Here are the eagerly awaited answers and results of our recent Lent quiz. We had nearly 1100 people take this quiz! Below the answers and results for each question, we’ve provided a bit of explanation for more information about each answer.

1. What is the liturgical color during Lent?

Violet
92% of the people who answered got this one correct.
4% said red, 3% said white, and 1% said blue.

The liturgical color during Lent is violet, typically. However, there are a few days throughout the season that use other colors. The feasts of the Annunciation, on March 25, and St. Joseph, on March 19, can use white vestments, as can Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday. The Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday, calls for the color rose where it is the custom. The Sixth Sunday during Lent, Palm Sunday, uses red vestments, as does Good Friday.

2. Ash Wednesday is a Holy Day of Obligation.

False.
68% of the people got this question correct; 32% believe that Ash Wednesday is a Holy Day of Obligation.

Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation as many mistakenly believe, but it tends to be one of the more crowded Masses of the Church Year. It is certainly a good idea to start out the season of Lent with this important Mass, which reminds us of the penitence we are to be practicing during the season, as well as our own mortality.

3. Why do we receive ashes on Ash Wednesday?

Because of the penitential nature of the season.
The overwhelming majority of people, 97%, got this one right. 3% said that it is a sacrament, and very few people said it is because we have to.

We receive ashes as a reminder of our repentance, sorrow, and humility, as ashes symbolize in the Bible. They also remind us that “thou art dust, and to dust thou shall return.” (It is also not a requirement that Catholics receive ashes on Ash Wednesday.)

4. All Fridays during Lent are required fasting days.

False.
42% answered this correctly, and 58% said that Fridays during Lent are fasting days.

Because we did not specify modern Roman Catholics, and the requirements for those who attend Tridentine Masses and for Eastern Catholics are different than for Latin Rite Catholics, we can’t really say that 58% of people necessarily answered this question incorrectly – in the Extraordinary Rite, Fridays during Lent are required fasting days, and in the Eastern Church the fast lasts during all of Lent (read more about that here). However, for Latin Rite Catholics,the requirement to fast is only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Many Catholics do fast from certain foods or other things during Lent, but this is not a requirement like fasting on these two important Lenten days. Latin Rite Catholics are required to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent, but not necessarily to fast.

5. Why do Catholics set aside Fridays as particularly sacrificial days?

Because it is the day Christ died for our sins.
93% of people answered this question correctly (with some variant on the above response). A few other responses included things like to gain admission to “upstairs”, to cleanse our bodies from superficial things, that it is taken from pagan rites which enabled Catholicism more easily to be assimilated into the mainstream public, and that it is a rule made years ago not to eat meat to help the fish sellers. A number of people also said just that it is a rule of the Church.

Fridays are always considered sacrificial days, both during Lent and during the rest of the year, because Christ died for us on the cross on a Friday. Thus, we abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent, when we are particularly meditating upon Christ’s sacrifice for us. (Catholics are also still required to abstain from meat or to perform some other practice of penance every Friday during the year. This penance is most often not eating meat, but some prefer to substitute with another kind of food. It should be the same thing each week, though.) To read more about days of penance, especially Fridays, read the Code of Canon Law 1249-1253.

6. Sundays are not traditionally counted in the 40 day Lenten fast.

True.
77% of those who responded answered this correctly, and 23% got it wrong.

Just as Fridays are always penitential days, Sundays are always feast days during which we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus – they are mini-Easters, even during Lent. For this reason, we are not bound to the same Lenten restrictions on Sundays as on the other days in the week. However, many people who give up something for Lent still choose not to indulge themselves in it on Sundays. (Or those who add something, such as a daily Rosary or more daily prayer, don’t tend not to do it on Sundays just because it is Sunday.) The modern liturgical season of Lent lasts 44 days, includes Sundays, and ends before the Triduum, but the traditional 40 day Lenten fast excludes Sundays and includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday up to the Easter Vigil.

7. A day of fast means eating only one full meal during the day.

True.
80% of respondents answered correction, 20% said this is false.

Fasting is required of those Catholics ages 18-59, whose health permits, and allows only one full meal to be eaten each day of fasting. Two small meals are permitted, if necessary, and together should not equal one full meal. Eating between meals is to be avoided, as well.

8. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are required days of fast for Catholics.

True.
Again, the vast majority (95%) got this question correct, and 5% answered incorrectly.

As was already mentioned, for modern Latin Rite Catholics these two days are the only required fasting days during Lent. It is certainly a good idea and to be encouraged for people to fast on other days in addition to these (fasting is a wonderful way to gain self-discipline and learn to unite suffering with Christ’s), but it is not required (except for Eastern Catholics and traditional Catholics).

9. What is the alternate name for Holy Thursday?

Maundy Thursday.
66% of those who answered got this correct (not taking spelling into account). Other popular answers included: Last Supper/Institution of the Eucharist (which is the correct name for the Mass that takes place on Holy Thursday) – 16% of respondents or approximately 124 people; Triduum (Holy Thursday is the first day of the Triduum, but it is not an alternate name for Holy Thursday specifically) – .03% or approximately 24 people; Passover – 21 people; Shrove Thursday – 8 people; Chrism Thursday (again, the name of the Mass, not the day) – 9 people; and some other answers included Gaudete or Gaudi Thursday, seder, Easter Vigil, and red or white or black Thursday.

Holy Thursday is also known as Maundy Thursday. The name Maundy comes from the Latin antiphon Mandatum Novum, “a new mandate”. This is in reference to John 13:34, in which Jesus gives us a new commandment – “Love one another as I have loved you,” said after he washed the disciples’ feet, a tradition often repeated at the Mass on Holy Thursday.

10. Traditionally, what time do many churches begin their Good Friday services?

3pm.
53% of people correctly answered 3pm; 37% said 12pm, 7% said 7pm, and 3% said 5pm.

Christ was on the cross between the hours of noon and 3pm, at which time He died. These three hours, the most solemn and sacred hours of the Church year, are often kept as hours of silence, with many Catholics refraining from music, television, computer, or any other similar amusements or distractions. Many churches then begin their Good Friday services at 3pm, the hour in which Christ died for us. (It is encouraged, if possible, for people to take off from school or work on this day, particularly between noon and 3pm.)

11. Good Friday is a Holy Day of Obligation.

False.
71% answered correctly that this is false, while 29% believe it to be true.

Just as is the case with Ash Wednesday, Good Friday is not a holy day of obligation in the Church. Again, however, it is an important day in the Church and it is highly encouraged that people attend the Good Friday service. This is the day Christ died for us, thereby giving us the chance to get to heaven.

12. Masses are not celebrated on Good Friday or Holy Saturday.

True.
73% of respondents answered correctly and said that it Masses are not celebrated these two days. 27% believed that Masses are still celebrated.

After Mass on Holy Thursday, the altars are stripped, holy water is taken out of the fonts, and the Blessed Sacrament is processed through the church to be reposed. These consecrated hosts are used for the Good Friday service, which is not an actual Mass because no consecration takes place. Thus, no Masses are said in the modern Latin Rite after Holy Thursday until the Easter Vigil on Saturday night. This time is a solemn and somber time during which Jesus is in the tomb, and the lack of a prayer of consecration and the empty tabernacle reminds us of the sense of loss we feel during this time.

13. Catholics are required to receive Holy Communion at least once during the Lenten/Easter season.

True.
81% of those who answered correctly said this statement is true, and 19% said it is false.

According to the Code of Canon Law, “After being initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, each of the faithful is obliged to receive holy communion at least once a year. This precept must be fulfilled during the Easter season unless it is fulfilled for a just cause at another time during the year.” (Can. 920) Most people receive multiple times throughout the year, but reception of the Eucharist used to be much more infrequent than it is today. The Council of Trent officially obliged the faithful to receive at least once a year, during the Easter season, to ensure that Catholics take part in the Source and Summit of our faith.

14. Catholics are required to go to Confession at least once during the Lenten/Easter season.

False.
Only 29% of respondents answered this correctly, while 71% answered incorrectly.

