Prayer: Our Father/Hail Mary/Glory Be Lesson 21: LENT AND HOLY WEEK Lesson: Lent Say: We will soon be in the Season of Lent. Tell me what you know about this very special season in the Catholic Church. How many days does Lent last? (40 days) What are some of the special things we do during Lent? (Receive ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday, fast on Fridays, give up something we love for the 40 days, give our money or time to those less fortunate, pray special prayers like the Stations of the Cross) Good! But do you know why we do all those things? Let s try a few True/False questions and see how much we really know about Lent! (Keep track of your class answers on the board so you can go back and see if they were right or wrong. Majority rules on the answers.) 1. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. (T) 2. We receive ashes in the sign of a cross to help us call to mind the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). (F) The ashes are to symbolize the fact that life is short. We need to be ever mindful of our need to repent of our sins and change our lives. Ashes are an ancient symbol of repentance. 3. The ashes come from the incense that is burned throughout the
year at Mass. (F) The ashes for Ash Wednesday are made from blessed palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday. They are sprinkled with Holy Water and incensed before use. 4. Lent lasts 40 days because it helps us remember Our Lord s 40 days in the wilderness when He was tempted by Satan. (T) 5. Lent ends on Easter Sunday morning. (F) Most people think Lent ends on Easter but it really is over on Holy Thursday. That is when what is called the Great Three Days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday begin. If you have given something up for Lent, you may have it again on Holy Thursday. 6. We give up something we like during Lent because it helps us break bad habits. (F) Each time we do without something we love, it reminds us of the supreme sacrifice Jesus made for us (maybe not something we think about as often as we should). Giving up something for Lent should also help us focus on what we should truly give up forever our sinful behavior. 7. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the three pillars of Lent. (T) 8. Fasting means to give something up for Lent. (F) When we fast, we only eat one regular meal a day and two much smaller ones. We also give up meat on Fridays. We might get hungry between meals but this helps us remember that only God can fill all our needs. It also helps us remember that there are hungry people in the world and we should be sharing our resources with them. 9. When I receive ashes on my forehead on Ash Wednesday, I cannot wash them off for at least 24 hours. (F) There is no rule or instruction on how long ashes are to be worn. You can wash them off immediately after Mass if you want. Many people choose to wear their ashes for the remainder of the day both as a reminder of their own sinfulness and as a witness before others that they are a follower of Christ and are about to enter a special season.
10. Lent is a time to sacrifice. We show our dependence on God and remember that all things come from God and are meant to be shared with others. (T) 11. The final week of Lent begins with Palm Sunday (T) That s correct! Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and includes three of the most important days in our Church calendar: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Let s take a closer look at those days and find out what makes them so important. Palm Sunday: A week before Jesus resurrection, He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people cheered Him and placed palm branches in His path. In ancient times, palm branches symbolized goodness and victory. They were often depicted on coins and important buildings. King Solomon had palm branches carved into the walls and doors of the temple. And at the end of the Bible, in the Book of Revelation, people from every nation raise palm branches to honor Jesus. Jesus was very popular and many believed that He was the Messiah, come to save them. They sang, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. When do we remember Jesus triumphant ride into Jerusalem? (On Palm Sunday and at every Mass when we also sing, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.) Holy Thursday: We could spend the whole hour on Holy Thursday it is such a complex, symbolic and holy night.
On Holy Thursday, we recall the night that Jesus gathers His disciples for a final meal together before He faces His crucifixion. The Last Supper was Jesus final farewell to his disciples, some of whom would betray, desert or deny Him before the sun rose again. At the Last Supper, Jesus gave us the bread and wine which became His Body and Blood for the very first time. We Catholics celebrate the Last Supper with Jesus and receive His Body and Blood at every Mass we attend. Good Friday: What happened on Good Friday? (Christ was crucified.) On Good Friday, the entire Church is focused on Jesus crucifixion and death. Any decorations in the church are gone, the altar is bare and the door to the empty Tabernacle is open all is as if we are in mourning for Jesus. In the evening we gather to remember what Jesus did for us and to venerate His cross. What does it mean to venerate something? (To honor or recall in our minds the importance of something.) Why would we venerate the cross a cruel instrument of death that killed Jesus? (By the cross, Jesus sacrificed His life for us. His death opened the door to Heaven and means that we can be forgiven for any sin we commit.) As good Christians and followers of Jesus, it is always so important to remember and honor what He did for us. We do that through our many actions during Lent and Holy Week, especially attending Mass and memorials. Holy Saturday:
The church is dark and quiet on Holy Saturday as we remember the time Jesus was in His tomb. There is no Mass or memorial of any kind on Holy Saturday. Easter: The holiest and happiest day of the year for Christians! We celebrate the day that Jesus rose from the dead and left His empty tomb. Jesus appeared to the holy women and His disciples telling them Peace be with you. That message of peace is for every one of us today as well. We know that because Our Lord rose from the dead, all of us will do the same. Death is not the final chapter, thanks to Jesus Christ! Is it any wonder that Easter is our holiest and happiest day of the year?!