~ Lenten Preparation ~

[alessandro]

This is the beginning of an article from my site, miserere.org, available in its entirety here: miserere.org/m/archivedposts/177

     As much of United States focuses on the Mardi Gras celebrations in a struggling New Orleans, let us turn our sights to what Mardi Gras is supposed to introduce (but the world has forgotten): The season of Lent.

The forty holy days of Lent begin with Ash Wednesday on February 21.

Preparation

• Check the Ash Wednesday schedule at your local church.
• Do an examination of conscience: Pause to reflect on your achievements and struggles over the past year. Think about what you want to change. Reflect on your particular weaknesses (vices and sins), and make an affirmation to cultivate the corresponding virtues during this Lenten season.
• Schedule time to go to confession, and return frequently during this penitential season.
  Spiritual Reading

Spiritual reading is essential to cultivating spiritual growth. This reading, or lectio divina, as it is called in Latin, is the first step in the process of contemplative prayer: lectio (reading), meditatio (meditation), oratio (prayer) and contemplatio (contemplation).

The source of spiritual reading you choose is up to you, but it should be well thought-out. A wonderful place to start is holy Scripture. I have a particular affinity for the Passion narratives of the four Gospels, but truly you could choose any part, even at random, and have plenty to ponder.

Aside from Scripture, many Blessèds and Saints have written inspirational works that guide us on the journey of reflection and prayer. In past years, I have used two texts repeatedly, and you may want to consider them for your own use:

• Thomas à Kempis’ [On the Passion of Christ: According to the Four Evangelists : Prayers and Meditations (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0898709938...=211189&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=0898709938)
• Fr. Gabriel’s Carmelite classic, [Divine Intimacy (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0895556766...=211189&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=0895556766)
  In his famous spiritual classic, The Imitation of Christ, the great spiritual writer and monk Thomas à Kempis reminds the reader that in order to become a follower of Christ one must imitate his life, and to accomplish this he adds:“Let it then be our main concern to meditate on the life of Jesus Christ. It is impossible to imitate Christ without first knowing him, and the best way of getting to know him is by meditating on his life as it is described in the four Gospels.”Thus, in his On the Passion of Christ, à Kempis presents profound, short reflections on Gospel passages about the Passion and death of Christ. In very much the same style as his Imitation, each chapter of On the Passion focuses on a specific aspect of the Passion of Our Lord, gives a prayer, a meditation and spiritual advice and closes with another short prayer.

Divine Intimacy* has been with me, faithfully, for many years. Written to provide daily meditations for the entire (traditional) calendar year, its utility for this purpose has become difficult with the changes in the calendar since Vatican II. Nevertheless, for the main liturgical seasons (e.g., Lent or Easter) and high holy days, it is still unparalleled in its approach to how to reach intimate union with God through lectio divina, meditation, prayer and contemplation. The text is provided online year-round at Catholic-Pages.com. Click here for Lenten readings.

The rest of the article goes through:

**Prayer

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**
Meditation through Art**

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Fasting, Abstinence, Almsgiving and Penance

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Be sure to check out the whole article!! Go to: miserere.org/m/archivedposts/177