The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Fr. Denis Bourbonnais, omi St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church "Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me, it is the Lord who speaks: to break unjust fetters, And to break every yoke, to share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, to clothe the man you see to be naked and not turn from your own kin? (Isaiah 58:6, 7) We are now well into the season of Lent, 40 days to prepare us for the Feast of Easter Resurrection of Jesus. The weekdays of Lent are a time of penance for the Church around the world. The main lenten works are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It is a time for working to change attitudes that are not pleasing to God. Lent has a double purpose. It helps the faithful to prepare for celebrating their baptism, confirmation, and eucharist at Easter. And it gives all others the occasion to participate through prayer and penance in renewing their baptismal vows. Fasting and other forms of penance are acts that symbolize the spiritual training necessary to avoid sin. Sin is what we must always avoid; virtue is what we must practice. 12/3/04
