Lent, a solemn period on the Christian liturgical calendar, begins on February 14 and lasts for 40 days, not including Sundays, from Ash Wednesday to Easter.
The ashes which are distributed on Ash Wednesday come from the previous year’s Palm Sunday palms which are burned and mixed with holy oil or water. During Ash Wednesday services, the “imposition of ashes” is carried out by having a bit of the sooty ash traced in the sign of the cross on the forehead by a priest or minister while reciting the words “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The ashes signify sin and repentance, while the cross is representative of Jesus being the savior who died for those sins.
The Lenten season is typically a time of self-reflection as well as fasting and abstinence for members of the Catholic Church. Fasting, i.e., eating only one main meal and two smaller meals (that together do not equal one full meal), on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday is required of Catholics from the age of 18 to 59. Abstinence from eating meat is obligatory for all Catholics over the age of 14 on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays during Lent.
When I was growing up and attending Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary School, we were encouraged to give up something that was really significant to us, a real sacrifice. For school children, that usually meant giving up candy. I have known people who have given up sweets, bread, pasta, swearing, and even shopping for Lent. I, myself, made the supreme sacrifice of giving up pizza one year which proved to be particularly challenging on meatless Fridays.
There are, however, alternatives to the “giving up” part of Lent. Monsignor Guy Massie, Pastor of Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen Church says that the three basic elements of Lent are prayer, sacrifice, and charity. He stresses that these should be done with humility and, so if you give up something, you should not moan and groan about it nor should you boast about it. Msgr. Massie made what I thought was a great suggestion: if you decide to give up lunch once a week (that’s the sacrifice), you can use the money you would have spent on lunch and donate it to a soup kitchen or other charity. But, again, these actions should be performed humbly.
The Lenten Season also usually includes the weekly observance of the Stations of the Cross by many local Catholic churches as well as prayer services and a day of Eucharistic Adoration.
Father Astor Rodriguez Celebrates 25 Years
Father Astor Rodriguez, Pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Bedford-Stuyvesant, returned home to St. Paul’s R.C. Church in Cobble Hill on Saturday, January 27th to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Father Astor served as assistant pastor at St. Paul’s from 1993 to 1995 and then as pastor from 1997 to 2002 when the church was part of the Parish of St. Peter, St. Paul and Our Lady of Pilar. To mark the milestone, Father Astor movingly reprised the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” He played the guitar and sang the song in Spanish as he had done at his ordination.
Bishop Responds to Flu Outbreak
In response to this year’s serious flu outbreak, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of the Diocese of Brooklyn has suspended the distribution of the Precious Blood during Mass for the duration of flu season. The consecrated wine is usually distributed from a single chalice which is shared by the many wishing to partake in the sacrament. The bishop has also advised to physically refrain from exchanging the sign of peace with anyone who is exhibiting signs of illness. A nod or wave may be substituted for a handshake or embrace. Additionally, hand sanitizers have been requested for all clergy and ministers participating in the celebration of Mass.
Happenings/Upcoming Events
Congregation Mount Sinai
250 Cadman Plaza West
- Tot Shabbat on Saturday at 11:00 am followed by kiddush at noon on February 10 and 24.
Kane Street Synagogue
236 Kane Street
- Adult Education: Open Beit Midrash on Tuesday evenings with dinner from 6:45 and classes, lectures, demonstrations from 7:30 – 9:00. Cost is $40 per three-week course. February’s course is “The Ethics of Living in Community: The Rabbinic Vision” with Dr. David Kraemer on February 20 and 27 and March 6, 2018. For general information, contact Joy Fallek at BeitMidrash@kanestreet.org.
Redemption Church Red Hook
767 Hicks Street
- Sex, Love and Lies on Saturday, February 24 at 7:00 pm. Join us for a conversation of why we often “settle” instead of wait, what to look for in your partner and what is a “healthy relationship.”
Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen Church
Summit & Hicks Street
- Ash Wednesday, February 14 – Ashes will be distributed at a 7:30 am Prayer Service, 8:30 am Mass, 12 noon Mass, 3:45 pm Prayer Service and 6:15 pm Prayer Service.
