We begin another journey through the Season of Lent this Ash Wednesday, February 14, in our preparation for the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday! During the 40 days of Lent (we don’t count Sundays in the 40), we pray, fast, give alms (Matthew 6:1-18), and repent as we renew our commitment to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel, to follow Jesus (Mark 1:12-15). Please see this bulletin for our Ash Wednesday and Lenten schedule.
The love of God is at the heart of our Lenten journey – His love for us and our love for Him. All that we do and say should be directed toward God who is Love. Fasting and abstinence are part of that journey – as these practices help us to grow in our love for God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and in our love for one another.
Remember that Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the major days for fasting (one regular meal; then two smaller meals that, together, equal one meal; no snacks) for those who are 18 to 60 years old. During Lent, Ash Wednesday and all Fridays are days of abstinence, meaning that we do not eat meat on those days for those who are age 14 or over. By abstaining from meat on Fridays, we remember that on Good Friday Jesus gave His flesh for the life of the world. By eating fish on Fridays, we recall Jesus Christ’s miracle of the loaves and fish, a foreshadowing of the miracle of the Holy Eucharist; and we recall that Jesus told the Apostles who were fishermen that He would make them “fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). Remember, too, that the Greek word for fish is Ichthys, which is also an ancient Christian acronym for “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” In our Lenten journey, we might also give up something as part of our penitential practice, more closely uniting ourselves with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who Himself suffered for us, giving His flesh, His very life, in order to save us, as He died on the Cross and rose from the dead to conquer sin and death and to give us eternal life in Heaven.
This Lent, our Saint Clement Catholic Parish family will have many opportunities to grow in our love for Jesus and His Church and one another, including:
Mass Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8:15am; Saturdays 5pm; Sundays 7:30am, 9:30am.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession) Before daily Mass; Tuesdays, 6:30-7:30pm, February 20, 27, March 6, 13 and 20; Saturdays, 4-4:50pm; Holy Saturday, 4-5pm.
Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament First Friday, March 3, after Mass until Saturday, 8am.
Stations of the Cross Fridays, 5:30pm, February 16, 23, and March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30.
May you and your families have a blessed and fruitful Lenten journey in Christ,
Fr. William
Saint Clement Parish 