Lent

Dear Edwardians,
 
As we prepare to begin again the penitential season of Lent on the 22nd with Ash Wednesday we are reminded of what we are preparing for.  The entire season is meant to be a preparation for Easter.  We fast for 40 days in order to fully celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord.  But fasting isn’t the only preparation we make.  The Catechism lists 5 precepts of the Church (CCC 2041-2043): 
 
1.    You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
2.    You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
3.    You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during
       the Easter season.
4.    You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.
5.    You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.
 
That confession ought to be done during Lent in order to prepare to fulfill our “Easter duty” of the annual reception of the Eucharist.