“The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting.”
— The Book of Common Prayer, 1979,
pp. 264-265).
Tenebrae: Thursdays, March 15, 22, 29 at 6 p.m.
In three weekly sessions, we will explore the service of Tenebrae that opens our observance of the three holy days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Vigil of Easter. Tenebrae is the Latin word for “darkness” or “shadows.” Deacon Sam Tallman will be the facilitator.
Lenten Quiet Day: Saturday, March 24, 10am-2pm
Please join us for a day of silence and prayer at Ascension’s annual Lenten Quiet Day, led by Father Jim Burns, the recently retired Rector of the Church of the Heavenly Rest and adjunct faculty member at General Theological Seminary. In exploring the theme “Opening to God,” this year’s retreat will include three prayerful meditations followed by periods of quiet reflection. Lunch will also be provided in silence. A suggested donation of $10 is requested to cover the cost of lunch. RSVP to Ethan Mandel.
Monday Night Bible Study: Review and discuss the Gospel readings for the coming Sunday. The group is open to everyone and you need not have been to the previous meetings in order to participate. Please join us from 7pm to 8pm in the Parish Hall. Contact Ethan Mandel or Mother Shelley for more information.
The Ascension Lenten Devotional
A tradition at Ascension for nearly two decades, the “Lenten Devotional” invites parishioners, visitors, friends and family in sharing our daily prayer life together through reading and reflecting on the Scriptures of Lent. You can download the entire 2012 Lenten Devotional written by Ascension parishioners (and a few notable Christian writers from the past) as a PDF document for use in your own daily devotions through the 40 days of Lent. Hard copies are available at the Church of the Ascension. Or you can check here on the web site for that day’s meditation, Monday through Saturday. (The forty days of Lent don’t include the feasts of Sunday Eucharist, if you wondered how that math works between Ash Wednesday and Easter.)
Click to read the 2012 Ascension Lenten Devotional as a PDF. (Right-click to save the file to your hard drive.)
The Spiritual Development Committee would like to thank those who volunteered their time to write a passage for this booklet. May the reflections presented here help guide you through a prayerful and holy Lent.