St. Agnes/ St. Paul’s Parish
Hoyt & Sackett Streets/234 Congress Street
- Valentine Luncheon on Sunday, February 18 from 1:30 – 3:30 pm in St. Agnes Hall. Tickets are on sale. Will include Grand 50/50. All are welcome!
- Share Your Love Sock Drive – CCD children will be collecting new and warm socks for C.H.I.P.S., (Christian Help in Park Slope) a soup kitchen on 4th Avenue. There will be a collection box in church from now until Valentine’s Day.
- Youth Retreat for ages 13 – 17 on Saturday, March 3 from 10 am – 5 pm at St. Agnes Church. The youth retreat includes Mass and lunch. RSVP at 718-625-1717.
- 76th Precinct Neighborhood Safety Meeting on Tuesday, March 6 at 7 pm in St. Agnes Hall.
- Sight & Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA on Thursday, March 15, buses leave from St. Agnes on Hoyt and Bond Streets at 7:30 am. Cost is $150 per person which includes roundtrip transportation, show, lunch and a stop at Tanger Outlets. All are welcome to join us!
- St. Joseph/ St. Patrick Luncheon on Sunday, March 18 at 2 pm in St. Paul Parish Hall.
St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church
157 Montague Street
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- A Black History Month Forum – “Forever Bound: Black History, the Church, and Social Covenants in Brooklyn” on Sunday, February 11 at 2 pm. St. Ann’s welcomes Dr. Craig Steven Wilder, Professor of History at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Charles Egelston, historian and archivist for the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, for an important conversation on race at a critical juncture. All are welcome and admission is free.
- “The Saint John’s Bible” – On February 4 and 11,we will have on view a rare Heritage Edition of “The Saint John’s Bible,” the first illuminated, handwritten version of the Bible to be produced in 500 years. On loan from the Cathedral of the Incarnation, this fine art replica of the Gospels and Book of Acts will be used in worship to inspire Lenten programs such as the creation of an illuminated Psalter in Sunday School.
- “Unsung Heroines” on Sunday, March 18. In honor of Women’s History Month, St. Ann’s will host their third annual Unsung Heroines program in which parishioners will present brief biographies of widely influential but largely unknown women. Mark your calendars; details to follow.
St. Mary Star of the Sea Church
467 Court Street
- Ash Wednesday, February 14 – Ashes will be distributed at 9:30 am Mass and during 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm Prayer Services.
- Stations of the Cross at 7:30 pm on February 21, 28 and March 14.
- An Evening of Faith Questions & Discussion on March 7 at 7:30 pm. Come join us in Dugan Hall for a relaxed evening of faith exploration and sharing!
- Day of Eucharistic Adoration – on March 21 with the Blessed Sacrament being exposed on the altar beginning with the 9:30 am Mass, the church remaining open all day for prayer and quiet reflection, and Benediction at 7:30 pm.
- Check the bulletin on our website, stmarystarbrooklyn.com for upcoming events.
St. Paul’s Catholic Church
- See St. Agnes listing.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
199 Carroll Street
- Ash Wednesday on February 14 – Ashes will be imposed at 7:30 am Low Mass, 12 noon Low Mass and 7:30 pm Sung Mass.
Visitation BVM Church
98 Richards Street
- Healing Mass on Friday, February 2 at 7 pm in English and on Ash Wednesday, February 14 at 7 pm in Spanish.
- Movie Night with Youth Minster Laura Ramirez on Saturday, February 3 after the 5 pm Mass, featuring Disney’s “WALL-E.”
- Mobile Soup Kitchen on Tuesdays from 1 pm – 2:30 pm and Fridays from 10 am – 12 noon (except first Fridays of the month).
- St. Patrick’s Night Fundraiser – A night of faith, fun, food, music and dancing on Friday, March 16 in St. Mary’s Hall (BYOB). Evening begins with Mass at 6 pm. Tickets are $40 each, table of eight is $260 and table of four is $140. For information, call 805-300-6913 or 917-515-4225.
