St Patrick's Dumbarton

Lent and the Journey towards Easter 2016

Lent 2016 begins on Ash Wednesday, 10 February: it is the period of about 40 days before Easter Sunday and is a period for reflection, renewal, prayer and penitence. In this Holy Year of Mercy we are reminded by Pope Francis that “wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy”.
So – what is “the Holy Year of Mercy”?

The Year of Mercy is a special time for Catholics to:

• focus on showing mercy and compassion towards others
• practice forgiveness and reconciliation
• do good deeds for the needy and those on the margins of society

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36<
How can we enact “mercy” as part of our Lenten practice?

Jesus taught us that man not only receives and experiences the mercy of God, but that he is also called to practice mercy towards others. In the Church, works of mercy are divided into “corporal works of mercy” which relate to the material needs of others, and “spiritual works of mercy” which relate to the spiritual needs of others.

"To work for justice and to pray for peace … these are not optional extras for a Catholic. They are essential threads in the very weave of Catholic living. Justice and Peace..should offer focus, guidance and practical opportunities for concerned persons to engage with society in a way which brings the values of the Gospel to the issues of the day"

Corporal Works of Mercy

to feed the hungry
to give drink to the thirsty
to clothe the naked
to shelter the homeless
to visit the sick
to visit the imprisoned
to bury the dead

Spiritual Works of Mercy

to instruct the ignorant
to counsel the doubtful
to admonish sinners
to bear wrongs patiently
to forgive offences willingly
to comfort the afflicted
to pray for the living and the dead

Lent is a time for self-denial and for enriching the lives of others. We may deny ourselves in some respects and/or be proactive in the performance of charitable actions. In deciding what we might sacrifice or practice this Lent we might do no better than consider the various works of mercy as a focus for helping others. Real self- denial hurts and that is what penance involves.

EASTER SUNDAY

The penance and sacrifice of Lent is a preparation for the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, the greatest feast in the Church Year. The Resurrection demonstrates that death is not the end, it is the beginning of new life in the Kingdom of God.

During the Easter Vigil, the biblical account of creation is read – in it, at the beginning of all things, God says - ”Let there be light!” At Easter we acknowledge that the Risen Christ himself is Light – the Light of the world.

Be rewarded with a Happy Easter after a fruitful Lent!

Videos

Videos
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Click on the image to play the video	Taken from Busted Halo
Click on the image to play the video	Taken from Busted Halo