Liturgical Seasons

+The Paschal Season: Lent, Triduum, Eastertime+

The Paschal Triduum is the heart of the church's year. Lent is the preparation for it, beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on Holy Thursday. The Paschal Triduum begins with Holy Thursday and concludes with the Easter Vigil. Eastertime is the 50-day celebration that flows from the experience of Triduum. Together, Lent, the Triduum and Eastertime make up the "paschal season", the springtime of the church.

Lent is a time of renewal, concentrating on three practices of prayer, fasting, and works of charity. These three practices support one another. Prayer strengthens us for our times of fasting and deepens our charity. Fasting deepens our prayer and opens our hearts for charity. Performing works of charity will give your fasting purpose and concentrate your prayer.

Liturgical Highlights

The liturgical color for the season of Lent is purple. Some liturgical lenten traditions include the ban on any instrumental music without singing, a ban on the singing of "alleluia" and a ban on flowers in the worship space. Clearing the worship space of any clutter allows for a clearer mind during the season.

Regulations for Fast and Abstinence

Explanation: Fasting and abstinence discipline the body to rely less on the things of this world. They create within us a clear-headed dependence on God, whose love fulfills our every need. These practices bind Catholics in a common but very small effort.

Abstinence (avoiding a certain thing): The law of abstinence means that a person is bound to abstain from eating meat and foods prepared with meat or meat by-products beginning from the day after one's fourteenth birthday.

Fast (consuming less): The law of fast means that adults are bound to fast from the day after their seventeenth birthday until the end of the day of their fifty-ninth birthday. The law of fast allows only one full meal and two lighter meals in the course of a day, and prohibits eating between meals.

Days of Abstinence and Fast: In the United States, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence. All other Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence only.

Exceptions: Pregnant women and persons who are sick are not bound by the law of fast.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Lent is a time for a conversion of heart and is a wonderful way to prepare for the Triduum and Eastertime celebrations.