Wednesday, March 2, 2022 - Thursday, April 14, 2022
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.
Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. Contemplate the meaning and origins of the Lenten fasting tradition in this reflection. In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God's gifts—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: "Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446).
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.
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.
Typically, 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.
FISH FRY
Join us on Fridays during Lent at 5:45 PM for a good ole' Lenten Fish Fry! This year's $10 catfish box includes 2 pc catfish, fries, and coleslaw. A $5 child's plate includes cheese pizza, fries, and a fruit cup. Stay and eat in the Parish Hall, or take it to go!