Lent

Taking its name from the Middle-English “Lenten”, or “spring”, the origins of Lent itself are particularly obscure. It seems possible that in some parts of the early Church there was a commemoration of Christ’s forty day fast in the wilderness and which followed immediately on from the celebration of the Baptism of Christ. The forty days attached to Easter began to appear in Rome and elsewhere shortly after the Council of Nicea in 325 and although the records of the Council make no mention of the establishment of such a fast it is possible that it was ordered by the assembled bishops.

In the New Testament there is no mention of a determined period of fasting amongst the early Christian Community, although, in the Acts of the Apostles, in the account of the shipwreck of St. Paul, it states that, "A great deal of time had been lost, and navigation was already hazardous, since it was now well after the time for the Fast" (27: 9). In the immediate post-apostolic age there is a general sense of some sort of fast being observed in the period before Easter. The early Christian writer and apologist, Tertullian (c. 160 - c. 225) mentions a period of fasting to commemorate the period when the spouse, Jesus Christ, was taken away. Another early writer, Irenaeus, (c. 130 - c. 200) [right] in a letter to Victor, the Bishop of Rome from about 190 until 200, speaks of the fast before Easter and of the different methods of its observance in different places stating that the difference of observance was not a new thing but that it had arisen "even long before, in a past generation". It is clear from Tertullian that from very early times the Lenten fast, whatever its duration may have been, was considered obligatory and passages to the same effect are found in the later literature of the Church. The Council of Gangra, in the middle of the fourth century, anathemizes those who neglected to keep the fasts "observed by the Church". St. Jerome (c. 341 - 420) lays down strict obligations in the keeping of the Lenten fast. During the first three centuries of the history of the Church, most Christians prepared for Easter by only fasting for two or three days. In some places this "paschal fast" was extended to cover the entire week before Easter, the period now known as Holy Week. In Rome, this pascal fast may have lasted for as long as three weeks, but by the fourth century ad developed into the forty day Lent as it is observed today.

The Roman Lent, in its three week form, was linked to the pastoral and liturgical preparation of catechumens for baptism at the Easter Vigil and until recently this baptismal motif was thought to explain the origins of Lent, a practice restored by the Second Vatican Council.

Father, through our observance of Lent, help us to understand the meaning of your Son’s death and resurrection, and teach us to reflect it in our lives.

See also:

https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent

23rd March - St. Turibius on Mongrovejo, Bishop

Birth name - Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo

Born - 16 November 1538, Mayorga de Campos, Kingdom of León, Habsburg Spain

Died - 23 March 1606 (aged 67), Saña, Viceroyalty of Peru, Peru

Alma mater - University of Coimbra, University of Valladolid, University of Salamanca

Beatified - 2 July 1679, Rome, Papal States, by Pope Innocent XI

Canonized - 10 December 1726, Rome, Papal States by Pope Benedict XIII

Attributes - Episcopal attire

Patronage - Peru, Lima, Latin American bishops, Native rights, Scouts, Valladolid

Turibius was born in 1538 in Mayorga in Spain and became the lay professor of law at Salamanca University from which Philip II appointed him as the principal judge in the court of the Inquisition at Granada. Unexpectedly, and while still a lay person, he was appointed as the archbishop of Lima in Peru. In vain Turibius pleaded his inadequacy – he received orders, was consecrated bishop and arrived in Lima in 1581. His new diocese encompassed some thousands of square miles – his first visitation took seven years. Abuses were commonplace and the lack of roads and he distance from Spain often made redress impossible. There were large numbers of baptised Native Americans who knew nothing of the Christian religion and above all the Spanish conquerors often gave appalling examples of tyranny, oppression and cynical disregard for Christian moral teaching. Under Turibius the worst offenders among the clergy were disciplined and Turibius undertook the founding of churches and institutions such as hospitals and religious houses. In 1591 he founded the first seminary in the New World at Lima. In order to communicate with his extensive flock he learnt a number of the Indian languages and although his championing of their rights often met with opposition from the civil authorities his patient persistence eventually overcame. He died in 1606 and was canonised in 1726.

Almighty and ever living God, grant that through the intercession of St. Turibius your Church may ever grow in faith and holiness through its apostolic labours and zeal for the truth.

See also:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turibius_of_Mogrovejo

https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14781a.htm

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-turibius-of-mogroveio/

https://www.bartleby.com/210/3/231.html

https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2012/03/st-turibius-of-mongrovejo.html

24th March - St Oscar Romero, Martyr.

Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador, was deeply motivated by his faith to speak out and act for human rights and social justice, knowing that this brought risks to his own safety. Born on 15 August 1917 in El Salvador, Romero’s life unfolded against the backdrop of a country grappling with social inequality and political turmoil. It was during his time as Archbishop from 1977 to 1980 that St Romero was steadfast in championing the rights of the marginalised in El Salvador and he spoke out against those who committed terrible acts of violence.

He underwent a spiritually profound change when confronted with the harsh realities of the majority of people in El Salvador. There was brutal suppression of dissent by the authorities at the time and a widespread violation of human rights. Romero began to view his role not merely as a spiritual leader but as a “voice for the voiceless”. He once said:

“Each time we look upon the poor, on the farmworkers who harvest the coffee, the sugarcane, or the cotton… remember, there is the face of Christ.” 

In terms of Christian faith, Romero’s significance lies in his resolute defence of the Church’s teachings on human dignity and the preferential option for the poor. In a society marked by deep divisions, Romero consistently spoke out against discrimination and violence, emphasising the inherent dignity of every individual, regardless of their background.  

Every Sunday his sermon was broadcast by radio and the whole country listened. Romero was a CAFOD partner and when his radio station was bombed, CAFOD helped rebuild it. 

In his sermon on 23 March 1980, Romero ordered the army to stop killing people: 

“In the name of God, and in the name of this suffering people whose cries rise to heaven more loudly each day, I beg you, I implore you, I order you, in the name of God, stop the repression!”   

The next day, he was assassinated while celebrating Mass.  He was canonised by Pope Francis in 2018, and is known as a martyr for justice and a beacon of hope for those striving to create a more inclusive society.

Reflection

By Deborah Purfield, CAFOD

Oscar Romero’s life is an inspiration and a challenge for us to engage actively in the pursuit of justice and to uphold the dignity of every human being. He imitated His Lord Jesus Christ so closely and was “God-with-skin-on” for his people and for us today. 

Even though he knew his days were numbered, it did not silence his message : 

“If you kill me, I will rise again in the Salvadoran people.” 

This powerful statement reflects Romero’s profound conviction that his commitment to social justice and the defence of the marginalised would endure beyond his physical life.  We are invited to examine our own commitment to justice, compassion, and the transformative power of the Gospel in the world today. 

On this Racial Justice Sunday when we celebrate diversity and embrace the richness of human differences, we honour Romero’s legacy and contribution to the ongoing struggle for a more just and inclusive world.  As Pope Francis said in his video in January 2024  

“There is no need to fear the diversity of charisms in the Church.  Rather, living this diversity should make us rejoice!” 

At CAFOD, we are honoured to have Oscar Romero, our friend and partner, as our patron saint.  He continues to inspire our work today. 

Saint Oscar Romero, pray for us! 

25^th March - Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s mane was Mary. He went in and said to her, “Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favour! The Lord is with you.” She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, “Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rile over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. ... “ Mary said. “You see before you the Lord’s servant, let it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her." Luke 1: 26-38.

The existance of the feast cannot be established before the Council of Toledo in 656 when it pointed out the problem of celebrating the Feast the date of which falls during Lent. St. Ildephonsus of Toledo, who died about a dozen or so years after the Council, wrote a Mass for the Annunciation which was to be celebrated on the 18th of December. The Council in Trullo in 692 declared that the Feast could be celebrated on the 25th of March despite it falling in Lent. At about the same time and account in the Liber Pontificalis of Pope Sergius (687-701) gives us the first evidence of this Feast being celebrated in Rome. Its mention at the Council of Toledo is evidence that the feast was being celebrated in Spain but where it began and at what date is uncertain. It is not impossible that the Feast dates back to the fourth century and that it was celebrated at Bethleham at the basilica where the Annunciation was believed to have taken place. If this is the case it leaves unanswered the question why there is no mention of the Annunciation as a liturgical feast until the seventh century.

The importance of what happened on this day, when all creation held its breath awaiting Mary's ready acceptance of the will of God, is reflected in the one major liturgical change that takes place during any Mass celebrated on the 25th of March. During the recitation of the Creed, instead of just bowing when we say, “…by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.”, all kneel down for a moment. The only other time in the Church’s year when this is done is nine months later at the Christmas Masses when we celebrate the actual birth of Jesus.

Almighty and ever living God, who willed that your Word should take on the reality of human flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, that we, who confess our Redeemer to be both God and man, may merit to become partakers even in his divine nature.

See also:

https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01541c.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annunciation

https://www.bartleby.com/210/3/251.html