Newsletter AFE - 4/5 February 2012

Lent approaches – what might you do during this time?

This weekend, at our three churches, there will be Lent Invitation prayer cards – all parishioners are encouraged to take one.

Then, starting with the first Sunday of Lent, 26 Feb, there will also be Lent prayer cards available for all parishioners. Please note that there will be a different prayer card for each of the Sundays of Lent.

By now, sign on sheets for the Lenten program are at both Grovely and Samford churches and one of the AFE team has spoken at all Masses in each of these churches. Parishioners at Mitchelton will be informed whether a Lenten program will run there over Lent. If one does not run, anyone at Mitchelton would be welcome to join either the AM (9.30) or PM (7.30) program running in the Daley Centre on six consecutive Tuesdays, starting on Tuesday 21 Feb.

The theme for this year’s program is “Towards the Light” – a title which reinforces with us that the purpose of Lent and its various aspects is to prepare us to deepen our experience of the “cornerstone” of our Faith – that Jesus, in his resurrection, has overcome all the problems we face in our lives and in this world and that he calls us into this new way of relating to him and to seeing reality through his eyes.

The sign on sheets are straightforward – however by ringing Rosaleen (33516601) or Pat (33511163) you can seek more information as you work out whether you are able to be part of the program this year.

Last year the Lenten program booklet carried both the Old Testament and the Gospel reading for each of the Sundays. This year the Old Testament reading has been left out to give more time for discussion, as a number of people asked for this in the evaluation sheets.
In no way is this an indication that the Old Testament reading is not important.

The little black book for Lent is available at the church shop ($4) It takes each day of Lent, provides a Gospel reading plus some thoughts and encourages a reflection for 5 minutes or so in your busy day.

 

Some background information to the Lenten program.

This week a short talk on the process for signing-up for the Lenten program this year will be given at the 9.30am Mass at Grovely, and next week the same will occur at the other Masses at Samford and Grovely. Sign-on sheets will be at the entrance to Grovely church this weekend and at the Samford church next weekend. We invite Mitchelton parishioners to attend the Grovely Lenten program if one does not occur there. Sign-on sheets will stay out until the Sunday before Lent starts.

It is preferable for each of the weeks of the program to be done in the week before each Sunday in Lent because the Gospel of that Sunday forms the centrepiece of the program. Listening to the Gospel, reflecting on it and discussing it, all in a prayerful environment, means that the participants have a focus for that week of Lent and are really switched on for the Scripture when it occurs on the following Sunday. There can be a sense that something definite is being done during Lent and that the season is being marked in a special way as a prelude to Easter.

Just a word about the way the program is run. In recent times there has been an increase in the number of small groups that form in a person’s home, attended by 5, 6 or so, other parishioners. One advantage of this approach is its flexibility because the group can set its own time to meet during the week at a time convenient to all. People’s circumstances are different and a number of people are just not able to participate in the small home groups, desirable as this may be, and prefer to attend the sessions run on the Tuesday morning and evening in the Daley Centre for larger groups of people. On these occasions, during the session, we split up into smaller groups for discussion.

With Ash Wednesday occurring on Wed 22 Feb, the small Lenten groups would have their first meeting anytime in the week beginning Sunday 19 Feb, while the Daley Centre groups would meet on Tuesday 21 Feb at 9.30am or 7.30pm.

Over time, the change has been interesting to see in what people do during Lent and in the approach they take to the season. Vatican 2 moved us away from the mentality that the main thing for Lent was to give up something. Today we realise that while this may still be a good thing to do it is but one of many options. It can be far harder to forgive someone or to do something for a neighbour we may not get on with, or to join a Lenten group for six occasions.