The Ultimate Guide to Lent

The annual Ultimate Guide to Lent is back for 2023 and filled with inspirational content to help you and your family experience the life-changing power of Lent. With stories of hope, meditations for kids, reflections on sacred art, and, of course, meat-free recipes, there is something for everyone in this free digital publication. Sign up to get your copy at www.thecatholictelegraph.com/Lent2023.

Lent Is Going to Be

Different This Year

Set to release on Ash Wednesday, the video series Fearless will help you make this Lent impactful and spiritually fruitful. This new seven-part series is brought to you in partnership with Real Life Catholic and Formed.
Time and again, the people of God are called to be courageous and “be not afraid.” Yet we live in a time where fear seems to guide our very existence. Don’t miss this exciting series with a special weekly guest as we follow Jesus into the wilderness. Sign up to get an episode emailed to you each Tuesday at Formed.org.
Formed has many other Lenten resources for all ages. Directions to accessing your free subscription to Formed are on page 10 of this bulletin.

The Three Pillars of Lent-Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving

Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It’s a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ’s will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ’s death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.
Ash Wednesday, February 22 and Good Friday, April 7, are days of abstinence from meat and also days of fast, that is, limited to a single full meal. The other Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence from meat. The law of abstinence binds all Catholics 14 years and older. The law of fasting binds all Catholics from their 18th birthday until their 59th birthday (canons 97, 1252).
We are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God’s gifts—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: “Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446). www.usccb.org/prayer-worship/liturgical-year/lent

Lenten Lunch with the Lord

Join Dr. Ceil Dorger for the Cathedral Basilica’s Lenten Lunch with the Lord series. It will be a meditation on the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary. Come for these three Wednesdays in Lent as you and others discover the depth of Mary’s love manifested in her own suffering. Bring a friend, bring a brown bag lunch if you wish. It is free! It begins right after 11:30am Mass, downstairs in Synod Hall, Wednesdays, March 15, 22, and 29.

Prayer Warriors Still Needed!

Babies are still dying every day at the two abortion centers in Dayton and Cincinnati, where 40 Days for Life prayer vigils are taking place. Praying outside of one of these two centers is a beautiful sacrifice we can all make during Lent, for the lives of so many innocent babies, that their mothers receive the help they truly need, that the workers may have a change of heart, and that the public can truly understand what is going on behind closed doors and join the chorus of voices to put an end to this tragedy once and for all. You may not see the fruits of your labor, but know that many women, upon seeing prayer warriors outside the clinic, choose not to come to their appointments. We are called to have courage and stand up for those who have no voice. If you are afraid, trust in Jesus’ words and take courage (Matthew 10:26-33). Know also that no one is more afraid than the unborn child at the hands of the abortionist. Learn more at
www.40daysforlife.com/cincinnati or contact
Jean Leebker at 513-922-0348 or JoanLoeker@gmail.com.
Call Jane Gorton at 513-733-5542 if you want to attend on Wednesdays from 9:00 to 11:00am.

Articles above are from the March Respect Life Newsletter, resources.catholicaoc.org/offices/respect-life-ministries/newsletter

How to have a Pro-Life Lent

Here we are in the midst of another Lenten season. On Ash Wednesday, many of us received ashes on our foreheads to remind us of our mortality and need for repentance. In addition, we offer sacrifices or perhaps take on more positive activities during the entire season of Lent to help us grow closer to God. If you haven’t yet thought through all of your ideas on what to do for Lent, here are some more thoughts on what you could consider to help make 2023 a Pro-Life Lent for you and your family:

  • Sign up for an hour shift at 40 Days for Life.
  • Instead of your typical rosary, pray the US Catholic Conference of Bishops’ Rosary for Life, www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/pro-life-rosaries
  • Offer up your fasting that the ballot initiative to make abortion a constitutional right in Ohio fails.
  • Spiritually adopt a child in danger of abortion.
  • If you have younger children, Holy Heroes has a free 9-month prayer adventure for you! Sign up online at holyheroesspiritualadoption.com.
  • Donate needed items to Elizabeth New Life Center as part of our parish Lenten almsgiving on March 25 and 26 or to other social agencies that provide direct assistance to people in difficult situations.
  • Support Project Rachel to help fund advertising and keep retreat costs down for post-abortive women. www.givecentral.org/appeals-form-registration/acp6099ac64cd6b9/user/guest
  • Take some time to volunteer with our prison ministries.
    resources.catholicaoc.org/offices/prison-ministries/volunteer
  • Watch an episode of The Chosen with your family each week.

Lenten Almsgiving Project

Please take donated items to the doors of the Our Lady of the Valley Parish Center (former school building), before or immediately after Masses each weekend. Volunteers will assist you in getting your donations from your vehicle. Please keep this list for reference throughout Lent.

April 1/2 for St. Francis Seraph School and St. Joseph Inner-City School
Both schools conduct “after-school” programs.
Items needed are school supplies: copy paper, loose leaf paper, spiral notebooks, pocket folders, washable colored markers, pencils, index cards (large and small), and post-it notes. The after school programs need masks, snacks in individual bags (especially Cheez-It’s, cheese crackers and teddy grahams), wipes, paper towels, and spray cleaners. In addition to these items, St. Joseph School would like gently used dresses, dress slacks, and shirts for the students, sizes 6T – adult small. The students’ parents might not be able to afford this clothing needed for after school events.
Prefer to donate cash? Place your donation in an envelope marked “Lenten Project” and drop it in the collection basket. Checks should be made payable to Our Lady of the Valley Parish with Lenten project in the notation.
Money received will be distributed among each of the six charities.
For more information contact Dee at 513-608-8566 or Deekist@yahoo.com. Thank you for your generosity.