Notices

We are called to make Lent a time of renewal of life by penance and prayer:  Formerly, the six weeks of Lent meant a time of severe penance as a way of purifying ourselves from our sinful habits and getting ready to celebrate the Paschal mystery (the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ), with a renewed commitment to follow Christ.  Now the Church demands fasting and abstaining only on specified days of Lent, and leaves the practice of penance during Lent to the good will and generosity of individual Christians. Lent should be for us a time for personal reflection on where we stand as Christians and how well we are accepting the gospel challenges in thought, word and deed.  It is also a time for us to assess our relationships with our family, friends, working colleagues and the other people we encounter, especially in our parish.  We should examine what positive contributions we are able to make to other people’s lives and what we can do in the community to help eradicate the abuses which are part of our society.