Lent and Easter
Overview
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• What is Lent?
• Length of the Season
• Renewal of Baptismal Promises
• Ash Wednesday
• Penance
• Three Pillars of Lent
• Traditions of Lent
• Holy Triduum
• Easter Season
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What is Lent?
What
Lent?
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• Lent is one of the 5 seasons in the liturgical year
• The word “lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon
word from springtime, lencten
– Spring is a time of change and renewal – “new
birth”
– Lent is a time for spiritual growth
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How long is the
season of Lent?
How long isClick
the season
Title of Lent?
• The season of Lent is 40 days - a time of purification
and preparation
– It took 40 years for Israel to enter the promised Land
– It took 40 days and 40 nights for the earth to be
purified from sin in the story of the flood
– Jesus prayed 40 days and 40 nights to prepare for his
ministry
How long isClick
the season
Title of Lent?
• Sundays not counted during Lent
– Sunday is the day of the “resurrection”
• For Christians Sundays are like mini Easters
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History
of Lent
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• Early on, as part of the process of becoming a
Christian, candidates prepared for their rite of
initiation through a retreat lasting 40 days
– Period became known as “Lent”
– For those already baptized and members of the
Church, it was a time to fast, encourage and to pray
with the candidates and to renew baptismal
promises
• The focus of Lent shifted from Baptism preparation
to penance and prayer
Renewal ofClick
Baptismal
Title Promises
• Do you reject Satan? I do.
• And all his works? I do.
• And all his empty promises? I do.
• Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth? I do.
• Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin
Mary was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated
at the right hand of the Father? I do.
• Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic church, the communion of
saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?
I do.
• God, the all-powerful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a new birth by
water and the Holy Spirit, and forgiven all our sins. May he also keep us faithful to
our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever. I do.
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What is the Color of Lent?
What is the
Color
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Titleof Lent?
• The color of Lent is purple
• Purple is a symbol of Penance
Mardi Gras
Tuesday
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• The tradition of Mardi Gras (French, “Fat Tuesday”)
began as a pre-Lenten day of feasting and carnival
• Foods forbidden by the church’s severe Lenten
discipline were the ones needing refrigeration
– Since controlled refrigeration was unheard of until
the 19th century, it made sense to eat what would
otherwise spoil during the 6 weeks of Lent
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When does Lent begin?
When does
ClickLent
TitleBegin?
• The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday
• This day is called Ash Wednesday because
Catholics receive the ashes on their foreheads as
an invitation to conversion
What is the meaning
of the Ashes?
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• Ancient symbol of repentance
• The mark of the penitent (a person who repents for
wrongdoing)
• A public sign that we are about to embark on a
conversion of heart
• Symbol that life is fragile
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Where do the ashes
come from?
Where do the
Ashes
come from?
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Title
• The ashes are made from the blessed palms used in
the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year
• The ashes are christened with Holy Water and are
scented by exposure to incense
Giving Something
Up for Lent
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• Lent is about conversion, turning our lives more
completely over to Christ and his way of life
– That always involves giving up sin in some form
– Conversion means leaving behind an old way of living
and acting in order to embrace new life in Christ
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What is Penance?
WhatClick
is Penance?
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• Penance is making amends
– Amends is making up for what we do wrong
• Lent is a time to “clean up the mess” and fix our
lives and our relationships with God and neighbor
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Provide some examples of
Penance you can do
How do we prepare
for Lent?
Clickspiritually
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• By letting go of sinful behavior
• By seeking conversion (interior change)
• By practicing Penance
• By following the teachings of Christ
• By practicing the three pillars of Lent
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What are the three
traditional pillars of Lent?
What are theClick
threeTitle
pillars of Lent?
• Prayer
• Fasting
• Almsgiving (charity)
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How is fasting different
from dieting?
Why is FastingClick
different
Titlefrom Dieting?
• Dieting is something we do for health or
cosmetic reasons
• Fasting is a spiritual exercise
– Fasting is an expression of wholeheartedness
and penance
– Reminds us to have control over our desires
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How is fasting different
from abstinence?
FastingClick
vs. Abstinence
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• Fasting
– Traditional form of penance
– Way of purifying the spirit; sacrificing some good to
the Lord
– Consists of one’s free choice to limit the kind or
quality of food or drink
• Abstinence
– Doing without meat or another food or drink
– Abstinence from meat is mandatory on Ash
Wednesday and all Fridays in Lent
Regulations
onTitle
Abstinence
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• The U.S. Catholic bishops call for all Catholics 14 years
and older to abstain from meat on …
– Ash Wednesday,
– Good Friday and
– Fridays of Lent
• Catholics who are 18 to 59 years old are to fast on
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting refers to the
quantity of food eaten
– Traditionally, fasting calls for refraining from eating
between meals and consuming only one full meal per day
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Title
Prayer
• Devote more time to prayer
• You could pray for the grace to live out our
baptismal promises more fully through
conversion of heart
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How can we improve our
prayer during Lent?
How can we improve
ourTitle
prayer during Lent?
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• Divide your prayer time in three parts
– Morning
– Afternoon
– Evening (night)
• Spend 15 to 20 minutes alone, meditating,
talking to God
How can we improve
ourTitle
prayer during Lent?
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• Become familiar with the life of Jesus by
reading the Gospels
• Each day read a different chapter from each of
the Gospels
• Try to visualize what is happening
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What is almsgiving?
WhatClick
is Almsgiving?
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• Almsgiving is another word for charity
• Charity is love in action
• Charity is a way to reach out to those who are
in need (e.g., collecting food cans for the
hungry)
What Click
is discipleship?