Catholics are required to confess their sins at least once a year, as prescribed in the Code of Canon Law: “After having reached the age of discretion, each member of the faithful is obliged to confess faithfully his or her grave sins at least once a year.” (Can. 989) There is not a time or season specified during which Catholics should fulfill this yearly obligation, as there is with the reception of Eucharist, but Lent is certainly a great time for it. Many churches and diocese have penance services during Lent (and Advent, as well), with a number of priests so that many people will be able to go to confession during these convenient times. Lent is a penitential season, with much focus on remembering our sins for which Christ died, making it the perfect time to go to confession. (Of course, though we are required to go once a year, it is highly encouraged and very spiritually healthy to go more often.) We have great resources on confession for those who would like to read more about the sacrament.

15. Easter is only one day.

False.
92% answered False, and 8% answered True.

Easter Sunday is the Sunday following Holy week, when we celebrate Christ’s resurrection. The week following Easter Sunday is known as Easter Week, the Octave of Easter. Each of these eight days are considered solemnities, and thus the typical required Friday abstinence is lifted on Easter Friday because solemnities surpass days of penance. The Easter season lasts fifty days, from Easter Sunday to the Feast of Pentecost. This is a time of great rejoicing and celebrating the mystery of the resurrection and Christ’s triumph over death.

We want to see what you know about Lent, so we’ve created a short quiz to test people’s knowledge of some Lenten facts. If you have a few minutes, take our Lent Quiz and see what you know.

We’ll publish the results and the answers here on Ash Wednesday.

Take the quiz now!

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 Selected Religious and Devotional Items for the Easter Season :

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The Hope of Easter

“The Cross had asked the questions; the Resurrection had answered them…The Cross had asked: “Why does God permit evil and sin to nail justice to a tree?” The Resurrection answered: “That sin, having done its worst, might exhaust itself and thus be overcome by Love that is stronger than either sin or death.”

Thus there emerges the Easter lesson that the power of evil and the chaos of any one moment can be defied and conquered, for the basis of our hope is not in any construct of human power but in the power of God, who has given the evil of this earth its one mortal wound - an open tomb, a gaping sepulcher, an empty grave.” – Archbishop Fulton Sheen

 - from  Lent and Easter Wisdom from Fulton J. Sheen

First Holy Communion season is approaching quickly.

 To browse our complete selection of First Holy Communion resources and gift ideas, visit the Aquinas and More  First Holy Communion Specialty Store

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First Holy Communion Sterling Medal

This Lenten season, why not deepen your prayer life by praying the Rosary or praying it more often? To browse our complete selection of rosaries and chaplets, please  click here

Praying the Rosary with St. Alphonsus Liguori CD

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The Resurrection of the Lord Icon

“O Divine Saviour, who rose from the dead on that first glorious Easter morn, grant that I may rise from my sins and so live as to see You, glorious and immortal, in heaven. Lord, I am nothing, but, although nothing, I adore You. Amen.”

 

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“. . . in this sense it is true that anyone who does not know God, even though he may entertain all kinds of hopes, is ultimately without hope, without the great hope that sustains all of life. (Ephesians 2:12) Man’s great, true hope which holds firm in spite of all disappointments can only be God – God who has loved us and who continues to love us ‘to the end,’ until all ‘is accomplished.’ (John 13:1 and 19:30) Whoever is moved by love begins to perceive what ‘life’ really is. He begins to perceive the meaning of the word of hope that we encountered in the Baptismal rite: from faith I await ‘eternal life’ – the true life which, whole and unthreatened, in all its fullness, is simply life. Jesus, who said he had come that we might have life and have it in its fullness, in abundance, has also explained to us what “life” means: ‘this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.’ (John 17:3) Life in its true sense is not something we have exclusively in or from ourselves: it is a relationship. And life in its totality is a relationship with him who is the source of life. If we are in relation with him who does not die, who is Life itself and Love itself, then we are in life. Then we “live.”

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First Holy Communion season is approaching quickly.

 To browse our complete selection of First Holy Communion resources and gift ideas, visit the Aquinas and More  First Holy Communion Specialty Store

This Lenten season, why not deepen your prayer life by praying the Rosary or praying it more often? To browse our complete selection of rosaries and chaplets, please  click here

Blue Enamel Divine Mercy Rosary

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Jesus Washing the Disciples Feet Icon

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“There is nothing a man needs more than Divine Mercy – that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness to the infinite heights of the holiness of God. In this place, we become particularly aware of this. From here, in fact, went out the message of Divine Mercy that Christ Himself chose to pass on to our generation through St. Faustina.

