Lent 2019

 Ash Wednesday dependably falls 46 days before Easter. (For additional on why Lent is 40 days in length however Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter, perceive How Is the Date of Ash Wednesday Calculated?) Because it is subject to the date of Easter, and Easter is a moveable devour, the date of Ash Wednesday changes each year, as well.

  Preparations for this season of Lent already began for some. 
Popular custom in the secular world, often capitalize on  Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday as lead ins to the solemnity of the Lenten season. Press alerts greatly diminish after.

  Lent is a time of prayer and fasting, My Lenten Journey is just one way of marking those Lenten activities. See the post on Lent Alternatives , if interested in keeping such a prayer journal.

A Healthier ME for this year and beyond

  You can look on Lent in many different ways. Lent is a time of prayer and penance. What better than to commit yourself to living a healthy life - more exercise each day, a greater concentration on not only the type of food that you eat, but also the portion sizes. The aspects of your mental development and moods are easily handled through prayer which can be part of daily meditation.

 Some preparation time will soon come to an end and the execution begins. What have you decided, if anything for 2016?

When is LENT 2019 Year 'C' of Liturgical Calendar

   Easter is a moveable feast, that is,  Easter changes every year. So when Lent begins and ends is different, as well.

  Lent starts every year on Ash Wednesday. This year 2016, means that Ash Wednesday falls on February 10, 2016.
 One week or seven days from this posting.

 As a liturgical season, Lent ends on Holy Thursday, immediately before the Mass of the Lord's Supper that evening.

 While Lent is a 40-day period of fasting and prayer, there are 46 days from Ash Wednesday up to and including Holy Saturday.

Canon Law, Code of Canons

  The rules for fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church are set part of Code of Canon Law (for the Roman Catholic Church) and in the Code of Canons of Oriental Churches (for the Eastern Catholic Churches).  To a some extent, the rules can be modified by the conference of bishops for each country or for particular rites and hence a lot of confusion may result.

  Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
This is in addition to, what is in Canon Law 1251: Abstinence from meat, or from some other food, is to be observed on all Friday, except if that Friday is a Solemn day in the church.

  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishop site provides these detail on fasting and abstinence (outside the United States, you should check with the bishops' conference for your country):
   - Every person 14 years of age or older must abstain from meat (and items made with meat) on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all the Fridays of Lent.
   - Every person between the age of 18 and 59 (your 59th birthday begins your 60th year) must fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
    - Every person 14 years of age or older must abstain from meat on all other Fridays of the year, unless he or she substitutes some other form of penance for abstinence.

Living Lent (includes a printable PDF version) by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, notes most of the above tenants for Americans, during lent. The Living Lent pamphlet includes a large section on alternative forms of penance and more for Canadians.

Seize the opportunity to once again re-start your past resolutions of change during this time.