Each year as we gather on Ash Wednesday, we’re reminded that Lent is a time to prepare for Easter and to renew our lives in the good news of Jesus’ paschal mystery. We’re invited to keep “a holy Lent”—and hear the suggestions that to do so, we should make time for “self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving”, and “reading and meditating on the word of God.” All good advice, and for some of us that might come easily. For others, some suggestions about how to enter into that process might be welcome. Here’s a list of some starting places.
Like Watchmen for the Morning
The Anglican Church of Canada is releasing a series of video meditations. Created by the Rev’d. Tay Moss from the Diocese of Toronto, they’re short pieces that we can watch online and stir us to reflection. You might even recognise the voice of one of the narrators for the videos!
Spend Lent with Mark from the Niagara Anglican
If you’ve already read the February issue of the Niagara Anglican, you’ve seen a multi-page spread that suggests a reading from Mark’s gospel with some reflections for each day. It’s a great way to read and meditate on the word of God with some advice! If you don’t still have a copy, you can see the first half in the February issue here; we’ll update this post with a link to the second half when the March issue comes out.
SSJE Video Series – Time, Stop, Pray, Work, Play, Love
The monks of the Society of St. John the Evangelist have created another great video series for each day of Lent. (They’re so creative!) You can see all the videos here or sign up to have a link sent to your email inbox each day.
Lent Madness
What would this list be without Lent Madness? On the lighter side of the Lenten resources, Lent Madness invites people to vote for their favourite saint on each weekday of Lent, starting the Thursday after Ash Wednesday. With biographies of each saint at the website, and the chance to vote—it’s a fun way to enter into the season.
Morning and Evening Prayer for Lent (Word / PDF)
The Anglican Church of Canada has been developing new resources for worship, and these links point us to the Trial Use versions of morning and evening prayer for Lent. For help with how to use these services, just have a chat with Matthew-—he’ll be happy to walk you through them!
Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund Resource
PWRDF has a resource crafted by a neighbour of ours at Nativity–a priest from the Diocese of Niagara, our own the Rev’d Elizabeth Steeves. She’s written a series of reflections to inspire thought and action on issues of food security.