A priest distributes ashes on Ash Wednesday
Washington D.C., Feb 24, 2009 / 16:08 pm
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has announced that it is offering a variety of internet resources for Catholics’ reflection and spiritual growth during Lent 2009.
The USCCB site, located at http://www.usccb.org/lent , is organized around the four pillars of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults: what we believe, what we celebrate, how we live and how we pray.
“Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has reemphasized the baptismal character of Lent with the restoration of the catechumenate, a period of learning and discernment for individuals who have declared their desire to become Catholics,” the web site says. “The traditional Lenten practices of fasting, prayer and almsgiving are still observed, but are done so with the purpose of recalling our baptism and in solidarity with those preparing to be baptized and received into the Church.”
Prayer resources at the website include a tutorial on the rosary, text and audio versions of the Stations of the Cross, and a section on Lenten prayer. The site especially discusses the two sacraments emphasized during Lent, Reconciliation and Baptism.
The site also provides a question-and-answer section on the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and on the Paschal Triduum which lasts from Holy Thursday through Vespers on Easter Sunday.
Videos at the site include meditations on the crucified Christ and Michelangelo’s Pieta. An hour-long documentary about the RCIA is also excerpted.
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