Announcements: 1st Sunday of Lent

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Ashes: There will be NO Ash Wednesday celebration at Holy Rosary. The Ashes will be dispersed on Sunday, February 21st, the first Sunday of Lent. Please invite a friend. One does not have to be Catholic to receive ashes. I hope to have Ash Wednesday in another village.

Easter Baptisms: Easter Vigil will be celebrated Saturday, April 3rd, at 8:00 PM. There will be no Easter Sunday Mass. If you want to have your baby baptized during Easter, please let me know. I already have three children/infants to baptize.

Thank you: Thanx to Pat Durbin for greasing our snow plow and the battery terminals on our Ford Pick-up. Thanx to Bernie Venua for helping replace some lights in the ceiling of the Church.

Fasting and Abstinence

Abstinence

The practice of abstinence: Abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays of Lent. This means that we do not eat meat. It was a part of the Christian practice up to 40 years ago.

Canon 1251 Abstinence from eating meat or some other food according to the prescripts of the conference of bishops is to be observed on every Friday of the year unless a Friday occurs on a day listed as a solemnity. Abstinence and fasting, however, are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Fasting

We are asked to eat fast during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, that is, one regular meal, and two smaller ones, and no snacking.

We fast for two main reasons: (1) to prepare for a great event, i.e. Easter…you fast before the feast and (2) For penance, there are three reasons to fast for penance:

• As a sign of repentance for sin, one of the major forms of penance is fasting.
• Discipline, only if we are disciplined will God’s grace work within us
• As an offering made for a favor…beg for healing then fast.

There are two ways to Fast, a complete fast or a partial fast.

Complete Fast: For Example, fast for all of Lent or fast every Friday, etc. You can fast from particular foods, i.e., deserts, fats, meat, etc.

Partial Fast: For example, completely starving oneself is not necessary. One can eat one hamburger instead of the normal two. One can drink one cup of coffee per day instead of three.

For Lent, I plan to read a page each day from the "Little Black Book." If you need one of these books to help you prepare during Lent, please let me know. I would love to give up coffee, but I may do just a "partial fast." In the past for Lent I have given up TV, stopped chewing tobacco, and started saying the rosary everyday. Have a great week and see you Sunday…Fr. Scott