The American bishops have done about as crappy a job of teaching that Friday is still penitential as they possibly could have.
Ed the Roman | 02.28.07 - 5:07 pm | #

Most churches have Stations of the Cross with a fish fry before or after, or a meatless potluck, on Friday evenings.

"We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you: for by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world."

Say that fourteen times in communal prayer, with devotion, and your heart opens like a flower.

Often a parish will have a communal penance service with individual sacramental confession at the end. Of course, non-Catholics cannot receive sacramental confession, but one can participate devoutly in the communal penance service.

Keep up with the daily Mass readings, which are repentance and conversion oriented in the beginning of Lent and grow more resurrection and eschatological oriented towards the end.

Participate in Mandatum Thursday Mass and Good Friday Mass. Keep shrouded silence on Saturday to remember the first silence--Christ's death and descent to the dead, pre-Resurrection. Meditate with a crucifix and be open to the Holy Spirit's promptings. Try to put yourself in the position of his apostles, disciples, and his mother. Imagine the grief! They didn't know the end of the story as we do now. Relive it from the heart.

Then Easter comes screaming in joyfully and it is most excellent! The Easter Vigil on Saturday night is the best liturgy of the year. A trip through salvation history in a darkened church until it gets to Jesus Christ! Then the lights come up because the light of the world came to us. It is a deep joy to see the neophytes receive their baptism, confirmation, and first Holy Communion. These souls are wiped clean and they are beautiful! Some folks have told me that it was the happiest moment in their lives.

Participate joyfully in the litany of the saints, and recall each one's life and holiness as their name is cited. These brothers and sisters are alive in heaven, praying for us and rejoicing with us.

Participate heartily in the restatement of the Baptismal promises. Do you renounce Satan and all his pomps and works!? Damn right I do!

It's all so wonderful. I like it better than Christmas, to be honest.

Jesus Christ Superstar, the Passion of Christ, and Handel's Messiah are my favorite A/V through this time. (JCS is controversial choice but I have loved it from childhood--the Agony in the Garden is beautiful and moving, and Pilate's role moves me, too..."what is truth? Is mine the same as yours?"--resonates in a relativistic age. "you misguided martyr...you innocent puppet!" Plus his dream about Christ.)

Give something up for mortification, keep fast and abstinence, pray daily, and do a spiritual and corporal work of mercy during the season. Strive for the positive. Make it a time to combat that persistent fault that leads you to sin. Purge anything in your house or on your computer bookmarks that lead you to sin. Purify!

He is risen! Alleluia!
kentuckyliz | 02.28.07 - 5:48 pm | #

Praying the Stations of the Cross, the "Passion" or the "Way of the Cross" is another Lenten devotion especially important during Holy Week when we reflect deeply on the Passion of Christ.

I have created a blog for praying the Stations of the Cross:

http://gesthemanegarden.blogspot.com/

I use the Meditations of St. Alphonse Ligouri

My Lord Jesus Christ, Thou hast made this journey to die for me with love unutterable, and I have so many times unworthily abandoned Thee; but now I love Thee, I repent sincerely for having ever offended Thee. Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany Thee on this journey. Thou goest to die for love of me; I wish also my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of Thee. My Jesus, I will live and die always united to Thee.

There is a link to listen to the Stabat Mater while praying. In the right column are the words to the Stabat Mater in English and Latin.

Go, reflect, pray
Hislittlelamb | Homepage | 02.28.07 - 11:27 pm | #

Lent just doesn't have the "family" aspect of Christmas devotions. Maybe because repentance and transformation of life are more adult themes.

I can therefore only suggest that you concentrate perhaps on confession monthy or Stations weekly, with a family treat afterwards, and the treat can be Lenten, go out for ice cream but only have a small cone and make donation with the rest of the money. Or keep an eye on the saint's days within Lent and try some of the "Cooking with the Saints" cookbooks.

I find children are very interested in the idea of Lenten penance being set aside on the Sundays of Lent, because every Sunday is Easter! They feel extra good because they get dessert on Sunday, and give up sweets almost more easily because of it.
Therese Z | 03.01.07 - 9:24 am | #

There's a great book online all about observing the liturgical year as a family, by Maria von Trapp (the real Maria of the Sound of Music).

http://www.ewtn.com/library/FAMI...AMILY/ TRAPP.TXT
Atlantic | 03.01.07 - 11:13 am | #

Here's a great book I came across that covers the whole year, called "The Catholic Home":

http://www.amazon.com/Catholic-H...3076582&sr=8- 35

The author does a great job.
Caspar | 03.05.07 - 1:45 am | #