LENT 2013 The university community has often expressed its appreciation for the annual Advent Guide and the way it helps prepare everyone for Advent. For a second consecutive year, through an intentional partnership between the School of Religion and the Office of University Ministries, we have been able to create and offer a Lent and Holy Week Devotional guide to help our campus community prepare for Easter. In the Christian tradition, Lent (concluding with Holy Week) is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial—for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This guide has instructions for daily devotions during this season. You are encouraged to read scripture, the brief devotional and pray each day as you prepare your heart for Easter. We are truly grateful for all of the individuals who have helped to make this Lent and Holy Week guide a reality for our campus community, as it was indeed a campus-wide collaboration that includes contributions from students, faculty and staff from across the campus. May each day of reflecting upon God’s Word, and the words of these writers, lead us through Lent and towards a deeper unity with Christ—in His life, death and resurrection! Grace and peace, GUY M. CHMIELESKI Dr. Guy Chmieleski, University Minister DARRELL D. GWALTNEY Dr. Darrell Gwaltney, Dean, School of Religion
1