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• Discipleship is a learning to be a disciple
• The word disciple means “student”
• Student is the one who learns from the master
• Discipleship is learning to be like Christ
How do we learn
be like Christ?
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• Study Christ’s teachings
• Follow Christ’s teachings
• Witness Christ’s teachings in your life and in the
world
Temptation
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• Temptation: Any incitement to sin arising from the
world
• God allows us to be tempted (trial) but never
beyond our powers to resist
• The trial provides the occasion for moral and
spiritual growth
• Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the desert (Mark,
Matthew and Luke)
What are the three
universal
Click
Title temptations?
• The temptation for pleasure regardless of the
consequences
• The temptation for power
• The temptation for popularity
Sacrament
Penance
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• The Sacrament of Penance is the liturgical celebration of
God's forgiveness of the sins of the penitent
– Conversion from sin, confession of guilt, forgiveness of the
wrong done, and reconciliation with Christ and His Church
• You should come to the Sacrament of Penance at least
once each year during Lent or Eastertide and as often as
necessary when conscious of serious sin
– Anyone conscious of grave sin should not receive Holy
Communion before being reconciled to God by sacramental
confession and absolution
Traditions
of Lent
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• Lent is a season of penitence, reflection, and prayer,
worship during this time is solemn and restrained
• Somber atmosphere
– Weddings are normally not scheduled during Lent
because they are joyful events
• Penitential practices such as fasting and abstinence
• Devotions centered around the suffering of Jesus
Stations
of the
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TitleCross
• Devotion found in the Catholic tradition of piety
• Stations of the Cross is representative of 14
particular events experienced by Jesus as He walked
to Calvary
• Every Friday in the Chapel at 6:00 pm
Holy
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Title
• The height of the season of Lent is Holy Week
• Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and ends with
the Holy Triduum
• Triduum means: three days
– Holy Thursday
– Good Friday
– Holy Saturday
Holy
Triduum
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Title
• The Triduum is a celebration that highlights the
Paschal mystery
• Through these three days the Church
remembers that Christ suffered and died, but
that he also came to life
• The Triduum is the celebration
of the Church’s salvation
through Christ
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Holy Triduum
Title
• Lent officially ends on Holy Thursday
• The Holy Triduum begins on Holy Thursday
• On Holy Thursday there is only one Mass
– The Mass of the Lord’s supper which is
celebrated in the evening, and includes the
washing of the feet
– No morning Masses are celebrated on this day
Holy
Thursday
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Title
• The faithful gathers in church to celebrate the
institution of the Eucharist and priesthood
• Washing of the Feet - a reminder of Jesus’
command to serve one another
• The Blessed Sacrament is moved to a chapel
• The faithful is invited to stay in the chapel to pray
before the Blessed Sacrament until midnight
• The sanctuary is cleared. All decorations are
removed from the church
Good
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Title
• This is a holy day of fasting and abstinence
• A Mass is not celebrated
• The liturgy of the Lord’s passion is celebrated,
followed by a homily, the General intercessions,
communion, and the veneration of the cross
• There is no procession on this day
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What is the veneration
of the Cross?
What is the veneration
Click Titleof the Cross?
• The veneration of the cross is the last section of
the Liturgy of Good Friday
• The faithful are presented with the cross, then
the faithful venerate the cross with a kiss, as a
sign of respect and devotion
Holy
Saturday
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Title
• The Easter Vigil is the highest point of the Easter
Triduum
• The Easter Vigil begins on Holy Saturday
• This is the longest celebration in Catholic
worship
• The celebration proclaims Jesus’ triumph over
the powers of evil and death
Holy
Saturday
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Title
• The Easter Vigil begins at night with the blessing
of the fire and the exultet
– The exultet is a song sung by the deacon or
cantor proclaiming the salvation of the risen
Christ
Holy
Saturday
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Title
• The fire is blessed, from this fire the Paschal
candle is lit
• The priest blesses the candle reminding people
that Jesus is the alpha and the omega, the
beginning and the end
Holy
Saturday
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Title
• The Paschal candle is carried by the deacon into the
darkened church
• As the procession progresses the lights of the church are
gradually turn on
• People light their own candles from the Paschal candle
carried by the deacon
• At the end of the procession the deacon sings the
Exultet or exultation song. The people hold their candles
during the song
Holy
Saturday
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Title
• The darkened church, the procession, the
paschal candle, the fire, and the exultet are all
symbols that remind us that Christ’s
resurrection defeated the darkness of evil
• This ceremony reminds us the power of Christ
cannot be defeated nor those who have his
power
Easter
Vigil
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• After the homily the baptismal water is blessed with
the Paschal candle
• The catechumens and candidates are initiated with
the sacraments of initiation
• The congregation renews their baptismal vows
• After the baptismal ceremony the second part of the
Mass, the liturgy of the Eucharist, continues as usual
• This is the first Mass of Easter day, and the beginning
of the Easter season, fifty days of celebration that
end on Pentecost Sunday
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When does the Easter season
begin and end?
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Easter
• The season of Easter beings with Easter Sunday and
ends with Pentecost
• Symbols associated with Pentecost
– Dove, tongues of flame, and wind
– Red vestments and decorations, which symbolizes
the intense love and fire of the Holy Spirit
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Summary
• What is Lent?
• Length of the Season
• Renewal of Baptismal Promises
• Ash Wednesday
• Penance
• Three Pillars of Lent
• Traditions of Lent
• Holy Triduum
• Easter Season