PREPARATION FOR LENTEN SEASON

40 DAYS WALK WITH THE LORD

THE DAWN OF THE LENTEN SEASON AND ITS CELEBRATION

W

ith gratitude to God, we are opportune to witness yet another historic and significant season in the life of the Church – The Lenten Season. In the course of time, the Holy Mother Church often presents before us an opportunity to reflect on our salvation history brought about by the solemn paschal mystery of our Lord and Redeemer, Christ Jesus. It is in line with this spirit that your one-stop Catholic-Faith-Based Online Platform VIA – VERITAS – VITA invites you to a forty-day spiritual walk with the Lord beginning tomorrow - Ash Wednesday with the signing of the forehead with ashes.

The Season of Lent revolves around two perspectives: repentance and baptism. These two-fold theme disposes the entire faithful and the catechumens for the celebration of the paschal mystery of Christ our Lord. During this season, the catechumens are led to the sacraments of initiation by means of the rites of election, scrutinies, and catechesis. While the faithful are invited to attentive listening to the word of God and devoting themselves to prayers, and prepared through a spirit of repentance to renew their baptismal promises (cf. Ceremonials of Bishop, No. 249).

Historically, the genesis of Lenten season can be traced to the forty days of Jesus’ desert experience. Unlike Advent – the season of joyful waiting for the coming of Jesus Christ, Lent has more penitential character than Advent season. This season revolves around three major exercises of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The exercises which the preface of the Lent II posited that with prayer the strength to purify our hearts is given, fasting aids in controlling our desires and almsgiving assists us to serve the Lord in freedom.

It is therefore a moment of repentance and self-abandonment. It also brings to our consciousness the fruit of the paschal mystery of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. Throughout this season, the scriptural readings will be characterized with the images of forgiveness. Thus, inviting us to repentance which the Constitution on the Sacred liturgy emphasizes “the distinctive character of penance is a detestation of sin because it is an offence against God” (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium No. 109).

Before we launch into this penitential season tomorrow, it is pertinent to remind us of the instructions/guidelines covering this period. We are therefore obliged to take note of the following that:

Ø  Lenten Weekdays are not commemorated on Solemnities and Feast. Ash Wednesday and the days of Holy Week take precedence over all Solemnities and Feasts.

Ø  All Memorials of Saints occurring during Lent are observed as optional. Hence, they may be omitted or observed as commemoration (cf. Directives, No. 4, Commemoration of Memorials in Privileged Seasons).

Ø  Following the Rites for Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) No. 104-105, the presentations of the Creed and the Lord’s prayer normally take place after the First and third scrutinies, for pastoral reasons they may be held during the period of the Catechumenate rather than at the regular times.

Ø  Volume II of the three volume Breviary begins tomorrow.

Ø  Alleluia is omitted in all Masses and in the Divine Office.

Ø  In the Divine Office of the Season “the Te Deum” is not said.

Ø  During this Season, Gloria is omitted at Mass.

Ø  The Weekdays of Lent from Ash Wednesday to Saturday before Palm Sunday take precedence over the memorials of Saints. The prayer of the Memorial of a Saint, occurring on a particular day, may be said in place of the collect of the Mass of that day (Liturgy of the Hours 237-239, cf. pp xiv-xv No. 3).

Ø  Only when some genuine need or pastoral advantage requires it, may an appropriate Mass for various needs and occasions be celebrated (General Instructions of the Roman Missal, No. 34). Votive Masses and daily Masses for the dead are not permitted (IM No. 381).

Ø  The Altar is not decorated with flowers during this season. Musical instruments are not used except on Laetare Sunday and for Solemnities and Feast to sustain singing.

Ø  In the celebration of marriage, both within and outside Mass, the Nuptial Blessing is always given. The spouses should be reminded of the penitential nature of the Season of Lent (Order of Matrimony No. 32). (Instructions and Guidelines Culled from Liturgical Calendar (Ordo) for the Celebration of Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, for the Church in Nigeria, pp. 33-34).

Ø  Also let us be reminded of the prescribed days for the Service of the Station of the Cross, abstinence from meat, and fasting. Then observe with all sincerity an interior prayer life and almsgiving. 

Therefore, with this in mind, I humbly invite you to this solemn walk with the Lord for these forty days. Wishing you a safe walk with our Lord and a spirit-filled LENTEN SEASON through Daily Reflection with REV. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM, couple with Food for Thought drawn from the tablets of Holy Men and Women, Church and Desert Fathers through the ages.

Safe Lenten Walk with the Lord!