And it is a message clear and understandable for everyone. Anyone can come here, look at this image of the merciful Jesus, His Heart radiating peace, and hear in the depths of his own soul what St. Faustina heard: Fear nothing; I am always with you. And if this person responds with a sincere heart, “Jesus I trust in You,” he will find comfort in all his anxieties and fears….

I come here to commend the concerns of the Church and of humanity to the merciful Christ. On the threshold of the third millennium, I come to entrust to Him once more my Petrine ministry – “Jesus, I trust in You!”

- Pope John Paul II at the tomb of St. Faustina in Poland, June 7, 1997

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Mercy Sunday brings us Our Lord’s promise an “ocean of graces” for souls, “especially for poor sinners.” And each one of us, as a sinner, sorely needs these graces of the Risen Christ to wash away the misery of our sins. Even those who are striving for holiness need deeper conversion and renewal. “

- from Why Mercy Sunday? A Q&A Guide to Celebrating Mercy Sunday

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First Holy Communion season is approaching quickly.

To browse our complete selection of First Holy Communion resources and gift ideas, visit the Aquinas and More First Holy Communion Specialty Store. You will definitely want to take a look at the . we offer – a unique gift to commemorate this special occasion.

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Divine Mercy Framed Print from Poland

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This Lenten season, why not deepen your prayer life by praying the Rosary or praying it more often? To browse our complete selection of rosaries and chaplets, please click here.

The Divine Mercy Novena

On Good Friday, 1937, Jesus requested that St. Faustina make a special novena before the Feast of Mercy, from Good Friday through the next Saturday, and dictated the intentions for each day:

First day – all mankind, especially sinners;

Second day – the souls of priests and religious;

Third day – all devout and faithful souls;

Fourth day – those who do not believe in God and those who do not yet know Jesus;

Fifth day – the souls who have separated themselves from the Church;

Sixth day – the meek and humble souls and the souls of little children;

Seventh day – the souls who especially venerate and glorify His mercy;

Eighth day – the souls detained in purgatory; and

Ninth day – souls who have become lukewarm.

“Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.’ The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, ‘Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied to him, ‘Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’ It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit’; and when he had said this he breathed his last.”

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“It is precisely in the Passion, when the mercy of Christ is about to vanquish it, that sin most clearly manifests its violence and its many forms: unbelief, murderous hatred, shunning and mockery by the leaders and the people, Pilate’s cowardice and the cruelty of the soldiers, Judas’ betrayal – so bitter to Jesus, Peter’s denial and the disciples’ flight. However, at the very hour of darkness, the hour of the prince of this world, the sacrifice of Christ secretly becomes the source from which the forgiveness of our sins will pour forth inexhaustibly.

Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men. Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy. Its purpose is the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.”

 - from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1851, 1992

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First Holy Communion season is right around the corner.

 To browse our complete selection of First Holy Communion resources and gift ideas, visit the Aquinas and More  First Holy Communion Specialty Store.

To browse our complete selection of crucifixes and wall crosses, the constant reminder of the price paid for our salvation, please click here.

Black Wood and Pewter Crucifix

To browse our complete selection of icons, the ancient and beautiful devotional art of the Christian East,

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The Crucifixion Icon

Psalm 96 exhorts us to “Sing a new song unto the Lord. Sing to the Lord, all the earth!”  To browse our complete selection of music CDs, please click here.

Allegri Miserere CD

This Lenten season, why not deepen your prayer life by praying the Rosary or praying it more often? To browse our complete selection of rosaries and chaplets, please click here.

