Lent is a period of preparation to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ at Easter.
Lent is also a period of penance for 40 days before Easter. During these 40 days, Catholics are invited to undertake a personal retreat by "withdrawing" from the busyness of the world to perfect themselves through penance and mortification.
Referring to the provisions of Canon 1249-1253 of the Code of Canon Law (1983) concerning Days of Penance, Regulations on Fasting and Abstinence, various guidelines have been established below.
Lent is observed for 40 days - except Sundays, starting on Ash Wednesday (14 February 2024) and ending at sundown on Holy Thursday (28 March 2024).
Lent is:
- Prayer Time
- Fasting and Abstinence on Ash Wednesday 14 February 2024 and Good Friday 29 March 2024
- Abstinence from eating meat every Friday
- Alms Period
Note: In Indonesia, because the election will be held on February 14, 2024, Catholics are also given the option to attend Ash Wednesday Mass on February 13, 2024, apart from the one held on February 14, 2024.
During Lent, we seek the Lord Jesus Christ from:
- Prayer by reading and meditating on the Holy Scriptures
- Service by giving alms and charity
- Self-control through fasting and abstinence
Abstinence and fasting are mandatory for Catholics aged 14 or 18 to 60 years.
Fasting in the Catholic sense is eating one main meal and eating smaller amounts of food twice.
Abstinence is done by not eating meat or other favorite foods. Abstinence can also be done by not eating rice and replacing it with local staple foods with one type of side dish.
We are also called to practice self-discipline and abstain from and fast in other ways throughout Lent.
Charity is one way to share the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ — not only through sharing money but through sharing our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: "Not allowing the poor to have what they need means that we steal from them and take their lives. The things we have are not ours, they are theirs too." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, number 2446).
The services provided also include providing Charity Works by carrying out Health Care and Safety Care Movements for those in need (Pregnant Women, children, women, sick people, and those who need special treatment).
We are called not only to abstain from luxury during the season of Lent but also to undertake the true conversion of heart as we seek to follow the will of the Lord Jesus Christ more faithfully.
We remember the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, dying to sin and evil, and beginning a new life with and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
During Lent, the baptized are called to renew their baptismal commitment as others prepare for baptism through the Rite of Adult Christian Initiation, a period of learning and discernment for individuals who have expressed a desire to become Catholic.
Source:
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