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Mending our Hearts: Fasting from Gossip
- On a number of occasions, Pope Francis has declared gossip to be rotten and poisonous. At first, he suggests that it seems to be something enjoyable and fun, like a piece of candy. But at the end, “it fills the heart with bitterness and also poisons us.”
- Gossip not only hurts other people and brings them down it is also contrary to our Christian way of life. As Pope Francis notes: “a loving community, a caring community, a Christian community is a community that is free from gossip.”
- Fasting from gossip requires great attention to our feelings about others. It also requires a careful and disciplined use of language. Lent is the perfect time to “soften our hardened hearts and to silence our sharpened tongues.”
- Praying the Stations of the Cross is an ancient Christian devotion which invites us to meditate on the mystery of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. A history of this devotion is offered in this week’s Art that Surrounds Us: https://www.mary.org/blog/202102/art-surrounds-us-stations-cross#.YDU4dNhKiJA .
- On Fridays of Lent we pray the Stations of the Cross at 5:30pm. You can join us in person or via livestream. Each Friday we will pray a different version of the Stations of the Cross both in terms of the text and the images that are used. If you join us in person a QR code will allow you to see the images. For those at home you will see the image on your screen.
- If you would like to pray the Stations of the Cross at home you can use the weekly recorded livestream or you can find a narrated slideshow of our Scriptural Stations at https://vimeo.com/403088034. These stations were commissioned by The Basilica of Saint Mary from local artist Lucinda Naylor and master printer Steven Anderson to mark the second millennium of Christianity. The art was inspired by Scripture while the meditations by Johan van Parys were inspired by the art.
- During the Season of Lent we give thanks for Jesus’ willingness to die for us on the cross. This act has deep sacrificial meaning and great theological implications for all of us.
- May Jesus’ willingness to give his blood so that we might live inspire us to donate our blood to save the lives of others. This is particularly important during this pandemic, especially for those who have developed antibodies to the virus.
- All blood banks are in need, now more than ever. To donate blood you can contact the Red Cross at www.redcrossblood.org/give or the Memorial Blood Center at www.mbcherohub.club
In our weekly video series "Art That Surrounds Us," Johan van Parys, Ph.D., our Director of Liturgy and Sacred Arts, shares information about a piece from The Basilica of Saint Mary's art collection. This week, Johan discusses the Biblical and historic roots of Stations of the Cross, and their connection to the salvific Passion of Jesus.
We are very blessed to have several sets of Stations of the Cross at The Basilica: the original stations that were carved in Italy and installed in 1926, Scriptural stations by Lucinda Naylor and Steven Anderson, which were commissioned by The Basilica of Saint Mary to mark the second Millennium of Christianity in the year 2000, and a set of traditional stations by Leo Winstead in our Saint Joseph Chapel.
Please join us on the Fridays of Lent for the celebration of the Stations of the Cross at 5:30pm (central time), either join us in person or via livestream. This year we will be praying a different version of the Stations each Friday and will meditate on different art.
Lenten Journey
Week 1
- Our world is filled with constant noise. As individuals and as a society we have become estranged from silence. And yet it was not in the loud thunder but rather in the silent breeze that God was revealed.
- This Lent we might do well to make time for silence in an intentional and prayerful way.
- The kind of silence we pursue is not simply the absence of noise or a suspension of speech. We seek the kind of stillness where the Word of God is revealed, the voice of God is recognized and the love of God is experienced.
- This type of Contemplative Prayer is a perfect companion to our attempt to fast from noise. Centering Prayer is the prayer of silence. In this deep silence, reaching beyond thoughts, words and emotions we open our mind, heart and soul to God.
- For more information on Centering Prayer we invite you to visit:
Charity: Being a Simon of Cyrene for someone
- A simple and silent way to train ourselves in acts of kindness is through the exercise of being a Simon of Cyrene. Like Simon helped to buttress Jesus’ cross we are asked to help others.
- Put the names of your family and/or friends into a bag. Each Sunday in Lent draw a name and keep it a secret. Try to do something kind for that person during the week without letting them know who did it. At the end of the week, you might try to guess who your “Simon of Cyrene” was.
The Catholic Services Appeal Foundation of the Saint Paul and Minneapolis Area provides funding to the 20 collective ministries that no one parish can support on its own. All gifts are restricted gifts to the Designated Ministries. Please join us in supporting those most in need. There are many ways to give to help others.
The Season of Lent
Prepare for a fruitful celebration of the Season of Lent.
Prayer
Lent Schedule: Join us online or in-person during the Season of Lent.
Pray the Stations of the Cross: these stations were commissioned by The Basilica from local artist Lucinda Naylor to mark the second millennium of Christianity. The Meditations were inspired by the art.
Lectio Divina: Lectio Divina invites us into scripture, meditation, prayer, contemplation and action.
Pray the Rosary together either in person or virtually: we have made a virtual Rosary available on our website.
Art
Visit the online Lent and Easter Art Collection
40 Days of Lent
Lent is an Invitation by Johan van Parys, Ph.D.