” This is the season of First Sacraments “

The season for celebrating Confirmation and First Holy Communion, two of the three sacraments of Christian initiation, is approaching. These, and all seven sacraments, are outward signs of inward grace, instituted by Christ for our sanctification. While God can give man grace without external signs, without the use of ceremonies and symbols, it has pleased Him to do so. The necessity of the sacraments is the necessitas convenientiae, or the necessity of convenience. The Sacramental system does not exist because God is bound to it- He is not- but because it is the most appropriate when dealing with humans, who are both spiritual and material. The redemption of man was not invisible; the incarnation took place because God dealt with man in the way most suitable to his nature. And following, the Catholic Church was established by Christ to be a visible institution, therefore it should have external ceremonies and symbols of what is sacred. According to St. Thomas, it is the nature of man to be led by things physical and sense-perceivable to things spiritual and intelligible; that Divine Providence provides for everything in accordance with it’s nature, and therefore it is fitting that Divine Wisdom should provide means of salvation for man in the form of certain corporeal and sensible signs which are called sacraments.

The holy season of Lent is here – are you spiritually prepared?

Selected gifts for those receiving or preparing to receive their First Holy Communion:

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Are you looking for a special gift for a First Holy Communion? Do you need some ideas to find the right, unique item?

We carry a wonderful selection of First Holy Communion missals, Bibles, rosaries, crucifixes, gift sets and First Holy Communion dresses.

To browse the complete selection in our First Holy Communion specialty store please click here.

We carry a large and wonderful selection of art, like the painting “After the First Holy Communion” which is shown at the beginning of our newsletter today.To browse our complete selection of beautiful Catholic paintings, prints, Florentine plaques and icons, please click here

  

 - from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1285-1287

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“The Way of the Cross”

The devotion of the Way of the Cross, followed in different ways and called by many names – the Stations of the Cross, Via Dolorosa, or Via Crucis – is not a modern devotion at all. In fact, early Christian tradition as well as visions received by mystics such as Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich bear witness that the earliest Christians and even the Blessed Virgin Mary visited the scenes of Christ’s Passion thus making this one of the oldest and most venerable of all Catholic devotions. The Via Dolorosa of Jerusalem became a goal of pious pilgrims from the time of Constantine and a desire to reproduce these holy places for those who were unable to travel to the actual sites became common at an early date. Over the centuries, different ways of practicing the devotion formed and the number of stations varied from 7 to 14, with the number of stations being officially fixed at 14 by Pope Clement XII in 1731.

Today, the two most popular methods of following the Way of the Cross, are those of St. Francis of Assisi and of St. Alphonsus Liguori. After St. Francis’ pilgirmages to the Holy Land in the early 1200’s, and his observing Christians following the Way of the Cross there, the devotion was spread across Europe by the saint and his friars minor. St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote of the devotion in 1761, “The pious exercise of the Way of the Cross represents the sorrowful journey that Christ made with the cross on His shoulders, to die on Calvary for the love of us. We should, therefore, practice this devotion with the greatest possible fervor, placing ourselves beside our savior as He walked this sorrowful way, uniting our tears with His, and offering to Him both our compassion and our gratitude.”

Ash Wednesday is February 6 – just one week away -

are you spiritually prepared for Lent?

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The Way of the Cross Reprint of a classic work! Only $11.95 Author: Caryll Houselander	My Imitation of Christ Only $8.00 Author: The Confraternity of the Precious Blood
Behold the Pierced One Only $10.95 Author: Pope Benedict XVI	The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ Only $18.00 Author: Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich
The King, Crucified and Risen: Meditations on the Passion and Glory of Christ Only $8.99 Author: Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.	Stations of the Cross A Poster Kit for Children Only $19.95 Author: Daughters of St. Paul
The Cross and the Beatitudes: Lessons on Love and Foregiveness Only $9.95 Author: Fulton Sheen	Seven Words of Jesus and Mary: Lessons on Cana and Calvary Only $9.95 Author: Fulton Sheen

Lent is the traditional season when the Church teaches us to turn our thoughts towards Reconciliation and Penance – strengthening our relationship with the Lord.

To browse our complete selection of books on the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) please click here.

Some thoughts on following Our Lord Jesus Christ:

“Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, by the admission of faults to one’s brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one’s cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance.”

“In Jesus Christ, the whole of God’s truth has been made manifest. ‘Full of grace and truth,’ he came as the ‘light of the world,’ he is the Truth. ‘Whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.’ The disciple of Jesus continues in his word so as to know ‘the truth that will make you free’ and that sanctifies. To follow Jesus is to live in ‘the Spirit of truth’ whom the Father sends in his name and who leads ‘into all the truth.’ To his disciples Jesus teaches the unconditional love of truth: ‘Let what you say be simply ‘yes or no.’

