Lenten Resources

Rules of Fasting

Rules of Fasting

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.

For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards.

Members of the Eastern Catholic Churches are to observe the particular law of their own sui iuris Church.

A Reflection on Lenten Fasting

If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the "paschal fast" to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily his Resurrection.

Source: USCCB

How to Prepare for Confession

How to Prepare for Confession
How to Make a Good Confession
- Prior to going to Confession, examine your conscience. Reflect on your sins, both things you have done and said and things you have not done and said.
- When you arrive, begin your Confession by saying “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been [length of time] since my last Confession. These are my sins….”
- The priest will offer a suggestion, called a penance, for you to do (sometimes a prayer, sometimes a reading, sometimes something else).
- You will then pray the Act of Contrition, out loud. This shows that you are sorry for your sins.
- The priest will then pray the Prayer of Absolution to which you respond “Amen”.
- The priest will offer some words of comfort and acknowledgment that God has forgiven your sins and then add a dismissal.
- You can respond “Thanks be to God” or in some other appropriate manner.
Things to Keep in Mind
- If you haven’t been to Confession in a while or if this is your first, know that the priest is happy you have come back. If you are nervous or unsure of what to do or say, just let him know and he will provide you with guidance.
- Prior to going to Confession, examine your conscience. Reflect on your sins, both thingks you have done and said and things you have not done and saidWhen you arrive, begin your Confession by saying “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been [length of time] since my last Confession. These are my sins….”
- The priest will offer a suggestion, called a penance, for you to do (sometimes a prayer, sometimes a reading, sometimes something else).
- You will then pray the Act of Contrition, out loud. This shows that you are sorry for your sins.
- The priest will then pray the Prayer of Absolution to which you respond “Amen”.
- The priest will offer some words of comfort and acknowledgment that God has forgiven your sins and then add a dismissal. You can respond “Thanks be to God” or in some other appropriate manner.

Media Resources

Media Resources

Below are resources we have used over the years. As lent draws closure, many of the resources will have 2024 Lented activities for you.

Word on Fire: Sign up for Lenten Reflections with Bishop Barron:
http://www.lentreflections.com/ or go to the HOME page of our website to sign up

Formed.org: Sign up for Lenten reflections from Dr. Tim Gray at Formed.org
https://formed.org/lent

Dynamic Catholic: Do something life changing this Lent – sign up for reflections from Best Lent Ever: https://dynamiccatholic.com/best-lent-ever

Catholic Relief Services - CRS Rice Bowl

CRS

Catholic Relief Services: Check out the CRS Rice Bowl website for stories, reflections, recipes and ways for you to donate to this year’s Rice Bowl Collection:
https://www.crsricebowl.org/families

Laudato Si - Lent Calendar

Laudato Si - Lent Calendar

Lent is a special season for reflection and action through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, so this year we’ll live it more profoundly by focusing on the theme “Listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor” (LS 49). We invite you to take a step further in your eco-conversion journey by clicking here to get the 2024 Lent Calendar . Each week, you will be called to read, reflect and reconcile to ground your efforts to move towards a more prophetic ecological conversion.