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"Lent is not a time for useless sermons." Watch the video message here ---->
Ash Wednesday message (extract from Fr. Tony's post)
We are invited to effect a real conversion and renewal of life during the period of Lent by fasting, prayer, almsgiving, penance, and reconciliation.
In fasting we sacrifice our love of “Self” so that we can become free to love God and others.
In prayer we sacrifice our love of “time” to make time for the love of God.
In almsgiving we sacrifice our love of “stuff” to make room for the love of others.
In penance and reconciliation:
I- We are to do prayerful fasting: a) by following the example of Jesus before his public ministry, and b) by imitating the king and the people of Nineveh (Jon 3:7), who fasted in sackcloth pleading for mercy from the Lord God; of the Syrian King, Ben Hadad (I Kgs 20:31-34), who did not fast, but wore sackcloth and begged Israel’s King Ahab for his life); of Queen Esther who fasted “in garments of distress and mourning” and “covered her head with ashes and dung”, begging God to save her people (Est 4:16); of the soldiers of Judas Maccabaeus who fasted so greatly they felt too weak to fight (1 Mc 3:17); and of St. Paul who observed “frequent fastings” (2 Cor 11:27).
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