting, Christian communion of goods (charitable and missionary works).” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1438)
20 – How can I make my desire for conversion a reality?
In different ways, but always by carrying out works of conversion, for example:
Go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Sacrament of Penance or Confession) and make a good confession: clear, concise, concrete and complete.
Overcoming divisions, forgiving and growing in a spirit of brotherhood.
Practicing the Works of Mercy.
21 – What are the works of mercy?
The spiritual Works of Mercy are:
Teaching those who don’t know.
Give good advice to those who need it.
Correct the wrong.
Forgive injuries.
Comfort the sad.
To suffer with patience the adversities and weaknesses of others.
Pray to God for the living and the dead
The corporal Works of Mercy are:
Visiting the sick.
Feed the hungry.
Giving drink to the thirsty.
Help the captive.
Dress naked.
Giving shelter to the pilgrim.
Bury the dead.
22 – What obligations does a Catholic have during Lent?
You have to fulfill the precept of JEWS and ABSTINENCE, as well as annual CONFESSION and COMMUNION.
23 – What does fasting consist of?
FASTING consists of having only one meal a day, and you can eat less than usual in the morning and evening. You shouldn’t eat anything between the main meals, except in the case of illness.
24 – Who is obliged to fast?
All those of legal age are obliged to live the law of fasting (cf. CCC, c. 1252).
25 – What is abstinence?
Abstinence is the ban on eating meat (red or white and its derivatives).
26 – Who is obliged to abstain?
The law of abstinence is binding on those who are already fourteen (cf. CIC, c. 1252).
27 – Can the practice of abstinence be changed?
“The Episcopal Conference can determine in greater detail the manner of observing fasting and abstinence, as well as substituting in part other forms of penance, above all works of charity and practices of piety.” (Code of Canon Law, c. 1253).
28 – What really matters in fasting and abstinence?
We must take care to live fasting or abstinence with a few minimums, but as a concrete way in which our Holy Mother Church helps us to grow in the true spirit of penance.
29 – What pastoral aspects should be highlighted during Lent?
Lent is a powerful liturgical season in which the whole Church prepares for the celebration of the Easter feasts. The Easter of the Lord, Baptism and the invitation to reconciliation through the Sacrament of Penance are its main coordinates.
It is suggested that they be used as a means of pastoral action:
Catechesis on the Paschal Mystery and the sacraments;
The abundant exposition and celebration of the Word of God, as canon. 767, & 3, 3).
Participation, if possible daily, in the Lenten liturgy, in penitential celebrations and, above all, in the reception of the sacrament of penance: “these are strong moments in the Church’s penitential practice” (CEC, n. 1438), noting that “along with the social consequences of sin, it even detests sin insofar as it is an offense against God”;
The development of spiritual exercises, pilgrimages as penance, voluntary privations such as fasting, charity, charitable and missionary works.
