Lent. The Season of. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church ELLICOTT CITY, MARYLAND Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Transcription

1 Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church ELLICOTT CITY, MARYLAND The Season of Lent Dear Brothers and Sisters, Once again we enter into these forty days of prayer, fasting and almsgiving together. On Ash Wednesday we heard the prophet Joel declare: Proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children Joel is telling us that this is a time of grace for all of us, not just individually, but as a spiritual family. Even though much of our prayer, fasting and almsgiving will be done individually, the Lord wants us to draw strength from one another, to recognize together how much we all need mercy, and to encourage one another in prayer. May the Lord bless our parish family during this special season of grace, that as individuals and as a family, we might be well prepared for the joy of Easter. PRAYER Daily Mass "In the Eucharist is all the power that created the universe and all the love that redeemed it!" Join us for daily Mass and receive the Lord s power and love in your life to help you meet the challenges and trials of each day. Daily Mass is offered Monday through Saturday at 8:15am and Thursdays at 9:30am. The Mass readings are specially chosen to help draw us more deeply into Lent. Please join us! Daily Lenten Devotional This year the parish staff is offering its own booklet of daily reflections and prayers for the Lenten season. The reflections for each day are drawn from the daily Mass readings, which the Church chooses to help prepare us for the coming Easter celebration. The devotional is available for you on our parish website. Stick with it and witness how your relationship with Christ comes to life this Lent! Sacrament of Reconciliation All of us have made poor choices and have areas where we struggle to love. What if there was a way to start over? What if there was a way to be strengthened so that we could break out of our patterns of sin? God offers us His mercy to do just that. See the last page for the many opportunities we have to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Lent on Fridays, Saturdays and at our Lenten Penance Service. Please see our website for helpful guides to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Come and meet Christ in the Sacrament of His Mercy! Eucharistic Adoration At Mass the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We feed on His Body and Blood at Mass and the Church also adores His real presence in Eucharistic Adoration, when the consecrated host is visible in the monstrance for prayer and worship. Eucharistic adoration takes place every Friday morning after Mass and continues throughout the day and night until Saturday morning Mass. Come and spend some quiet time in the presence of the Lord it is a great time of peace, healing and spiritual refreshment.

2 Eucharistic Holy Hours with Praise and Worship Fridays, March 7 & April 4, 2014 at 7:45pm in the Church Come and spend time in the presence of the Light of the World, the King of Kings, the Lamb of God, our beloved Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus loves you beyond all understanding. He lives in constant hope of you. No matter where you are on your conversion journey, Jesus will meet you. Scripture readings, music, and reflection will gently and beautifully help guide you in praise and prayer in the presence of our beloved Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Apps to Help You, Your Teens and Children Pray This Lent We know you're busy; God knows you're busy; and He wants to be a part of everything that you do. Here are some easy and portable ways to grow closer to Christ and allow Him into your life in a deeper way this Lent... any beyond. 40 Day Spiritual Workout for Catholic Teens by Bob Rice and Franciscan University. Search the App Store for 40 Day Spiritual Workout. Laudate, the most comprehensive free Catholic Prayer and Resource app. Search the App Store for Laudate. CRS Rice Bowl is a simple way to bring Lent into your life, online, offline, anytime, anywhere. Search the App Store for CRS Rice Bowl. For your kids and you: free weekly video, music, and fun activities delivered to your inbox all through Lent! Join the Holy Heroes Adventure Guides for your best Lent ever! FRIDAYS OF LENT Lenten Soup Suppers Join us every Friday evening of Lent from 6:00-6:50pm in the Parish Center as our parish family gathers to share in a simple Lenten Soup Supper. These simple meals are a good way to build some fasting into Lent and give you a chance to join with other families. No RSVP is needed, just join us! Stations of the Cross Join us every Friday of Lent at 2:30pm and 7:00pm in the Church as we pray the Stations of the Cross. Early in the life of the Church it became common for pilgrims to walk in the footsteps of Jesus to Calvary, remembering His passion and death. When it became too dangerous for pilgrims to travel to the Holy Land, the Stations of the Cross became an alternative. The Stations commemorate Jesus' journey to Calvary where he died. Originally prayed outdoors, the Stations of the Cross gradually moved inside churches where they became a familiar feature. Join us for this beautiful Lenten devotion. Special Events on the Fridays of Lent: March 7 at 7:45pm Our monthly Festival of Praise following the Stations of the Cross. Join us for a Eucharistic Holy Hour with prayer, praise and worship. March 14, 21, 28 at 7:45pm The Prayers of Pope Francis Pope Francis simple, conversational style of relating has endeared him to many around the world. What is even more beautiful is that he relates and prays to God in the same way. What can we learn from the way he prays? Join us as we look briefly at a few of his prayers and use them as our own prayer starters. Each night on March 14, 21 and 28 at 7:45pm we ll look briefly at one of his prayers, see what we can learn, and then spend our own time before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament during our regular weekly time of Eucharistic Adoration. You can stay and pray as long or as short as you d like, using Pope Francis prayer as a kick starter for your own prayer. April 4 at 7:45pm Our monthly Festival of Praise April 11 at 7:45pm following Stations we will have silent Eucharistic Adoration for all.

