2. The forty days of Lent.

3. What is Lent? Lent is a church season that lasts for forty days. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday. During Lent Christians try to grow closer to Christ by repenting of their sins and reflecting on their lives and to prepare for Jesus death and Resurrection. Christians spend additional time in…

4. PRAYER

5. Make time every day to pray… Recited prayers like the Lord’s prayer, the rosary, grace before meals. Go to Mass at least once a week. Try for more often maybe here at school once during the week and once on Sunday. Thank God before you go to sleep at night and reflect on your day’s choices. Good choices/bad? Think how we can improve the choices we made and the words we chose to speak. Were they loving, giving, and kind? Ask for forgiveness.

6. FASTING AND ABSTINENCE… Every person 14 years of age or older must abstain from meat (and items made with meat) on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all the Fridays of Lent. Ash Wednesday Good FridayLent The Difference Between Fasting and Abstinence: Fasting and abstinence are closely related, but there are some differences in these spiritual practices. In general, fasting refers to restrictions on the quantity of the food we eat and on when we consume it, while abstinence refers to the avoidance of particular foods. The most common form of abstinence is the avoidance of meat, a spiritual practice that goes back to the earliest days of the Church. fasting

7. What other things can you abstain from during Lent? Sacrifice soda, candy, sweets, etc. and contribute the money saved to the “Rice Bowl” collection or save up to give it to your favorite charity or church. Give up bad actions, hurtful words, selfishness and… Take on something positive like helping around the house, volunteering at church, school, agency and of course… PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!

8. Lent is a time of almsgiving… When Did We See You Hungry? In the parable in Matthew 25, people ask our Lord, "When did we see you hungry?" They recalled seeing hungry people. But they could not recall seeing him. After all, how do you forget an encounter like that? But Jesus goes on to assure them that, whenever they saw someone in need, they saw him. To feed the hungry is to feed him.

9. FIND WAYS OF DONATING YOUR… TIME, COINS/CASH, ENERGY/TALENT TO HELP THE LESS FORTUNATE.

10. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. On Ash Wednesday we receive ashes on our foreheads as a reminder that we are created beings (Genesis 3:19).

11. http://video.about.com/catholicism/What-Is-Ash-Wednesday-.htm

12. Lent ends on Holy Thursday. Catholics celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus washes the feet of the apostles as a sign that we as his followers must serve others. The Priest washes the feet of 12 parishoners as a remembrance of Jesus’ washing his disciples feet at the Last Supper he shared with his disciples on the night before he would give up his life on the cross. The Last Supper.

13. ON GOOD FRIDAY JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS. http://video.about.com/catholicism/What-Is-Good-Friday-.htm Good Friday is a day of strict fasting and abstinence eating only one complete meal and two smaller ones during the day. No meat is eaten.

14. EASTER SUNDAY CELEBRATES Jesus’ Resurrection. It is the greatest feast in the Christian calendar. http://video.about.com/catholicism/What- Is-Catholic-Easter-.htm

15. Reflect on the handout and complete the prayer activity. My Lenten Journey Reflection.