Lent is the Catholic liturgical season of a forty day period before Easter, excluding Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday.

"Lent is a privileged time of interior pilgrimage towards Him Who is the fount of mercy"

- His Holiness Benedict XVI.  

Traditionally there are three pillars or observances that guide us through this interior pilgrimage. They are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Prayer

More time given to prayer during Lent should draw us closer to the Lord. We might pray especially for the grace to live out our baptismal promises more fully.

Fasting

Fasting is one of the most ancient practices linked to Lent. In fact, the paschal fast predates Lent as we know it. Fasting is more than a means of developing self-control. It is often an aid to prayer, as the pangs of hunger remind us of our hunger for God. Fasting should be linked to our concern for those who are forced to fast by their poverty, those who suffer from the injustices of our economic and political structures, those who are in need for any reason. Abstaining from meat traditionally also linked us to the poor, who could seldom afford meat for their meals. It can do the same today if we remember the purpose of abstinence and embrace it as a spiritual link to those whose diets are sparse and simple.

Almsgiving

It is a sign of our care for those in need and an expression of our gratitude for all that God has given to us. Works of charity and the promotion of justice are integral elements of the Christian way of life we began when we were baptized.

At left, please find a link to a schedule of events for the Lenten Season.  Also included are links to resources to enrich your Lenten experience, including daily scripture reflections written by Saint Anselm College students and staff. We offer these activities to help us all during this Lenten season through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to live more fully a Christian life.

Peace,
The Campus Ministry Staff