Ash Wednesday is just around the corner. With Ash Wednesday we’ll begin the Holy Season of Lent.

Here are a few words about this special day in the Liturgical Calendar:

Let us all pray to the Holy Spirit to show us what God wants each of us to give up or to take on this Lent. Lord, making this Lent a special time of spiritual growth and closeness to Jesus for all of us. The ashes that we will distribute on Ash Wednesday remind us of our mortality and our need of salvation. Ash Wednesday is a universal day of fast and abstinence. The Canadian Bishops write: “Christian fasting obtains its full meaning when we deprive ourselves of some food in order to be more open to prayer, to share more in the suffering of those who are starving, and to save money to give to the poor.” The law of fasting applies to those from 18 to 59 years of age. Abstinence means not eating meat. We do this to show our willingness to be with Jesus, thinking of the sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. The law of abstinence from meat applies to those who are age 14 and older.

During this season the Cathedral will have Stations of the Cross on Wednesdays and Fridays.