Living with Strength and Kindliness
The Pope Video
I am not sure if you have heard of The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. You may not have. It may surprise you to know that this movement is actually over 170 years old!
Each month the Pope puts forward a prayer intention and asks Catholics around the world to join him in prayer.
These intentions cover all sorts of areas of life, encouraging faith, renewing hope and calling us to loving service.
What can you do to join in:
The Pope Video is published on a monthly basis. You can find this video on YouTube, Facebook and The Pope Video website: https://thepopevideo.org/
The process for responding to each of the Pope’s monthly videos is to Watch, Pray (the Pope’s Intention), Read (about any proposed actions one might make in response to the intention), Act and then repeat each month in light of the new intention. So PRAY, READ, ACT AND REPEAT!
To give you a bit of an understanding about the types of intentions that we might pray for – in January the intention was the Promotion of World Peace, in February Listening to the Migrants’ Cries and in March we pray for Catholics in China.
What does Pope Francis have to say about this month’s intention?
We pray that the cries of our migrant brothers and sisters, victims of criminal human smuggling and human trafficking, may be heard and considered.
Pope Francis – February 2020
Migrants are often victims of criminal human smuggling and human trafficking.
Among other causes, this happens because of corruption on the part of people willing to do anything for financial gain.
The money from their dirty, underhanded business is blood money. I’m not exaggerating: it’s blood money.
We pray that the cries of our migrant brothers and sisters, victims of criminal human smuggling and human trafficking, may be heard and considered.
Lent begins next week!
Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. This season in our Church’s calendar then concludes on Holy Thursday, which leads into Easter.
Lent, one of the most important seasons in the Church’s year, is commonly referred to as a 40 day period (even though it is actually slightly longer). It is a time of preparation and prayer in the lead up to the Easter Season.
During Lent the tradition is to focus on three key aspects: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.
Some interesting facts:
The number 40 has special spiritual significance regarding preparation. On Mount Sinai, preparing to receive The Ten Commandments, ‘Moses stayed with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights, without eating or drinking (Ex 34:28)'. Elijah walked; '40 days and 40 nights' to the Mountain of the Lord, Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8). And Jesus fasted and prayed for ‘40 days and 40 nights’ in the desert before He began his public ministry
(Mt 4: 2).
Watch out for two key activities next week:
Shrove Tuesday on Tuesday the 25th Feb – thanks to our VCAL students for preparing our Pancake Day and for donating the profits of their work to Project Compassion.
Shrove Tuesday comes from the custom of ringing the Shriving Bell to summon people to Church to be “shriven”; that is, to confess their sins at the beginning of Lent. At that time certain foods were given up for the duration of Lent. Those foods included egg, milk, meat and rich buttery dishes. So on Shrove Tuesday they used up these foods. It is from this that the tradition of making pancakes on Shrove Tuesday began.
Ash Wednesday – all are welcome to attend out Ash Wednesday Liturgies next week (please just sign in at the Front Office and ask for directions). At these Ash Wednesday Liturgies we will also launch Project Compassion.
During the Liturgy ashes are placed on our foreheads in the shape of the cross.
The ashes for Ash Wednesday normally are made from blessed palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday. The ashes are sprinkled with Holy Water and incensed before distribution.
Ashes are a symbol of penance . In the Early Church they wore sackcloth and ashes when they were performing public penance.
Ashes are also a reminder that life passes away on earth.
Resources so that you can find out more can be found at:
https://lent.caritas.org.au/#blank
https://www.learnreligions.com/liturgical-calendar-for-lent-4120497
Kirrilee Westblade
Catholic Identity Leader
