Tag Archives: Lent

2012 Way of the Cross at the Colosseum – Pope Benedict XVI

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Tomorrow in Rome, Pope Benedict will again lead reflections on the way of the Cross at the Colosseum. The Vatican announced March 15 that the pope had asked Danilo and Annamaria Zanzucchi to write the meditations, which are read over loudspeakers as a cross is carried through and around the Colosseum on Good Friday. Along with Chiara Lubich, the late founder of the Focolare Movement, the Zanzucchis launched the New Families project in 1967 to strengthen families and encourage their spiritual growth

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Preparing for Holy Week

By | March 29, 2012
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Rejoice! We’re getting so close to the greatest celebrations of our Church: Holy Week and Easter! For me, and many others that work in the Church, this is definitely the busiest time of the year. From practicing with music groups to putting scripts together, right down to making sure the cleaning people will be straightening and cleaning the Church in between the Holy Day Masses. There is so much to do. Some of you reading this might just be responsible for the Sunrise Teen Mass at your parish

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Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving: Keep It Simple

By | March 5, 2012
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One of the first and best pieces of advice I learned early on as a high school journalist was K.I.S.S. — Keep it simple, stupid. I am going to propose the same for this Lenten season. Keep it simple.

In her beauty, the Church seems to always find a way to keep it simple for us — seven sacraments, five precepts, you name it. With Lent, it’s also quite simple. Three things: prayer, fasting, almsgiving.

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These 40 Days of Lenten Music

By | February 14, 2012

In just over a week we enter into the sacred season of Lent. Forty days of fasting, prayer, almsgiving, and a call in this “Year of Faith” proclaimed by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, to strengthen our faith and to help strengthen the faith of others. So what will change? In our own lives, will we just give up the same thing we gave up last year again or will we really take the time to reflect upon those things that lead us away from Christ? Will we truly seek to put those things aside and

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Lord, It’s Hard to be Humble In Ministry When…

By | March 18, 2011

I don’t like to speak of humility, just the mention of it implies I am not humble. Here is a gut check regarding humility that I have found a huge spiritual help. The Seventeen Evidences of a Lack of Humility By St. Josemaria Escrivá 1. To think that what one says or does is better than what others say or do 2. To always to want to get your own way 3. To argue with stubbornness and bad manners whether you are right or wrong 4. To give your opinion when it has not been requested or when charity

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Bringing Lent to Life: Resources for Lent

By | March 4, 2011

Each Lent, we have another great opportunity to immerse our teens into the heart of the Church. We have such a gift in the 40 days of Lent. We need to walk with our teens through the desert of Lent and help them meet our Lord there. Our ministry should be a reflection of the changes happening in the Liturgy and be an invitation to fully participate in the mystery of Christ’s Passion, death, and Resurrection. There are a lot of resources that Life Teen has for you to being Lent to Life in your program.

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It’s Good Friday – It’s Time To Ask This Question!

By | April 2, 2010

Are you Worried that Good Friday won’t have the impact you want it to have? Here is one question that you need to ask today that will make a difference.

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Why This Holy Thursday Is Bigger!

By | April 1, 2010

I get the sense that this year Holy Thursday is even bigger for us Catholics. It’s the year for priests. During his general audience held in St. Peter’s Square yesterday the Holy Father explained to the gathered faithful and to all of us the meaning and beauty of the Easter Triduum.

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The Drag and Gary Show: “Lent”

By | February 17, 2010

Our friends Drag and Gary meet up with Matt Maher, our favorite Canadian Catholic singer/songwriter, to talk about Lent. We learn about God’s mercy, using our inside voices, and cheese pizza.

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Lent in Your Youth Ministry: Making the Most of the Season

By | February 17, 2010

Lent already? How is that possible? One minute we’re celebrating Christmas, we blink, and it is Ash Wednesday. Somewhere in the blur of time we forget to fully enter into this holy season. Often we get so caught up in the day- to-day operations of meetings, phone calls, emails and Life Night planning that we forget to take a second to stop and think about where the Church is leading us.