Welcome to the season of Lent! We begin this holy seasonwith ASH WEDNESDAY. Quick question – Why do Catholics put ashes on the forehead?
There are over 40 passages in the Bible that associate ashes with mourning and grief. In the Hebrew Scriptures, people used ashes as a sign of repentance. They would sit in ashes, roll around in them, sprinkle them on their heads, even dip them in their food and drink as an outward sign of their inward posture of repentance.
ASH WEDNESDAY calls us to stop and ask ourselves “How are we doing in our walk with God?” In the 40 days that follow (the season of Lent) we are challenged to find spiritual areas where we can grow and sinful areas we need to avoid. We are called to Repent, which means to turn away from sin and turn toward God.
• Ashes are also a sign of physical death. We began as dust, our bodies will return to dust until Jesus raises us up in our final resurrection on the “Last Day.” By receiving ashes and keeping them on, we publicly proclaim our intent to die to our worldly desires and live even more in Christ’s image.
• Most simply - we acknowledge we are sinners and don’t always love God as strongly as we could or as directly as we should. Ash Wednesday reminds us that it is only through God that we have life. He gave it to us. So we spend these 40 days of Lent focusing on Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection - recognizing that without Him, we have no life, and no chance at eternal life in heaven.
MASSES ON ASH WEDNESDAY: 12:15; 3:00; 5:00 & 8:00 PM - All in the Student Center Ballroom A
CONFESSIONS heard 11:30-12; 1:30-2:45; 4-4:45 & 6:30-7:45pm
How do we “make a good Lent” The Church has often pointed to scriptures suggesting three main ways: FASTING, ALMSGIVING and PRAYER
On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday we’re asked to “ Fast’ to only eat one small, meatless meal and on all the Fridays of Lent to “Fast” or “Abstain” from eating meat. It simply began as a way to remember the suffering and death of Jesus on the original Good Friday. This was a popular form of personal penance. This is still one of the most "Catholic" of all religious practices and also one that still influences restaurants the world over (just check out all the commercials advertising their fishy specials).
The biggest thing to remember is this: fasting and abstinence are not punishments. We are not being sent to bed without dinner because we’ve been bad boys and girls. Quite the opposite is true. Fasting (on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday) and abstaining reminds us of what is and is not important in life. Too often the world asks us to judge ourselves by how we look, and where we eat. Fasting and abstinence ask us to look inside and "Seek the Lord with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13) As an entire Church we’re encouraged to join in these days of “fasting” and “abstinence” - but we’re also encouraged to make some personal decisions of things we’d like to “fast” from (for example, some people “give up” TV, Facebook, coffee, alcohol) during these 40 days of Lent.
Almsgiving – As college students, giving “alms” - or giving money to charity might not seem possible, but think about some creative ways that you can “give” to help others. Perhaps “giving up” that Starbucks coffee you get a couple times a week could turn into a charitable donation (avg. price $2.50 X 4 times a week = $10 x 6 weeks = $60 donation to your favorite charity).
Another way of “giving” can be sacrificing your “time” - For example, right here at Newman, perhaps you’ll decide to help with our Relay for Life team (raising funds to defeat Cancer) or join our group in the numerous community service opportunities that take place on a regular basis. (Contact Mike Haines, our community service chair at hainesm3_mail.montclair.edu )
In addition, we can “give” of our talents... So perhaps you’ve thought about singing on Sundays at Mass or helping out with some of your other gifts and talents around the Newman Center. We’re always looking for help from people who know how to work computers, to artistic/creative things, to something as simple(but important!) As helping to set up and clean up after Mass on Sunday. These are all ways you can “give of your time”
Prayer – Lent is a great opportunity for us to draw closer to the Lord in our prayer. Some might just add some quiet prayer time in their daily lives. Here are some concrete things you can do right here on campus:
- First, and most important is SUNDAY MASS - as Catholics, celebrating the Eucharist every Sunday is considered one of the most important things for us to do. From the night of the Last Supper when Jesus commanded we “do this in memory of Him” the Church has seen coming together on Sundays as the day when Jesus rose from the dead essential for the Catholic-Christian community. ON CAMPUS - MASS IS CELEBRATED AT 8:30 IN THE EVENING IN THE STUDENT CENTER CAFÉ B & C (Main level, cafeteria, behind the dividing wall)
- In addition, perhaps you’d like to join us for Mass during the week. Usually it’s a bit simpler than Sunday, so they’re only about 25 minutes long. Masses during the week are held in the Newman Center (which is located down the steps behind Moorehead Hall) on Mondays & Tuesdays at 4:45 PM Wednesdays at 9:00 PM and Fridays at 12 Noon. On Thursdays we offer Mass at 12 Noon in the Center for Faith and Spirituality in the basement of the Student Center.
- Eucharistic Adoration - is offered on Wednesday Evenings at 9:30 PM till 10:30 PM. Adoration celebrates Jesus, who is fully present in the Consecrated Host at Mass and reserved in tabernacles in Catholic churches and chapels. At Adoration, the Consecrated Host is reverently displayed on the altar in a receptacle called a monstrance. Adoration is a time for us to pray, to listen, and to be in His presence.
- A Simple Holy Hour. Fr. Jim and the FOCUS missionaries gather together to pray together and offer a daily rosary in our chapel on Mondays at 11am; Tuesdays & Thursdays at 10 am.
- Bible Studies - Our FOCUS missionaries offer numerous opportunities every week to learn more about God’s word in small group, hour long Bible studies. Contact us for more details on where and when..
- Confession - Yeah - that... Maybe it’s been a while. Lent is a great time to consider receiving this Sacrament, whether it has been awhile or if you receive this Sacrament regularly. Why do we "have to go to a priest" to be forgiven? Why can't we just think about what we did wrong and say sorry in our minds, by ourselves?
Take a look at this quote from the Gospel of John:
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." John 20:21-23
Author Mark Hart explains Notice how Jesus gives His apostles, the first members of Christ's priesthood, the power to forgive OR NOT to forgive? This is VITAL for understanding Reconciliation. Say that you work at a gas station and a car pulls in for directions. Now when the driver gets out, how do you know what directions to give them? How do you know whether to tell them that they're on the right road or the wrong road? Do you just guess based on looking at them, or do you LISTEN to them first? It's the same way with a Priest during the Sacrament of Reconciliation. By necessity, a priest can only know whether to forgive sins or hold them bound ONCE HE HAS HEARD THEM. Hearing the sins is essential. Also, when people say that a priest can't forgive sins, or that they don't need to go to a priest, we need to look at the role of the priest in confession.
During the sacrament, we aren't confessing our sins to the priest, but to God. The priest is acting "in the person of Christ." At that moment in confession, through the power of the priest's ordination, the priest is standing in the physical place of Jesus. That's why the priest says, "I absolve you" and not, "Jesus absolves you." It's the same during the consecration at Mass when the priest says, "This is MY body," not "This is His body" or "this is Jesus' body."
Some other direct places in the Holy Scriptures that show Christ's intention for the Sacrament of Reconciliation are: Matthew 18:18-19;Mark 2:5-12; 2 Cor. 5:18-20.
Confessions are heard on Wednesdays during the Holy Hour (9:30 -10:30 PM) Sundays before Mass (7:30-8:15 PM) and anytime by appointment.
