Lenten Resources
2023
“Seek a relationship when you pray, not answers. You won’t always find answers, but you will always find Jesus.” — Father Mike Schmitz
Message from Pope Francis for Lent 2023
” We need to Listen to Jesus.”
In his message for Lent 2023, Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to listen to what Jesus wants to tell them through the Scriptures and through others.
Using the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration as a launching point, Francis addressed both the journey of Lent and the Catholic Church’s ongoing Synod on Synodality in the message released Feb. 17. To read his full message click here
Journey with us
Fridays in Lent
HOLY FAMILY
MASS at 10 AM
ADORATION to follow Mass with Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 PM
BENEDICTION AND CLOSING OF ADORATION followed by STATIONS OF THE CROSS AT 7 PM
ST. PATRICK LUCAN
MASS AT 9 AM
STATIONS OF THE CROSS AT 7 PM
Confessions
ST. PATRICK LUCAN AND HOLY FAMILY
Saturdays | 11:00am-12:00pm
or schedule an appointment by calling the office (519-472-0057)
Journey Through Lent 2023 – Canadian Catholic Conference of Bishops
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has produced a video series of reflections for Lent. Click here to view.
What to “do” for Lent?
Lent is almost here, and you might be starting to wonder, “What am I going to do for Lent?!” This question can be stressful for many of us and we question ourselves about whether or not “we are doing Lent the right way” or we become stressed about what others are doing for Lent. This stress and worry are not what our Lenten journey purpose is about.
Lent is 40 days long as a reminder of Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness, and His defeat of temptation. It is here that we are reminded that Jesus was also tempted and that He stood strong against evil. This reminds us that He is our strength against all temptation in this life and our need for Christ’s death on Good Friday. Lent is about going into the desert with Jesus, praying, fasting with Him, and facing our life with the strength of the Word of God, made new by the Holy Spirit and getting ready to celebrate the most sacred Mysteries of our faith at Easter. It’s about offering our whole hearts to Him in love and thanksgiving.
Since that is our foundation for discerning what to “do” for Lent, the best way to go about deciding is to simply ask Jesus. Ask Him what He desires for your Lent. He knows your heart more deeply than anyone else. So try not to stress or worry about what to “do for Lent. Take the first step and make it easy on yourself just ask Him.
Walk through the dramatic life of Christ with The Chosen, a multi-season video series based on the life of Christ that has been viewed over 400 million times worldwide.
Resources
The Ascension Lenten Companion, Year A
Ascension (Press)
God wants to give you more. How will you respond this Lent?
Has your relationship with God grown stale? Has it lost its spark? Are you plagued by a particular sin? Something you can’t shake? Are you just tired from the day-to-day grind of your life? These all show that God wants to give you more. And this Lent can be when God gives it to you.
Fr. Mark Toups, an experienced spiritual director, leads readers inward to invite the Lord to heal those areas where they need it most. He follows the same format that more than a hundred thousand people enjoyed in Advent with his popular Rejoice! journals. Readers will receive daily guidance as well as supplemental videos, to help enter more deeply into Lent and remain focused throughout the season.
Journey with Jesus #pray40
Hallow Prayer App
Pray Every Day this Lent with Jim and Jonathan!
For Lent in 2023, Hallow invites you to join the #Pray40 Challenge where—for the 40 days of Lent leading up to Easter—thousands will join together in prayer and meditation on these important words.
The #Pray40 Community Challenge on Hallow is one of the most popular and life-changing challenges of the year with exclusive prayer resources to enhance your Lenten journey.
Meditate on the 7 last words of Christ this Lent with the two most famous and powerful portrayals of Jesus only on Hallow.
What is Hallow?
Hallow is a Catholic prayer app that offers audio-guided meditation sessions to help us grow in our faith & spiritual lives and find peace in God. Explore over 1,000 different sessions on contemplative prayer, meditation, Catholic Bible readings, music, and more.
In today’s world, we’re stressed, anxious, distracted, & can’t sleep. At the same time, we’re searching for deeper meaning, purpose, & relationships. We believe these two challenges can be addressed with the same solution: peace in Jesus. In the end, after all, a halo in heaven is the goal 🙂
FORMED Daily Reflections
Formed.org (Augustine Institute)
Sign-up to receive FREE Daily Reflections in your inbox.
What Are Daily Reflections?
Each Daily Reflection is a short video that features Dr. Tim Gray commenting on the daily Mass readings, explaining the Scriptures, and providing you with concrete ideas on how to apply them to your life. This Advent, dive deeper into the joys and mysteries of the Incarnation with Dr. Gray and enjoy the richness of the Christmas season as never before.
Lent with Brother Francis (FORMED.org)
Learn and pray with Brother Francis in any of the 4 seasons offered below!
Season 1: Daily Meditations (New This Year!)
Season 2: 4-part Series
Season 3: Let’s Learn about Lent
Season 4: The Stations of the Cross
FORMED Living Lent as a Family 4-Part Series (2021) 2 (2021
Have you ever wanted to live more liturgically but not known how? We want to help all families by providing these discussions on liturgical living during Lent to be a resource for the Domestic Church—the home. We pray that these discussions bless you and your family.
To register for FORMED, click here
Amen Prayer App
Peace of mind isn’t only attainable; it’s in your hands.
Amen is the free Catholic app that brings you beautiful prayers, faithful meditations and nourishing Scripture to draw your mind, body and soul to rest in God.
Amen provides faithful prayers rooted in Tradition to calm restless hearts; Catholic meditations to deepen your relationship with Christ, and nourishing Scripture to feed hungry souls. We are here to help you grow in the peace of our Lord. Peace of mind isn’t only attainable; it’s in the palm of your hand.
Best Lent Ever 2.0
Dynamic Catholic (Matthew Kelly)
Don’t Be a Consumer.
Be a Disciple.
A Free Daily Lenten Experience with Matthew Kelly
This year…for the first time ever…we’re offering you TWO options for BEST LENT EVER.
Every day, you will receive two short, practical and inspiring videos in your inbox, each representing a pathway leading toward a better version of you and a closer relationship with God.
Why did we double up? Well, the world has changed. You’ve changed. And in order to offer a truly transformative experience, we developed two pathways designed specifically to meet you where you are, no matter where you are in your spiritual journey.
Fasting, prayer and almsgiving, as preached by Jesus (cf. Mt 6:1-18), enable and express our conversion. The path of poverty and self-denial (fasting), concern and loving care for the poor (almsgiving), and childlike dialogue with the Father (prayer) make it possible for us to live lives of sincere faith, living hope and effective charity.
Pope Francis
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