Lent
KEEPING A HOLY LENT
Dear People of God:
From the early days of our faith, Christians have observed the remembrance of Christ’s passion and resurrection with great reverence. It became the custom to prepare for that observance by a season of prayer and fasting, and the reconciliation of those who had been separated from the community of faith. By keeping the season of Lent, we take to heart God’s call to repentance and the assurance of forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel, and practice in our daily lives the work of reconciliation.
We invite you, therefore, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.
To make a right beginning to this season it is appropriate to receive the mark of ashes as a the reminder of our mortal nature and of God’s invitation to receive Christ’s redeeming work.
ASH WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 2024
On Ash Wednesday, we will be out on McCosh Court, from around 10am to around 1pm, offering Ashes and a Prayer to anyone who is interested in receiving them. One of us will apply Ashes to your forehead and offer a prayer for you.
Our ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE will be at 4:30pm in the Side Chapel of the University Chapel. For those attending, there will also be an opportunity to receive Ashes at this service.
DEVOTIONAL RESOURCES
To aid you in your Lenten Spiritual Journey, here are a few resources that may help you in your journey:
“A Spring in the Desert” by Frank and Victoria Logue.
“Good Lord, Deliver Us” by Lindsay and Leonard Freeman.
“Christ in the Psalms: A Lenten Journey by David Young.
“Lent with Evelyn Underhill” by G.P. Mellick Belshaw. (Evelyn Underhill was a renowned Anglican writer on spirituality)
A few Phone Apps that can aid your spiritual journey:
Pray-As-You-Go. (You can use website or download the app).
CONFESSION
Historically, the Church has practiced the Ministry of Confession with a Priest of the Church. The Penitent would confess their sins to God before a Priest. The Priest would then pronounce words of absolution on behalf of God. While this has become less common in the Episcopal Church, it is still practiced by some as a spiritually enriching exercise of devotion. During Lent, Fr. Allen will be offering opportunities to come and meet with him for the Ministry of Confession. He will be following the liturgy for the Reconciliation of a Penitent in the Book of Common Prayer (to see the liturgy, go to bcponline.org >Pastoral Offices>Reconciliation of a Penitent - Form Two).
If you would like to schedule a time for Confession, please feel free to contact Fr. Allen.