Lent the season to be repentant.
Lent is traditionally described as lasting for 40 days, in commemoration of the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert. During Lent we are called to repent; this might seem a sad time after the joys of Christmas but not so. This is a time when we can reawaken our Sensus Fidelium and bring ourselves closer to God which of course is Joyful. In 2023 Lent begins on Wednesday, 22nd of February and ends Thursday, 6th of April.
The last Sunday before Lent we will be celebrating through dispensation the feast of St Valentine great saint of the Roman church martyred on 14th February 269 AD.
It bears us well to think on St Valentine and the fact that he was willing to be tortured and killed for the faith, for in fact conducting secret marriages during the persecution of Emperor Claudius II, so through discipline, austerity of mind and body, through a vigorous prayer life may our Lent bring us renewed purpose and bring us closer to God.
With Ash Wednesday we adorn ourselves with ashes on our heads and chasten our bodies with fasting as well as abstaining from meat. During Lent traditionally abstinence from meat was practised on Wednesday and Friday throughout all of Lent as well as fasting in the Catholic way one meal and two small meals without any snacks of any kind during the day. While Alcohol was not prohibited it was generally accepted that it was not in keeping with the season to be drinking for merriment.
Generally, while fasting, also soft drinks such as Cola or fruit Juices should not be consumed as they are calorific enough to break the fast, some say diet drinks are ok as they contain no calories, milk is ok as well as is tea and coffee, this of course is down to each individual to decide what is best.
Common sense must come into practice, if you are a 6 foot male who works on a building site or exercises 2 hours a day, your main meal and 2 snacks will be bigger than a 5 foot 4 female who works in an office, as an individual be sensible, as we know it is a sin to take wages and not do a good return in work, also if you are a nurse, fireman or soldier for example, you need to be alert and do your duty, so again take this into account. During Lent, Sundays are still feast days, so you may eat and drink normally, but of course this is not an excuse to go overboard, always remembering moderation is the key to enjoying Gods gifts.
During Lent confession should be made, as well as receiving Holy Communion as a requirement of being a Catholic, this was instituted by the Fourth Lateran council 1215 and upheld by all Bishops conferences as late as 1989 in the United States as an example.
One final note is that all requirements and recommendations for Lent are subject to age, health, medical and work exemptions.
Only those aged 18 to 59 are required by the Church to fast, those who are ill or caring for the sick can be exempted, also those who have jobs that fasting would affect them negatively or endanger them or others would also be exempted, good examples of this would be a soldier on tour or a nurse on a 12 hour plus shift in an Emergency ward.
The main days of note are as follows during Lent.
Ash Wednesday - We receive the Ash that reminds us of our mortality and that we must do penance.
Passion Sunday - Marks the start of Passiontide, the last two weeks of Lent, the custom is to veil statues, paintings, icons etc, with the exception of the Stations of the cross.
Palm Sunday - Remembers Our Lord Jesus Christ entering Jerusalem and being greeted with Palms, also the start of Holy Week.
Spy Wednesday - Reminds of the treason of Judas Iscariot.
Maundy Thursday - This is the day when our Lord commanded the Apostles to institute the Holy Eucharistic, Maundy comes from the Latin word Command.
Good Friday - The Commemoration of the Crucifixion of our Lord and Saviour, Fasting and abstinence from meat is obligatory.
Holy Saturday - Sometimes known as Black Saturday, a time of reflection and waiting, this is the last day of a penitential nature of Lent, Easter Vigil takes place.
Easter Sunday - The greatest Feast of the Catholic liturgical year, Jesus Christ King of kings is risen!