The Prayer of St Ephrem for Lent

O Lord, Master of my life, preserve me from the spirit of sloth and distraction and the spirit of envy and vain speaking. 

Grant instead to me your servant the spirit of purity and humility

and the spirit of patience and love. 

O Lord and King, give me grace to know my own sins and not to think evil of my brothers and sisters for you are blessed for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Origins of Lent

Originally the period of fasting before the great Easter feast was reserved for those candidates for baptism – the final leg of their long preparation for Christian initiation at the Easter liturgy.  Before long, though, it was deemed an appropriate discipline for all Christians to enter more deeply into the Lord’s suffering.  The forty days mirrors those spent by Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by the devil.  They have been variously calculated, but essentially they are from Ash Wednesday until Holy Saturday, excepting the Sundays (every Sunday is a memorial of the resurrection).  The meaning of the word “lent” has associations with spring, so it is a time of growth, fresh birth and renewal.

Opportunities this Lent

Attend the devotion Stations of the Cross Wednesdays 7.30pm in March.

Attend a morning or evening prayer (Monday-Thursday 9.20am/5.20pm; Friday 8.30am/4.30pm, Saturday 9.20am).

Attend a midweek eucharist (Tuesdays 7pm, Wednesdays 10am).

Try out the Pilgrim Course – Contact Jo pilgrim@paghamchurch.org.

Join an ecumenical Lent group.

Read a spiritual book, such as The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book “In God‘s Hands” by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Make your confession or seek spiritual direction with one of the clergy.

Do the Christian Aid “Count Your Blessings” daily challenge.

Consider fasting for a day and giving money saved to a charity.

My Lent

I, …………………………………………………………

undertake these Lenten resolutions to grow in faith and devotion to our Lord:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

…..……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Ash Wednesday – 18th February

10am  Holy Communion with Imposition of Ashes

4pm  The Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes

8pm  Sung Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes

Other Dates this Lent

Friday 6th March 3pm – Women’s World Day of Prayer service at Bognor Methodist Church

Saturday 7th March 7pm – Chichester Voices’ performance of Bach’s B-Minor Mass

Sunday 8th March 5pm – Choral Evensong

Sunday 15th March 9.45am – Mothering Sunday Family Eucharist

Thursday 26th March 12-2pm – Christian Aid Super Soup Lunch at the Vicarage

Holy Week

Palm Sunday – 29th March

8am  Holy Communion

9.45am  Parish Eucharist with blessing of palms, procession & dramatic reading of the Passion

5pm  Taizé

Monday

8.30pm  Compline

Tuesday

10.30am  Chrism Eucharist at the Cathedral

7pm  Seder (Passover) meal concluding with The Eucharist

Wednesday

10am  Holy Communion

7.30pm  Stations of the Cross

Maundy Thursday

8pm  The Eucharist with foot-washing, followed by the Watch of the      Passion overnight

Good Friday

10.30am  Ecumenical Walk of Witness

12pm  Children’s Way of the Cross

2.30pm  The Liturgy of Good Friday, including veneration of the cross  & dramatic reading of the Passion

Easter Day – 5th April

5.30am  Easter Vigil & Dawn Eucharist, followed by

champagne breakfast

8am  Holy Communion

9.45am  Family Eucharist

5pm  Evening Prayer with hymns

Eastertide

Saturday 11th April

Day Pilgrimage to Winchester

Sundays 12th, 19th, 26th April

Time & Talents Appeal

Sunday 10th May

Rogation Sunday, followed by Beating the Bounds

Thursday 14th May

Ascension Day

Sunday 17th May

Youth Songs of Praise

Sunday 24th May

Pentecost