New Monthly Adoration/Lent

Wednesday, February 21 marked the first day of the liturgical season of Lent. Lent is a 40-day period recognized by the Catholic Church and is an important time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday as Catholics all around the world fast and attend Mass to receive crosses of ashes on their foreheads as a sign of faith.

The season of Lent is directly connected to Jesus’ life. At the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the desert, fasting and praying in preparation for the life He was about to embark on. Every year, we as Catholics also spend 40 days in preparation for the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus, which signifies the end of the Lenten season and the beginning of the joyful season of Easter.

In the weeks leading up to Lent, it is not uncommon to find people debating and discussing with their friends or family what they are going to give up this year. Candy, chocolate, a favorite dessert, or a daily coffee are typical answers to the “What are YOU giving up?” question. Fasting is important because it unites us to Jesus’ sacrifice, both in the desert and on the cross. Our sacrifice is meant to remind us that we are not alone, that Jesus has sacrificed as well and we can look to Him for strength in our time of fast.

Fasting is not the only action that we as Catholics can take during Lent. Instead of giving something up, there are many things we can do during this contemplative time to draw us closer to Jesus and our faith. Prayer and almsgiving are the other two pillars of the Lenten mission. Almsgiving is donating time or money to others. Here at Ursuline, we have

NOELLE GAYER ‘23

countless opportunities to practice our motto of Serviam - I will serve. Think about getting involved in a Serviam Saturday, either by volunteering or dropping off donations.

Prayer is central to cultivating a relationship with God during Lent. There are many different devotional apps and podcasts available to help you grow your prayer life. This year at TUS, we have a new prayer opportunity available every First Friday of the month: Eucharistic Adoration. Adoration is a sacred tradition of the Catholic faith in which we come before Jesus, present in the Holy Eucharist, to pray or simply spend time in the quiet. I encourage everyone to take advantage of Jesus’ presence in this special way and come spend just a few minutes with Him!

Wishing everyone a meaningful and fruitful Lenten season!