3 On Tuesday, March 18 at 7 p.m. at Loyola University Maryland s Reitz Arena, the Archdiocese of Baltimore will host The Francis Factor, an event to mark the one-year anniversary of the election of Pope Francis. Cardinal Seán O Malley, Archbishop of Boston and member of Pope Francis advisory Council of Cardinals, will share his thoughts and observations on Pope Francis and his amazing first year as leader of the Catholic Church. A distinguished panel will join Cardinal O Malley and participate in a Q&A discussion with participation from the audience. Tickets to the event, which is part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore s year-long celebration of the 225 th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Baltimore, must be requested through the website at The Francis Factor will also be streamed live. The OLPH Choirs are looking for additional singers for Holy Week! If you ve wanted to get involved with the Choir but can t make a yearlong commitment, please consider joining the Traditional Choir or the Sunday Morning Contemporary. Ensemble to participate in one or more of the Holy Week liturgies. Being a seasonal choir member is a way to enter more deeply into the celebration of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. For more information, please contact Dana LaRosa, Director of Music at or dlarosa@archbalt.org Youth Pilgrimage Saturday, April 12, 2014 High School Youth: For the past twenty years, over 1,000 youth and young adults have commemorated Jesus entrance into Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week by walking in the Archdiocesan Youth and Young Adult Pilgrimage. Carrying palms and a cross, young pilgrims have walked through the street of Baltimore and ended in prayer and worship at the Basilica of the Assumption. Join a thousand other teens and bear witness to your love of Jesus Christ, pray, and celebrate at the Youth and Young Adult Pilgrimage! Please call Matt Malone, our High School Youth Minister for more info at (410) Living Stations of the Cross The Living Stations of the Cross is a powerful witness to Jesus passion and death. At each station we use our senses to reflect prayerfully upon Jesus suffering, death, and resurrection, and to simply experience the visual images of Christ s love for us. Lead by the 7th Grade class of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, join us for the Living Stations of the Cross on Friday, April 11th at 2:00pm in the church. FASTING Lenten Norms for Fasting and Abstinence Catholics, age 14 and over, are to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays during the season of Lent. Adult Catholics, ages 18 through 59, are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting is observed by eating only one full meal and two lighter meals that day and by refraining from eating between meals. Individuals who are pregnant, nursing, or ill are excused from these norms. Fasting is the voluntary giving up of food, drink, and other material things that expresses our desire to bring a healthy balance back to our relationship with God, ourselves, and others. Poor choices in daily life can lead us to become enslaved to certain material things such as food, drink, television, etc. In fasting, we admit that we are not as free as we would like to be. In fasting, we exercise the gift of our free will to say no to certain things (which are not necessarily bad in themselves) in order to allow us to say yes to the Lord and to others. There are a number of benefits to fasting: v Fasting awakens the heart to the intimate presence of God in one's soul. v Fasting encourages more serious reflection about the priorities in our lives. v Fasting strengthens our sense of dependence upon God. v Fasting sharpens our sensitivity to the spiritual dimension of life. v Fasting strengthens our ability to say yes to God and no to sin. v Fasting develops greater appreciation for the gifts of God, especially food and drink. v Fasting purifies us, spiritually as well as physically.

