What can you do with forty days?
Lent is a time to examine ourselves and to make changes in our lives to bring us closer to God.
1. Get Ready for Lent ...Sign-up for free daily Lenten Reflections
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Dynamic Catholic
Best Lent Ever (Online video reflections) Don't give up chocolate this year. Take an incredible forty-day journey and have your Best Lent Ever! Sign up for this free, daily Lenten video reflection series that starts the first day of Lent. |
2. Attend Ash Wednesday Services.
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Lent Begins Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025
A Day of Fasting & Abstinence Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent. On this special day of reflection, Catholics wear a marking of the cross in ash on their foreheads. The ashes symbolize our mortality – “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
But you might be wondering, where do the ashes for Ash Wednesday come from? Usually, the Ash Wednesday ashes are created by burning palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. Palm Sunday is the last Sunday of Lent and leads into Holy Week and Easter. -- Mercy Home |
Fasting & Abstinence Explained...
Abstinence: All Catholics 14 years & older must abstain from eating meat on Fridays of Lent, Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday.
Fasting: All Catholics between the ages of 18 & 59 are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On these two days, only one full meatless meal is allowed. Two other meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one's needs, but together they should not equal another full meal.
Abstinence: All Catholics 14 years & older must abstain from eating meat on Fridays of Lent, Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday.
Fasting: All Catholics between the ages of 18 & 59 are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On these two days, only one full meatless meal is allowed. Two other meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one's needs, but together they should not equal another full meal.
3. Gain a Plenary Indulgence through Stations of the Cross
A plenary indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who devoutly make the Stations of the Cross.
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Stations of the Cross - Weekly
We pray the Stations to honor His sacrifice for our salvation, to give Him thanks, and to remember we do not carry our cross alone; Jesus carries it with us. Tuesdays, St. John (Stoneham) Every Tuesday, 6:00 pm / Mar 11-Apr 15, 2025 Wednesdays St. Joseph (Akron) Every Wednesday, 5:30 pm / Mar 12-Apr 16, 2025 Followed by Mass & Lenten Soup Supper Fridays, St. Mary (Brush) Every Friday, 5:30 pm / Mar 7-Apr 11, 2025 Followed by Lenten Dinners hosted by the Knights of Columbus. Free will offering. |
5. Pray a Novena
Divine Mercy Novena
Begins Good Friday, April 18, after the liturgy and continues through April 27, Divine Mercy Sunday.
Schedule
April 18 - After Good Friday Liturgy
April 19 - Holy Saturday, privately
April 20 - Easter Sunday, before Mass
April 21 - Monday, privately
April 22 - Tuesday, privately
April 33 - Wednesday, privately
April 24 - Thursday, After 5:30 pm Mass, St. Mary's
April 25 - Friday, After 8:00 am Mass, St. Mary's
April 26 - before Mass
April 27 - Divine Mercy Sunday, Pray Chaplet during Adoration before Mass.
Begins Good Friday, April 18, after the liturgy and continues through April 27, Divine Mercy Sunday.
Schedule
April 18 - After Good Friday Liturgy
April 19 - Holy Saturday, privately
April 20 - Easter Sunday, before Mass
April 21 - Monday, privately
April 22 - Tuesday, privately
April 33 - Wednesday, privately
April 24 - Thursday, After 5:30 pm Mass, St. Mary's
April 25 - Friday, After 8:00 am Mass, St. Mary's
April 26 - before Mass
April 27 - Divine Mercy Sunday, Pray Chaplet during Adoration before Mass.
6. Participate in Holy Week & Easter
Holy Week & Easter Schedule
