CHURCH GUIDELINES

SEASON OF LENT

http://www.bluewatervicariate.org/lenten-guidelines

Are you seeking some insight on Church Guidelines for Lent? These are a faith filled treasure for Catechists and their students, as well as anyone looking to firm up their convictions about why we believe & do what we believe & do- rather than simply go through the motions. Click the link above for a listing and a printer friendly document to pass onto others!

SCRIPTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:

THE NUMBER 40

http://www.bluewatervicariate.org/forty-in-the-bible

As indicated by many references contained in the link above, the Holy Scriptures disclose to us that the number 40 is used by God to represent a period of testing, preparation and/or judgment. For instance, the Old Testament shares that Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights with the LORD on Mount Sinai and fasted the entire time (Exodus 24:18 & Exodus 34:28); Elijah walked "40 days and 40 nights to the mountain of God, Horeb” -another name for Sinai (1 Kings 19:8). For a complete listing on Forty In the Bible, explore the link above!

2016 LENTEN MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER, POPE FRANCIS

I desire mercy, and not sacrifice (Matthew 9:13).
~ The Works of Mercy on the Road of the Jubilee ~

WHAT IS LENT?

 
Lent is a 40-day period of preparation for Easter Sunday and one of the major Liturgical Seasons of the Catholic Church. Signifying the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert after His baptism, it is a penitential season marked by prayer, fasting and abstinence, and almsgiving.
 
Lent is not necessarily about “giving something up” for 40 days only to return to it on day 41 or afterward, but is a period of ongoing conversion so that we may draw closer to Jesus. When we repent (turn away from/change directions) for our sins and then make a permanent- rather than temporary- change in our lifestyle, a spiritual transformation can take place. At the heart of repentance lies the call to conversion. “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15)!
 

THE SEASON OF LENT:
 
INTO THE WILDERNESS
WITH JESUS OF NAZARETH

 
Each year, the Season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with the Celebration of the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday (for this year’s dates, explore our Liturgical Seasons link).
 
Check out our Season of Lent & Paschal Triduum video link HERE! 
 

ASH WEDNESDAY:

WHAT’S WITH THAT DIRT
ON YOUR HEAD?

Who hasn’t gotten that question on Ash Wednesday before? Do you feel silly when people ask you about your ashes? And is it hard to answer their questions? Having ashes on your forehead isn’t just some weird Catholic thing: it’s a tradition that finds its roots in the Old Testament. “I turned to the Lord God, to seek help, in prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes” (Daniel 9:3).

Learn more by clicking http://www.bluewatervicariate.org/ash-wednesday-events!
 

HOLY WEEK AND BEYOND:

FROM TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
TO ASCENSION OF OUR LORD

View and/or print a user friendly chart that walks us through the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, beginning with Christ's Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday and concluding with His Ascension to the right hand of the Father. For a great resource for Home/Church Bible Studies, Religious Education and personal spiritual enrichment, check out http://www.bluewatervicariate.org/holy-week-and-beyond!
 

STATIONS OF THE CROSS:
 
PRINTOUTS, PRAYERS & PAINTINGS!

For  Roman Catholics throughout the world, the Stations of the Cross are synonymous with Lent, Holy Week and, especially, Good Friday. This devotion is also known as the "Way of the Cross," the "Via Crucis" and the "Via Dolorosa."
 
To view prayers, breathtaking paintings and more for the Stations of the Cross, please explore http://www.bluewatervicariate.org/stations-of-the-cross-prayers!

THE PASCHAL TRIDUUM:
 
3 DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

 
The Paschal Triduum begins on Holy Thursday with the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper and ends with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday.
 
For this year’s dates, explore our Liturgical Seasons link!
 
Catechism of the Catholic Church #1168: Beginning with the Easter Triduum as its source of light, the new age of the Resurrection fills the whole liturgical year with its brilliance. Gradually, on either side of this source, the year is transfigured by the liturgy. It really is a "year of the Lord's favor." The economy of salvation is at work within the framework of time, but since its fulfillment in the Passover of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the culmination of history is anticipated "as a foretaste," and the kingdom of God enters into our time.

For more info, explore http://www.bluewatervicariate.org/paschal-triduum.

THE SEASON OF EASTER:
 
NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

 
The Easter Season, joyfully celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and His Victory over sin and death for all time, begins on Easter Sunday and ends with Evening Prayer on the Solemnity of Pentecost.
 
For this year’s dates, explore our Liturgical Seasons link.

For more info, explore http://www.bluewatervicariate.org/easter-sunday!