Today, 9th March 2011, the holy period of Lent begins for the Church: forty days of prayer and penance in preparation for the celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection from the Dead of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
During Lent, the Church urges its members to read the Word of God, participate in the Sacraments and attend Spiritual exercises.
Our Bishops have recommended a number of good deeds as a guide for personal sacrifice and almsgiving. Members of the Church may select any which they feel are most suited for the purposes of their sacrifice. These good deeds include participation during daily mass, abstinence from alcoholic beverages, no smoking, and refraining from a particular form of entertainment. Others are the Way of the Cross, time spent in family prayer, such as the recitation of the Rosary, spending less money and donating that money to charity, visiting the sick or the elderly who are alone.
On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, all those persons who are aged between 18-60 years are obliged to fast; this is not valid for serious reasons. Those persons over 14 years of age should abstain from eating meat or any other kind of favourite foods.
While encouraging all forms of penance during Lent, the ecclesiatical authorities wish to remind its members that for the Church, every Friday throughout the year is always considered as a day of penance.