Q4_Module_4_The_Call_to_Conversion_and_Purification_(Season_of_Lent).pptx

Season of Lnet

1. The Call to Conversion and Purification (Season of Lent) Q4 Module 4

2. OBJECTIVES

3. The Father’s Dream When we sin, God our Father, waits for us to come back to Him and He will receive us back in His loving embrace. But to be reconciled with Him, we need to turn our back from sin and change our ways. Like the prodigal son, we need to go back to Him, humbly admit our sins, and be willing to make up for them.

4. THE WORLD WE LIVE IN NOW Our world today offers us many enticements that satisfy our longing for power, wealth and popularity. Sometimes, we fall for these enticements and we find ourselves deep into sin. Realizing that we have sinned, what do we do? The poem below tells us what conversion is about from a personal point of view.

5. Jesus Message for Me Acts 3:19-21

6. Jesus Message for Me Staying with Jesus helps us fight against temptation, but once we fall, what should we do? The words of Peter taken from the Acts of the Apostles tell us the right course of action to show that we want to change our sinful ways.

7. Repent and Turn Back to God Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away, and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment and send you the Messiah already appointed for you, Jesus whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration of which God spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from of old. (Acts 3:19-21)

8. The Church Teaches Jesus’ Message Conversion is an invitation from God. It is an invitation we need to positively respond to with eagerness. This is the essence of the church teaching that follows.

9. The Call to Conversion Christ’s call to conversion continues to resound in the lives of Christians. This second conversion is an uninterrupted task for the whole Church who, “clasping sinners to her bosom, (is) at once holy and always in need of purification, (and) follows constantly the path of penance and renewal.” This endeavor of conversion is not just a human work. It is the movement of a “contrite heart,” drawn and moved by grace to respond to the merciful love of God who loved us first.”

10. Jesus Message Exposed

11. Falling into sin is a reality that all of us face In our moments of weakness, we find ourselves giving into temptation and falling into sin. In cases when we realize that we have fallen into sin, we may, like what is stated in the poem, flee from our guilty conscience, but we know that no matter how far we go, our guilt will catch up on us. In the poem, the writer realized that s/he could not run away from his/her conscience forever, so he or she decided to cling to Christ. In the end, s/he realized that when he or she is with Christ, he or she will be at peace.

12. The Process of Conversion While it is true that with Christ we will find peace, we need to go through the process of conversion before we can be reconciled with Christ. The process of conversion involves a change of heart, a turning away from sin, making up for what we have done, and promising to keep away from sin. This process is described in the excerpt from the Acts of Apostles. Those who were listening to Peter’s proclamation about Jesus were moved, thus they asked Him what they are supposed to do. He told them that they have to turn away from sin in order to enjoy the presence of Christ.

13. This call to conversion still echoes today and it becomes more pronounced during the Season of Lent. This is the season that the Church prescribe as the season to observe penance and seriously think about conversion to engage in works of piety and charity and to devote times of prayer and sacrifice through fasting and abstinence in order to share faithfully in the passion and Death of Jesus Christ.

14. The Lenten Season begins with Ash Wednesday. This day is observed by imposition of ash on the forehead as a sign of penance and sorrow. It is desired that such act take place within the Eucharistic celebration. The ritual of imposition of ash has its roots in the Old Testament ritual of pouring ashes all over the body and wearing sackcloth as expression of sorrow for sins against God and neighbors . This act also reminds us of mortality , that is why we are enjoined to repent for our sins even before the time for our reckoning with God comes. Thus the priest or minister at the point of placing the ash on the forehead mentions the words: Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

15. The Pillars of Lent The moment Lent starts, we are enjoined for forty days to engage in fasting, abstinence, and prayers in preparation for the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. These acts are not mere external observances, they are meant to show the faithful’s oneness with the Church in commemorating Jesus’ fulfilment of His mission.

16. The season of Lent culminates in the observance of Holy Week. The Sunday that ushers in the holy week is called Passion or Palm Sunday. This event recalls Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We observe this event by bringing palm branches to the church and by waving them as the priest enters the church to begin the Holy Mass. The priest then says a prayer and begins to bless the palms.

17. The Palm Sunday celebration signals our journey into the most trying moments of Jesus’ life-His Passion and Death. The commemoration of Jesus’ passion begins on Holy Thursday. This day is special because it recalls Jesus’ last supper with His disciples-an event that saw the institution of the Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders.

18. Maundy Thursday Liturgy The occasion is celebrated by the gathering of priests in a Eucharistic celebration presided over the bishop of the diocese. The priest renew their vows during this celebration. In the afternoon, the Eucharist is held together with the faithful. The symbolic act of washing of the feet of the apostles is held during the Mass in commemoration of Jesus’ act of washing of the feet of the apostles. This ritual reminds us of Jesus’ message to all of us, that is, our mission is one of service to the least of our brothers and sisters.

19. We also observe this day by visiting churches in order to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. We call this practice Visita Iglesia .

20. Our oneness with the Passion and Death of Jesus reaches its culmination on Good Friday. No Mass is celebrated on this day but there is the so called Veneration of the Cross. The Cross is venerated because it is a sign that Jesus has conquered sin and death. On this day, we are enjoined to go on a fast and to go to Confession to show sorrow for our sins, the resolve to change our ways, and the desire to be reconciled with God.

21. There are rituals that accompany the commemoration of Lent. Our faithful observance of these rituals signify our sorrow for our sins. We undertake them because we believe that they will express our commitment to tread the path of conversion and renewal. More than the practice of having our foreheads marked with ashes, the waving of palms, and the Visita Iglesia , a meaningful celebration of Lent entails devoting time for prayer, performing works of piety and charity, and self-denial through fasting and abstinence.

22. These three acts that we observe during Lent are not mere actions because they pertain to our relationship with God, with our neighbor and with our self. Praying is relating with God. The more we pray, the more we nurture and deepen our relationship with God. Works of charity speak of our care and love for our neighbor while fasting and abstinence show our sincere effort at purification through acts of sacrifice. It entails penance and renewal which we cannot attain simply through our own human effort. It is only by gift of God’s grace that we can truly and meaningfully go through sincere penance for our sins and renewal of our life in Christ.