Ash Wednesday Prayer
for Families
O Lord of all love
and
unquenchable
compassion,
Burn in our hearts
throughout this
day of ashes.
Give us courage to
root out and set
fire to all the junk
in our lives:
Pettiness and impatience, overindulgence
and indifference.
Where there is a grudge, help us burn it away
with forgiveness.
Where there is fear, help us burn it away
with the fire of your love.
Where there is greed, help us burn it away
with self-sacrifice.
Where there is pride, help us burn it away
with the awareness of God’s grace.
And after we’ve offered up all our
shortcomings on your altar,
Help us to rebuild our house on an
indestructible foundation of love.
Mary Lynn Hendrickson, www.HomeFaith.com
Think of an ocean
liner traveling the seas.
A small change in its
course will, over time,
greatly change the
destination. Lent is an
opportunity to have
small changes in your daily life make a big difference in
your family over the long run. Practice Lent, right
where you are. It’s where God is waiting for you.
Tom McGrath, Raising Faith-Filled Kids:
Ordinary Opportunities to Nurture Spirituality at Home
The word Lent comes from an old English
word that means “springtime.” Like the new life that
is born in the spring, Lent calls each of us to renew
our life in Christ as we look forward to Easter
renewal and the Resurrection.
Reprinted with permission,
Take Out, a publication of Our Sunday Visitor
Talking to kids about Ash
Wednesday
Kids seem to love Ash
Wednesday, and they are
often interested in the meaning behind the ritual of ashes.
It is helpful to explain that the
ashes placed on our foreheads are a visible sign that
we are dependent on God for our life and that we need
to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.
The ashes are also a way to remind ourselves that we
are beginning the holy season of Lent—the 40 days
leading up to Easter.
Ask your kids how they might grow closer to Jesus this
Lent as a member of a family, as a student and as a
friend.
Take Out, a publication of
Our Sunday Visitor (Adapted)
What Can Our Family Do
For Lent?
Lent isn’t a solitary journey; it is traveled with the
whole church family. Try these family Lenten practices
as a way to get closer to God:
Commit to going to church
each Sunday —no excuses.
If you have gotten out of the
practice of Sunday Mass,
Lent is a perfect time to
become more faithful.
Give up TV as a family on certain days each week.
Substitute a family game hour on one of these nights.
As a family, serve at a local ministry this Lent.
Keep a donation box for the poor on your kitchen
table during Lent and agree as a family to donate
something each week.
At Home With Our Faith (Adapted)
Provided by The Marriage and Family Life Office, Diocese of Columbus.
Also available online at www.familylife.colsdioc.org
Keep your eye on the
Lenten prize
Keep your family focused
on the journey of Lent by
committing to do each of
the following activities at
least once before Easter.
Celebrate reconciliation
— Many parishes offer an
evening of reconciliation
during Lent. Focus on how
good it feels to be reconciled; do something special as
a family after the sacrament.
Stations of the cross — In the past many Catholics
prayed the stations each Friday of Lent. This was
before traveling soccer teams, however, so if you can
mange it once, you’re doing well.
Friday fish fry — You can still have fun in Lent.
Expose your children to this long-standing and fun
Catholic parish tradition.
Volunteer and/or Donate to a
local charity —
Children will become more
generous with the needy if service is part of their family culture. Many parishes have a specific program they
support.
At Home With Our Faith (Adapted)
Fast from criticism, and feast on praise.
Fast from self-pity, and feast on gratitude.
Fast from ill-temper, and feast on peace.
Fast from jealousy, and feast on love.
Fast from pride, and feast on humility.
Fast from selfishness, and feast on service.
Fast from fear, and feast on faith.
How to go to Confession
During Lent, many Catholics want to seek out the
Sacrament of Reconciliation,
or confession. In my experience as a confessor, I often
encounter people who aren’t
comfortable, or who don’t quite
remember how Reconciliation
works. Here are a few tips for
a good confession.
Know what it is you want to confess. Spend time
reflecting on your life, and examine your conscience in
light of the ten commandments so you know why you
need God’s forgiveness.
Find a confessor you’re comfortable with. If you want more
anonymity that you think you’ll
get with a priest at your own
parish, go to a neighboring
parish.
If you have lots to say, or if you will want more than a
brief conversation, you can always call a priest and
make an appointment. It’s better if you don’t feel
rushed.
Relax. If it’s been a while, or if you’re nervous, or you
don’t remember how to proceed, just tell the priest. He’ll
reassure you, and walk you through the process.
“I don’t remember the Act of Contrition.” Not to
worry. After you receive your penance, and before
the prayer of absolution, you need to pray an Act of
Contrition. If you don’t have one memorized, you can
pray in your own words telling God you’re sorry for your
sins, and that with his help you’ll try to do better.
Go regularly. Many people find it helpful to see the
same confessor every few weeks. With regular confessions, your confessor can help you look at the patterns
of your life, not just individual sins.
Lent is a season of repentance
for the whole Church. With a little
preparation and clear communication,
the Sacrament of Reconciliation can
make that repentance a real force for
healing in your life.
by Fr. Larry Rice, CSP, www.foryourmarriage.org (Adapted)
Provided by The Marriage and Family Life Office, Diocese of Columbus.
Also available online at www.familylife.colsdioc.org