Lent – an act of prayer spread out over 40 days. When we pray, we go on a journey, one that hopefully brings us closer to Christ and leaves us changed by the encounter with him.
In prayer when we are directed by the Spirit we win the world for Christ. Through this kind of spirit-led prayer we imitate Jesus’ 40 days in the desert. Filled and led by the Spirit, Jesus came out of the Lenton desert “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14).
From Dr. Scott Hahn:
Back on April 29, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI did something rather
striking, but which went largely unnoticed.
He stopped off in Aquila, Italy, and visited the tomb of an obscure
medieval Pope named St. Celestine V (1215-1296). After a brief
prayer, he left his pallium, the symbol of his own episcopal
authority as Bishop of Rome, on top of Celestine’s tomb!
Fifteen months later, on July 4, 2010, Benedict went out of his way
again, this time to visit and pray in the cathedral of Sulmona, near
Rome, before the relics of this same saint, Celestine V.
Few people, however, noticed at the time.
Only now, we may be gaining a better understanding of what it meant.
These actions were probably more than pious acts. More likely, they
were profound and symbolic gestures of a very personal nature, which
conveyed a message that a Pope can hardly deliver any other way.
In the year 1294, this man (Fr. Pietro Angelerio), known by all as a
devout and holy priest, was elected Pope, somewhat against his will,
shortly before his 80th birthday (Ratzinger was 78 when he was
elected Pope in 2005). Just five months later, after issuing a
formal decree allowing popes to resign (or abdicate, like other
rulers), Pope Celestine V exercised that right. And now Pope
Benedict XVI has chosen to follow in the footsteps of this venerable
model.
Can you imagine being the Pope’s Tailor? Pretty honorable mission, sounds like an exciting life!
Why abstain from meat?
We give up meat, which still today is a luxury in some parts of the world, denying ourselves a good thing to remember that Christ is better than food and needed more by all of us than anything else.
Why is fish not considered meat?
Because it was the food of the poor who could not afford meat, yet could catch fish to sustain themselves.
Lyrics:
I’m a man on fire
Walking through your street
With one guitar
And two dancing feet
Only one desire
That’s left in me
I want the whole damn world
To come dance with me
(ohhhhhhhh. Come dance with me)
I’m a hunter at bay
Come and set you free
Over heartache and shame
I wanna see our bodies burning like the old big sun
I wanna know what we’ve been learning and learning from
Everybody want safety (safety love)
Everybody want comfort (comfort love)
Everybody want certain (certain love)
Everybody but me
I’m a man on fire
Walking down your street
With one guitar
And two dancing feet
Only one desire
That’s left in me
I want the whole damn world
To come and dance with me
(bah bah bah bah bah…)
Yay, yay. Come dance with me
Over heartache and rage
Come set us free
Over panic and strange
I wanna see our bodies burning like the old big sun
I wanna know what we’ve been learning and learning from
Everybody want romance (romance love)
Everybody want safety (safety love)
Everybody want comfort (comfort love)
Everybody but me
I’m a man on fire (he’s a man on fire)
Walking down your street (walking down your street)
With one guitar (With one guitar)
And two dancing feet (two dancing feet)
Only one desire (one desire)
That’s still in me (that’s left in me)
I want the whole damn world (I want the whole damn world)
To come and dance with me (come and dance with me yeahhhhh…)
The first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, finds its name from where we are marked with ashes showing repentance of our sins and mourning. The ashes also represent our mortality. We are created from the earth and eventually that’s where we return. (you are dust and dust you shall return.) We started as nothing and our bodies will become dust and ashes after our death. Reminds us that nobody escapes physical death, and to look forward to eternal life.
Ashes are made into a cross on the forehead because in the ancient days that was the sign of being marked by Christ in baptism. We are no longer our own, but Jesus Christ owns us.
&
3 Way Equation for Lent:
Prayer
Fasting
Almsgiving
There’s still time to celebrate with this cream of ‘any vegetable’ soup recipe:
2 tablespoons chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 cup chicken stock (I like rachel ray’s in a box)
Dash salt/Dash pepper
2 cups milk (soy milk works, too)
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 cup cooked vegetable (such as corn, cauliflower, tomato or potato
Soup’s on, Enjoy!
What will you create to make the world awesome? Nothin’ if you keep sittin’ there. This is my time, this is your time, this is our time. We were made to be awesome!
A Pep Talk from Kid President to You