4 Ways to fast: The season of Lent already comes with some built-in fasting: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting and abstinence while each Friday of Lent we abstain from eating meat. Remember, though, that meatless Fridays don t mean we choose lobster instead. Meatless meals on the Fridays of Lent should be simple, sacrificial, and lead us to reach out in generosity to those who are less fortunate through some act of charity. The classic form of fasting involves giving up of food or drink. As children we may have given up candy during Lent this classic approach can be as valuable for adults as for children. Any time we exercise our free will in a deliberate way over and above our desires we gain control over our lives the same control that is needed to say yes to God and no to sin. We can also fast from an entire meal lunch on the Fridays of Lent for example. The money normally spent on that meal could be placed in the Poor Box at church. We can also fast from television, music, or the Internet. While not always bad in themselves, these forms of entertainment can so fill our lives that we have trouble hearing God. In place of television or the computer, we can spend time with those we love or in quiet prayer with God (reading from one of the Gospels, looking at the Sunday Mass readings, etc.) or in service to others. Remembering that fasting is a form of penance and self-denial, there are many other ways that we can show God our sorrow for our sins: being generous with others, visiting the sick and lonely, feeding the poor, studying Scripture, praying the Stations of the Cross or the Rosary, practicing self- control, and many others. out of fear, are tempted to abort their children, for those who carry the pain of a past abortion, and for those who work in abortion clinics. Since this became a nationwide prayer effort in 2007, 44 abortion clinics have closed their doors for good. For more information on how you can participate please visit ALMSGIVING Almsgiving is not only an offering of money to those in need but an attitude of generosity and a willingness to share in the burdens of others. Almsgiving is closely tied to fasting whatever we save (money or time) should be offered to the needy. Here are a few concrete ways to give alms this Lent: Lenten Poor Box Collections Help support those in need by contributing to our Poor Box during Lent. The parish receives numerous requests each day for help. Thank you for supporting their work in meeting the needs of our brothers and sisters! Casseroles for Our Daily Bread Catholic Charities Our Daily Bread is Maryland s largest hot meal program, serving more than a quarter million meals to the hungry of Baltimore City each year. Their needs are even greater now than ever please help our parish respond to this need by preparing a casserole and returning it to the parish kitchen freezer. Our parish is committed to providing casseroles on the first Monday of each month. Casserole pans and recipes can be picked up inside the church anytime and may be returned on the Sunday before the first Monday of each month. This is a great activity to do together as a family. A Special Call to Prayer and Fasting for an End to Abortion This Lent, Catholics in the Archdiocese are again joining a nationwide, ecumenical prayer event to end abortion. 40 Days for Life is a peaceful, Christlike prayer vigil. Catholics are challenged to commit to peaceful prayer for one hour per week, outside an abortion clinic if possible, or at home or in church. The prayer should be for parents who,

5 OLPH School Students in Service to the Community At OLPH School, we strive to help each and every student grow in personal relationship with the Lord. One way we reinforce that is through service to the broader community. Lenten service and outreach for the students at OLPH School will include a number of different activities: Our Middle School students (Grs. 6-8) will collect toiletries in conjunction with our Parish Families for the clients of Baltimore s Franciscan Center. The 8 th graders will spend a day at the Center where they will put on the face of Christ to serve the most vulnerable in Baltimore City. Our 5th grade teacher, Mr. Rolando, has partnered with Grassroots Crisis Intervention and will spend a night outdoors to show solidarity with the homeless. The Intermediate students (Grs. 3-5) will collect supplies for the homeless to support Mr. Rolando and this worthy cause. Our Primary students (Grs. PK-2) will be collecting for My Brother s Keeper, a food pantry supporting the many needy families of the Irvington Community in Baltimore. Our 8th grade and Kindergarten students will work together to make blankets for the Johns Hopkins Children s Center in memory of Christopher Sliker and Caroline Herrmann. Giving Up, Taking Up, Lifting Up Children Committed to Change! Our parish Religious Education students will be "Giving Up" (fasting from those things that cause us to sin), "Taking Up" (helping others to carry their crosses by contributing to those in need, and "Lifting Up" (praying for those struggling through life), this Lent. Children up through 2nd grade will be collecting "Pennies for Haiti" to feed hungry children through the Food Program at our sister parish, Our Lady of the Nativity. Collection buckets will be placed in the lobby of the school during the remainder of classes before Easter. Our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade Rel. Ed. students will be participating in a program called Change Matters, which benefits Grassroots Homeless Shelter. Grassroots is Howard County s only 24-hour homeless shelter and crisis service center. Your children will be asked to share with you information learned about Change Matters. The change collected will go to Grassroots to provide the essential services needed to help the children and families who are homeless here in our community. Currently, the HCPSS reports that there are 498 children in Howard County that are considered homeless. OLPH is excited to help make a difference in our community! We are so proud of how the children inspire us with their discipleship!