– from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1435 and 2466

Crucifix in Burnished Brass Made in Italy Only $29.95	Cimabue Crucifix in Bronzed Alabaster Made in Italy Only $146.95
Sorrowful Mother Icon 8 Inches Wide Only $32.95	The Crucifixion Icon 8 Inches Wide Only $32.95

Are you looking for Latin Mass resources? Would you like to learn more about the Tridentine Mass? To browse the extensive selection we are offering in our Tridentine Mass Specialty store, please click here.

Are you looking for a Catholic calendar for the New Year?

We have wall calendars, desk calendars and perpetual calendars (good from year to year) available now!

To browse our complete selection of calendars, click here.

We put in an order for several hundred Magnificat Lenten Companions this year. The order was large enough to prompt a call from our supplier asking us if we really meant to place an order that large.

Each issue costs $3.95. We have decided to run a special offer for people interested in the magazine. Here is how this works:

If you are the purchaser of the last copy of the magazine we are capable of shipping, whether in our physical store or on the web,  your entire order that includes that copy will be free up to $200.

There is a little twist: We don’t actually know how many we can ship because it is anyone’s guess when Magnificat will run out of copies. We might be able to ship 200 more. We may be able to ship 500 more. No one knows.

Even if you don’t get the last issue, you will still have a great resource for daily Lenten reading that will help you on your spiritual journey to Easter.

Here’s the fine print:

1. The winning order will be the most recent order placed that gets a copy of the Magnificat Lenten Companion in its shipment.
2. The winning order can contain more than one Companion and may possibly only get a partial shipment if no more are available.
3. The winning order can be for an amount greater than $200 but only $200 of the order will be free.
4. If the winning order is less than $200 including shipping and tax then the entire order will be free including shipping and tax.
5. Canceled or partially canceled orders will not be eligible for the prize.
6. Final determination of the winner will be solely at the discretion of Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

- Book of Genesis 3:19

Day By Day Through Lent: Reflections, Prayers, Practices Author: Fr. Daneil Lowery	Journey To Easter: Spiritual Reflections for the Lenten Season Author: Pope Benedict XVI
The Magnificat Lenten Companion, Lent 2008 Author: Magnificat Magazine	Lent and Easter Wisdom from G. K. Chesterton Author: G. K. Chesterton
Fire In The Cloud: Lenten Meditations Author: Fr. Francis Martin	Season of Mercy: Lent and Easter with Catherine Doherty Author: Catherine Doherty
The Essential Lenten Handbook: A Daily Companion Author: The Redemptorists	A Family Journey With Jesus Through Lent: Prayers and Activities for Each Day Author: Angela Burrin

“The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works). ”

- Catechism of the Catholic Church 1438

“Fasting and Penance were used by the ancients to express contrition, and to assist them in controlling their natural urges. This message of humble self-abnegation runs counter to our culture’s emphasis on satisfying any and every desire we might feel. The Church’s penitential traditions are intended to help us become more conscious of – and more contrite about – our sins, as well as help us conquer our impulses and desires as the holy ones did in ancient times. ”

–Gregory Oatis “Catholic Doctrine in Scripture”

2008 Mary and the Saints Calendar	Icons: Windows to Heaven 2008 Calendar
St. Joseph Sunday Missal And Hymnal For 2008	Abide In My Word 2008; Mass Readings at Your Fingertips

Please click here to browse our complete selection of calendars.

Prayer Before a Crucifix – a traditional Lenten prayer

BEHOLD, O good and sweetest Jesus,I cast myself upon my knees in Thy sight,and with the most fervent desire of my soulI pray and beseech Thee

to impress upon my heart

lively sentiments of faith,

hope and charity,

with true repentance for my sins

and a most firm desire of amendment:

whilst with deep affection and grief of soul

I consider within myself

and mentally contemplate Thy five most precious Wounds,

having before mine eyes that which David, the prophet,

long ago spoke in Thine own person concerning Thee,

my Jesus: “They have pierced My hands and My feet,

they have numbered all My bones.”

Amen.

We wish you a blessed season of Lent.