[credit image actually belongs to Ann Voskamp]
Here is a LINK to wonderful Lenten Retreat starting today
(for those non-Catholic readers or Christian churches
that do not celebrate it)
or
better titled
"Why Ashes?"
They also offer A Lent Audio Retreat with Father Larry Gillick, S.J. and "LENTEN AUDIO CONVERSATIONS"
*Creighton University
is a
Jesuit Catholic University
{sample of one of the prayers for today}
"Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting
this campaign of Christian service,
so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils,
we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever."
Followed by Lenten Readings for the day; A Daily Meditation; Today's Reflection and other prayers.
Readings for Ash Weds.: Joel 2:12-18; Psalm 51: 3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14;17; 2 Cor. 5: 20 - 6:2; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
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YOU VERSION offers 3 reading plans that I found but this one seems the BEST:
Devotions for Lent from Holy Bible: Mosaic
Here is what this plan shares for Day 1 on "What is Lent?" besides a reading from the Old and New Testament.
I found this to be a very good explanation. The other days that I previewed, the devotional was not this long and in fact, Day 2 was just a beautiful Lenten prayer. Sundays are days off from reading and Fri.&Sat. they have chosen to read the Gospel of Mark. One of the other plans is reading the Gospel of Matthew."For some Christians, Lent has always been a part of their spiritual life, but for others it is unfamiliar. Lent is a season leading up to Easter, a time when Christians have historically prepared their hearts for Easter with reflection, repentance, and prayer. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and proceeds for forty days, excluding Sundays, and culminating with Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Since Sundays are weekly celebrations of the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays in Lent are not counted as part of the forty-day season, which focuses on introspection, self examination, and repentance. Many Christians choose to celebrate a fast throughout the season of Lent, but the focus is not on depriving themselves of something as much as it is on devoting themselves to God and his purposes in the world.Lent is an important season of the church year. The church year is an excellent way to help focus our attention on God with the way we organize our time. Rather than following the solar calendar's more familiar structure, organized by the rhythms of nature, the church calendar is organized around God and his activity in the world. The church calendar follows six seasons of varying length: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. Each of these seasons have different focuses: Advent focuses on the anticipation of God's coming into the world, both in the incarnation and in Christ's return. Christmas focuses on the birth of Christ. Epiphany focuses on the light of God's presence shining in the world. Lent focuses on human sin and God's gracious solution. Easter focuses on resurrection life. Pentecost focuses on the ongoing activity of the Holy Spirit in the world. The annual rhythm of these seasons can have a powerful effect on personal and communal spiritual growth."~Holy Bible:Mosaic
She Reads Truth will have their 1st Reading Plan for Lent at their website, which never disappoints and well worth reading along with them and a wonderful community of women that share in the comments so much.
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Let's PRAY these
40 DAYS
{no matter what church denomination or affiliation}
as we continue to read in
God's Word
as we continue to read in
God's Word
Set aside time each day for
PRAYER
This is kinda why I started
"WHERE DO I TURN WHEN ..."
praying series
