Lent
Lent
Our pilgrimage to Jerusalem
Our pilgrimage journey as disciples following Jesus takes us now towards Jerusalem and the Christ’s offering Himself as sacrifice for our sins — the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
The Season of Lent is a period of turning toward God in preparation for Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus. We renew our faith through prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent and the start of our preparation through prayer and penance for the Easter celebration. Ashes are blessed at Mass and placed on the forehead of Catholics to remind us that we are all mortals and will die someday just as Jesus died for us. We have an accountability before God for our actions and our focus should be fixed on eternal, not earthly, things. The ashes are made of burnt palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday service.
Abstinence and Fasting
Abstinence and fasting are acts of penance which should remind us that God is the true source of our nourishment.
Abstinence means refraining from meat and all foods prepared with meat. It is required of those 14 and older on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Fridays in Lent unless a serious health issue prevents it.
Fasting is eating only one full meal each day and two smaller meals with no snacks between meals. Catholics ages 18-59 are required to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. We can fast on other days of Lent also and can give up other things or perform acts of prayer, charity or service as Lenten penance.
For more details, click the link below.
The Color Purple
During Lent, as in Advent, the Church uses purple in liturgy. The color purple used in vestments and other altar items signifies anticipation, purification and penance.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. According to traditions dating back to the 4th century, it contains the two holiest sites in Christianity: the site where Jesus was crucified at Golgotha and Jesus's empty tomb. The tomb is enclosed by a 19th-century shrine called the Aedicula.
Take a virtual tour of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This YouTube video shows the sites within the church including Golgotha the place of Jesus’ crucifixion.
The Sacred Triduum
Take a spiritual journey through the sacred days of Holy Week. Watch this great video on Formed.org by the Augustine Institute. Our parish has a subscription to this website which full of videos, prayers, ebooks and audio files.
**If you haven’t created your account yet, here is how to get set up.
- Visit FORMED.org
- Click Sign Up
- Select “I Belong to a Parish or Organization”
- Find Our Lady of the Lake, Lake Ozark or type 65049 in for the zip code.
- Enter your email.
**If you haven’t logged in for a while, when you sign in with your email, Formed will send a message to your email. You then click on the link in that email to get in.
Once you are in Formed, navigate back here and click on the link here to easily go to the Triduum video.
I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness. Rather, he will have the light of life.
John 8:12
Holy Week Services
Come follow Jesus in His final days. All are invited to join us. Check out the schedule of services for this sacred week.
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Holy Week Services
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