6 The Sacred Triduum (Latin for three days ) is the 72 hour period at the end of Holy Week marking the Passion, Death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus. The three days are counted as the Hebrews counted their days, from dusk to dusk. Therefore, the three days of the Easter Triduum are from dusk on Holy Thursday to dusk on Good Friday (day one), dusk on Good Friday to dusk on Holy Saturday (day two), and dusk on Holy Saturday to dusk on Easter Sunday (day three). Each of those days celebrates and commemorates the final days of Jesus as he offered himself for our salvation. We look at the Easter Triduum as one single celebration that lasts for three days. We cannot separate the death of Jesus from his resurrection. Please join us for these special celebrations! Holy Thursday On this evening we remember and enter into what Jesus did with his disciples the night before he died: He gave them the new commandment of love ( Love one another as I have loved you. John 13:34), symbolized in his washing of the disciples feet, he instituted the Eucharist ( Do this in memory of me. Luke 22:19) and prayed for strength in the garden of Gethsemane ( Let your will be done, not mine. Luke 22:42). The Church celebrates these same events, washing the feet of parishioners, celebrating the Eucharist and then ending the evening in prayerful vigil before Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament. Good Friday Today is one of the most solemn days in the Church s year when we recall the death of Jesus on the cross. This is the only day of the year the Church does not celebrate the Mass. Instead, the ritual is in three parts: the Liturgy of the Word (when we read the account of his passion and death), veneration of the cross, and Communion (consecrated on Holy Thursday evening). This service does not stand alone; it is a continuation of what began on Holy Thursday. The veneration of the cross is a practice unique to Good Friday. It is our opportunity to humble ourselves before the awesome saving action of Christ. Easter Vigil This is the holiest night of the Church s year as we recall Christ s Resurrection from the dead. Beginning in darkness with the light of candles, we enter into the celebration of his resurrection singing the Gloria and Alleluia for the first time since the beginning of Lent. It is on this night that we welcome men and women into the new life of Christ and His Church by celebrating the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist for those becoming Catholic. The Rite of Sending and the Scrutinies Special Prayers for Those Becoming Catholic Throughout Lent the Church offers special prayers for those preparing to become Catholic at the Easter Vigil. On Sunday, March 9 at the 11:00am Mass we will celebrate the Rite of Sending, a special prayer in which our RCIA candidates are sent out to the Cathedral where the Archbishop formally elects (chooses) them to enter into the life of the Church at Easter. This is followed by the Scrutinies on the last three Sundays of Lent when the Church offers special prayers asking God to deliver them from the power of sin, to protect them against temptation and give them new strength in Christ. Each of these prayers is based on who Christ revealed himself to be: the Living Water, the Light of the World, and the Resurrection and the Life. Please join us for these special prayers on March 23 at the 9:00am Mass, March 29 at the 4:30pm Mass and April 6 at the 9:00am Mass.

7 Lent and Easter 2014 ASH WEDNESDAY March 5 Mass with the blessing and distribution of ashes at 6:30am, 9:30am, 5:00pm and 7:00pm WEEKDAY MASS Area Parishes 8:15am Monday- Saturday and 9:30am (School Mass) Thursdays at OLPH 7:00am Monday/Wednesday/Friday ~ St. Augustine, Elkridge 8:00am Tuesday-Friday ~ St. Paul, Ellicott City 9:00am Monday-Saturday, 6:30am Tuesday and Friday ~ Resurrection, Ellicott City FRIDAYS DURING LENT 2:30pm Stations of the Cross (with school children, all welcome) 4:30-6:00pm Confessions (March 7-April 11) 6:00pm Simple Lenten Soup Suppers in the Parish Center 7:00pm Stations of the Cross + other prayer opportunities following SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Friday afternoons at OLPH (March 7-April 11): 4:30pm-6:00pm Saturday afternoons at OLPH: 3:00pm 4:15pm Friday, April 11, 3:00 8:00 pm The Light is On For You confessions here at OLPH and at all parishes in the Archdiocese of Baltimore Monday, March 31, 7:00pm Ellicott City Lenten Penance Service hosted at OLPH Tuesday, April 1, 7:00pm Regional Penance Service hosted at St. John, Wilde Lake Center PALM SUNDAY April 13 Palms will be blessed and distributed at all of the regularly scheduled weekend Masses HOLY THURSDAY April 17 (No morning Masses) 8:15am Morning Prayer 7:00pm Mass of the Lord's Supper, followed by quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament until Midnight (in Parish Center) GOOD FRIDAY April 18 8:15am Morning Prayer 3:00pm Liturgy of the Lord's Passion, including Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion HOLY SATURDAY April 19 (No 8:15am or 4:30 pm Masses, No 3:00pm Confessions) 8:15am Morning Prayer 1:30pm Blessing of Easter Foods in the Church THE EASTER VIGIL April 19 8:00pm Easter Vigil Mass EASTER SUNDAY April 20 Easter Masses celebrated at: 7:30am; 9:00am (Church and Parish Center); 11:00am (Church and Parish Center) Note: There is no 5:00pm Mass on Easter Sunday!