From 1982: “When unemployment and nuclear weapons sound the notes of despair and dread in our land, many Catholics too may find the sober lessons of Lent more instructive than ever this year.”
Lent
Posted inFaith, Vantage Point
Let’s Do Away with Lent
“Isn’t it odd that 2,000 years after the Resurrection the emphasis in Christianity is still more on the cross than on the empty tomb?” wrote Frank Moan, S.J., in 1982.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Catholics: Stop eating fancy fish on Fridays during Lent.
Do we actually believe in the idea of having fish on Fridays as a form of self-mortification or solidarity with those who have less? Or do we look at it more like paying our taxes — giving up the least possible amount?
Posted inFaith, Lent Reflections
Lent is about being broken open—not broken down
Lent is about daring to peek outside that castle, trying to be more vulnerable and exposed.
Posted inFaith
7 things you never knew about fasting
Fasting, in addition to being obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, remains a common Lenten practice for many. But there are nuances to fasting that are not always well-known.
Posted inFaith, The Good Word
Our Lenten sacrifices don’t make God love us more. So why do we do it?
In Lent, we fast, we pray and we give to the poor. God does not love us more for doing these things. God cannot love us more. So why do we bother?
Posted inFaith, Lent Reflections
God always keeps his promises. What does that mean for the people of Ukraine?
A Reflection for the Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Posted inFaith, News
Joe Biden gets his ashes from Cardinal Wilton Gregory—and shares what he’s giving up for Lent
President Joe Biden told reporters on Ash Wednesday that earlier in the day he met with a cardinal for prayer and ashes—and revealed what he has given up for Lent.
Posted inFaith
The better way to fast from social media this Lent
In a time when smartphones are rarely more than a hand-reach away, more people are considering a 40-day break from social media as a deeper Lenten sacrifice.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Why so many Catholics want to get their ashes—even if they rarely go to Mass
Ash Wednesday isn’t a holy day of obligation, but in English-speaking countries, it still has a powerful draw even for Catholics who are otherwise non-practicing.