"STAY WITH US, LORD" (Luke 24:29)

LESSON II LENT 2019 Lent is the 40 days before Easter in which Catholics pray, fast, contemplate, and engage in acts of spiritual self-discipline. Catholics do these things because Easter, which celebrates the Resurrection of Christ, is the greatest holy day of the Christian year (even above Christmas) and Catholics have recognized that it is appropriate to prepare for such a holy day by engaging in such disciplines. The reason Lent lasts 40 days is that 40 is the traditional number of judgment and spiritual testing in the Bible (Genesis 7:4, Ex 24:18, 34:28, Numbers 13:25, 14:33, Jon 3:4). Lent bears particular relationship to the 40 days Christ spent fasting in the desert before entering into his public ministry (Mt 4:1-11). Catholics imitate Christ by spending 40 days in spiritual discipline before the celebration of Christ's triumph over sin and death. Fasting is a biblical discipline that can be defended from both the Old and the New Testament. Christ expected his disci...

Ash Wednesday is the first day of  Lent . Its official name is “Day of Ashes,” so called because of the practice of rubbing ashes on one’s forehead in the sign of a cross. Since it is exactly 40 days (excluding Sundays) before  Easter Sunday , it will always fall on a Wednesday—there cannot be an “Ash Thursday” or “Ash Monday.” The Bible never mentions Ash Wednesday—for that matter, it never mentions Lent. Lent is intended to be a time of self-denial, moderation, fasting, and the forsaking of sinful activities and habits. Ash Wednesday commences this period of spiritual discipline. Ash Wednesday and Lent are observed by most Catholics and some Protestant denominations. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not observe Ash Wednesday; instead, they start Lent on “Clean Monday.” While the Bible does not mention Ash Wednesday, it does record accounts of people in the Old Testament using dust and ashes as symbols of repentance and/or mourning ( 2 Samuel 13:19 ;  Esther 4:1 ;...

Topic: “First Approach to the Holy Mystery” Our participation in the Holy Mass ought to be full, conscious and active. Individual participation in the thanksgiving work of the community of believers is paramount. By inwardly taking part in the celebration of the Holy Mass we also approach the mystery of our Faith. One can neither see nor feel a mystery but must accept it and keep it faithfully, trying to live with it spiritually. In this mystery (Holy Mass) it happens as if the priest walked up the stairs to the Chamber of the Lord's Last Supper and as if the faithful were allowed to follow Him there to begin the Holy sacrifice together with Jesus and His apostles . By attempt thus to imagine before our inward eye and to experience the events, all our everyday thoughts will fall away, provided we do not walk to church talking with others but instead attune ourselves to Holy Mass, to the mystery and the unspeakable greatness of our Faith. The priest's approaching to the al...

Topic:  “On Entering A Church” We go to Church to celebrate Holy Mass together with the priest. The Holy Mass is the renewal of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, or, to put it otherwise, the recalling of Christ's sacrifice ( Anamnesis). We enter the nave in order to adore Jesus in the Holy Sacrament as a preparation for Holy Mass. Are we aware on entering the Church whom we are approaching? Most times we lose sight of Christ's presence in the Church. We walk in briskly at times when we approach the Church to enter. We go further to disturb with our entrance. Are we filled in our innermost heart with the knowledge that Jesus is awaiting us with all His love and glory? Do we enter with reverence that filled Peter in his boat, the boat of the Church? He said, “Lord, depart from me for I am a sinful man” He who sincerely attempts to imitate Peter's reverence on entering the church will be able to sing, in unison with the angels surrounding the altar the ...

Charles Borromeo was a leading figure of the Catholic Reformation.   He was born in a castle on the shores of Lake Maggiore in northern Italy, to a powerful family. He was related to the Medici through his mother. As the second son, he was destined for a career in the Church from an early age. He received a doctorate in civil and canon law at the University of Pavia, and when his uncle was elected Pope Pius IV in 1559 he was summoned to Rome and made a cardinal. Among many other responsibilities he was made administrator of the vacant diocese of Milan and protector of the Catholic cantons of Switzerland and of the Franciscans and the Carmelites.   He played a large part in the diplomatic efforts that led to the reopening in 1562 of the reforming Council of Trent, suspended since 1552. As long as the Church was in a weak and corrupt state, emperors and kings could control it and its assets – and they would not easily give up control.   In ...

CHAIN OF EVIL "Foolish virgins! Why do you choose to live in this world of earth? Have you become blind to modesty? Has vanity invaded your hearts? Woe to those who cause the downfall of Our dedicated by their examples. You are all following the evil circle, My dedicated; for it is like a chain of evil, link by link. By your example you build a solid chain to hell. For woe to those entrusted with the souls of the little ones, and who lead the little ones to hell!" - Our Lady , November 21, 1970 Our world is steering towards damnation and the desire towards evil is increasing. Society's way of viewing sin has become so loose that things are seen as normal when they are not. Mankind was without sin from the beginning and sin, undeniable, entered the world through the action (disobedience) of one individual. Sin now stays with mankind and even as a 'relative' to society. Our daily lives are almost always characterised by the struggle against sin. Sin according to...

By Edmund Elorm Ackuaku  Sacred Scripture records vividly the passion of one Man, Jesus Christ, whose death brought salvation to the human race and reconciled the world to God. The Paschal Mystery summarized this for us as we contemplate the suffering, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. The major events of His suffering were on Good Friday. We often imagine Jesus carrying a big heavy Cross and bathed in blood. Our focus is almost always steered to the Passion of Jesus in the Lenten Season, especially the Holy Week. We usually forget one figure in this period of the liturgical year. This indelible figure is our Blessed Mother Mary. Her role in the life of our Lord cannot be forgotten so soon unless mankind has decided to be ungrateful to this generous woman by failing to honour Her. Even some Christians refuse to honour Her. The words of St. John Eudes can be applied to this ungrateful generation of Christians who are not ready to honour Mary, A man is no true Christian if he has no...