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| OUR LADY OF LOURDES AND LENT |
| BACK TO LOURDES |
| February 11, 2009 Our Lady of Lourdes and Lent Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the 151st Anniversary of Our Lady’s first appearance to Saint Bernadette. What a beautiful parallel is given to us by the Lord in this feast falling just before the season of Lent. Lourdes today is a place of faith and healing. Lent is a time in which we renew the faith of our Baptism and present all of our brokenness and wounds to Jesus for His healing love to touch us and make us whole again. May the example and intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes lead us to a deeper surrender of our lives this Lent, that we may commend ourselves into the arms of Mercy. |
| The Season of Lent and the Blessed Virgin Mary
The commentary in the Sacramentary of the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the votive Mass, "Holy Mary, Disciple of the Lord," says about Lent: Lent is a "journey" for the faithful, during which they "more diligently listen to the word of God and devote themselves to prayer with greater earnestness" [SC 109], and during which they are ready to bear the cross with greater zeal, so that with minds and hearts renewed they may reach a more worthy celebration of the Easter festival. In this way they show themselves true disciples of Christ, hearing his words and seeking to make them their own (see Luke 8:15), following in his footsteps in self-denial (see Matthew 16:24), and striving to stand by his cross in faithful witness (see John 19:26). The Blessed Virgin Mary was such a disciple. One of the prefaces in the Marian Mass, "The Commending of the Blessed Virgin Mary," sums up the Marian outlook for Lent: Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. At the foot of the cross of Jesus, by his solemn and dying wish, a deep bond of love is fashioned between the Blessed Virgin Mary and his faithful disciples: the Mother of God is entrusted to the disciples as their own mother, and they receive her as a precious inheritance from their Master. She is to be forever the mother of those who believe, and they will look to her with great confidence in her unfailing protection. She loves her Son in loving her children, and in heeding what she says they keep the words of their Master. Through him the angels of heaven offer their prayer of adoration as they rejoice in your presence for ever. May our voice be one with theirs in their triumphant hymn of praise. (Preface 13) Liturgy The Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Masses are arranged according to the divisions of the liturgical year. There are five votive Masses for Lent Holy Mary, Disciple of the Lord The Blessed Virgin Mary at the Foot of the Cross The Commending of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Reconciliation http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/respub/colmas.html Five Lenten Meditations These meditations take their orientation from the Sunday liturgies for Lent, from the five votive Masses in honor of Mary for the Lenten season, from Sacred Scripture, and from devotional traditions ... Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Poetry Poetry for Lent Mother of Sorrows, She Shall Crush Thy Head, Communion of Reparation (for Our Lady of Sorrows), To the Sorrowing and Immaculate Heart, Lady Most Pitiful, The Passion, and many more ... http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/poetry/lentpoet.html Poetry for Passiontide This poetry section concentrates on the final days of the Lenten season. http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/poetry/passp.html Thomas Merton’s, Evening: Zero Weather (Written in 1947) Here in the zero days before Lent (We are already binding up our sheaves of harvest Beating the lazy liturgy, going up with exultation Even on the eve of our Ash Wednesday ...) http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/poetry/merton01.html#zero Prayer The Rosary The Sorrowful Mysteries, to be said on Tuesdays and Fridays. http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/questions/faq/faq07.html Music Marian Music Collection--Lent For the season of Lent see a selection of chant, traditional, contemporary, ecumenical, and art songs at http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/music/mus_words/lent.htm Marian Antiphon for Lent Ave Regina Caelorum--Marian Antiphon for the Time After the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and Lent. http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/antiph2.html Akathistos of the Annunciation of the most Holy Mother of God |