Receive God’s Grace Afresh
I popped into “Flying Tiger” in Whitefriars this week. Their boast is; “we don’t design to make products look nice. We design to make people feel good.” There on display, were all manner of things connected with Spring and Easter. In Tesco’s I noticed they were displaying their Easter Eggs in January.
This Sunday is ten days before Ash Wednesday and in the old Calendar was know as Sexagesima Sunday. It is marking the time before Easter. Sexagesimal literally means “sixtieth,” though it only falls 56 days before Easter.
I thought it would be a good opportunity now to reflect on what are we going to do, or how are we going to use, the weeks of Lent, which are a preparation of the celebration of Easter. As the document “Celebrating Easter” says; “The annual Lenten season is the fitting time to climb the Holy Mountain of Easter.”
The Lenten season has a double character, namely, to prepare both catechumens and the faithful to celebrate the paschal mystery. Here in our parish, we are privileged to have a group of some people who are preparing to be baptised and some people preparing to be received into full communion into the Catholic Church. They will be going to the cathedral (St George’s) on the Saturday after Ash Wednesday (5th March) for the Rite of Election.
During Lent, by catechesis, they are preparing for the celebration of the sacraments of Christian initiation at the Easter Vigil. The rest of us, the faithful, are called to be ever more attentive to the word of God and prayer, and so prepare ourselves by penance for the renewal of our baptismal promises at Easter. “Lent is our time to journey with Christ, to set our own faces to Jerusalem and account him to the cross. Lent is our time be with the crucified Lord, and to wait quietly with him for the brilliance of the Resurrection.”
It is important to realise that is not a solitary walk with Jesus. We walk as Church, walk as the People of God, walk as the Body of Christ.
Here are a few things to consider for this Lent:
- A retreat for Lent:
Make some space to develop your relationship with God this Lent. Sign up for our Diocesan ‘retreat at home’ called Saving Grace. Every week you will receive an email with links to a 25 minute video in which our Archbishop John will introduce the theme and the reading, Chris Chapman will deliver the retreat, with others contributing. You will also receive materials to use in your own prayer and reflection. All you have to have to do is sign up and then set aside what space you can for Saving Grace! Background information about the retreat can be found here.
You can sign up to receive the materials directly here. - Our shop have several different booklets with meditations that help you journey through Lent.
- There are four talks during Lent by Fr Joseph O’Hanlon on Women in Scripture. Details in the newsletter. They on the four Tuesdays of March starting on 8th.
- Consider the possibility of coming to Mass during the week.
- Plan to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent
- Mediate on the Way of the Cross once a week.
Whatever you chose to do, do something to prepare for Easter, the Feast of Feast. You are opening yourselves to receive God’s grace afresh and respond to it.
