Journey through Lent 2024
Date posted on February 13, 2024
What is Lent?
Lent is the yearly celebration of the Church in preparation for Easter. Lent has two major purposes: It recalls or prepares for Baptism, and emphasizes a spirit of penance. Through forty days of closer attention to God’s Word and of more fervent prayer, believers are prepared to celebrate the Paschal Mystery.
During Lent, the reminder of baptism already received, as well as the theme of repentance, renew the entire community along with those being prepared to celebrate the paschal mystery, in which each of the elect will share through the sacraments of initiation. (RCIA 125, Ad gentes, 14)
For those already baptized Lent is a time of preparation to celebrate the paschal mystery through reminders of our baptism and penitential practices. (GNLYC 27)
Lent is a privileged time for prayer, fasting and almsgiving. This season provides an opportunity to renew and deepen our relationship with Jesus, and to renew the choices we make, so that we might live as he taught.
When is Lent?
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14th, 2024, and continues until the beginning of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening, on March 28th, 2024. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Journey Through Lent
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops presents “Journey through Lent” with the Most Rev. Stephen Hero, Bishop of Prince Albert, and the Most Rev. Mark Hagemoen, Bishop of Saskatoon.Join us as we reflect on the Scriptures for the Sundays of Lent 2024.
Through the Desert God Leads us to Freedom
In his message for Lent 2024, Pope Francis invites us: “Let us welcome Lent as the great season in which he reminds us: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex 20:2). Lent is a season of conversion, a time of freedom. Jesus himself, as we recall each year on the first Sunday of Lent, was driven into the desert by the Spirit in order to be tempted in freedom. For forty days, he will stand before us and with us: the incarnate Son. Unlike Pharaoh, God does not want subjects, but sons and daughters. The desert is the place where our freedom can mature in a personal decision not to fall back into slavery. In Lent, we find new criteria of justice and a community with which we can press forward on a road not yet taken.”