Lent 2019

Dear St. Mary's Family,

Ash Wednesday (Wednesday, March 6th) marks the beginning of Lent. The Church invites us during this season to a time of examination and repentance, to prayer, fasting and self-denial, and the reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word. (BCP 265) 

What spiritual practice will you take on during Lent? From what food or drink or behavior will you abstain during Lent? In what way will you provide for those in need during Lent?

Fasting

• Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are designated days of fasting. (BCP 17) Historically, fasting means intentionally not eating food. Fasting can also be practiced at other times during Lent, of course.
• The other weekdays of Lent and Holy Week (as well as every Friday during the year!) are to be observed by "special acts of discipline and self-denial." (BCP 17) Historically, the primary "special act" was abstinence (not sexual abstinence, abstinence from eating flesh meat).
• Each Christian may also choose to abstain from some eating some other item of food, or abstain from engaging in some other behavior or practice, as part of their Lenten devotion.
• "Why do we fast? For fasting to make any sense, it must have a constructive purpose and be defined in positive, not negative terms. Put most simply, fasting is about freedom. Fasting frees us from slavery. Fasting is not about "giving something up", fasting is about freeing ourselves from the control of outside forces and temptations. Fasting can even be about saying no to ourselves when we have surrendered control of our lives to bad habits and dependencies. Fasting is about taking control of those things that threaten to control us. Some people suffer from addictions that rob them of their freedom. But for many who are not clinically addicted, life still has many distractions that take control of our lives in subtle ways." Read more here.

Prayer

• Consider praying Stations of the Cross on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. at St. Mary's and participating in the Adult Forum and dinner (see more info in the weekly newsletter).
• Come to a brief celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 12:05 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• Pray Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer or both (click here to pray the Daily Office).
• Consider incorporating lectio divina into your daily prayer life.

Almsgiving

• Prayer helps us re-frame our vision to see the world as God see it. Self-denial frees us from being enslaved to our own desires. All of this gives us time and energy to spend serving the needy.
• Consider contributing to the Urban Necessities Project (see weekly newsletter). There are also volunteer opportunities.
• Volunteer to serve the poor via Downtown Outreach.

It is my prayer that each of you will prayerfully consider these three pillars of Lent and intentionally engage each of them in some way. It is a deeply rewarding time of spiritual renewal that makes the joyful celebration of Our Lord's resurrection at Easter all the more meaningful.

Peace,
Fr. Charles

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