Each year during Lent, I think it is helpful to review some of our Catholic terminology as we hear words and phrases during this season that may still be new for some people.

Fast – doing with less…less food, less negative words, less complaining, less material things; to eliminate something from my daily routine in order to make more room for God in my life. It is helpful to think of something that you want to keep doing without even after Easter.

Abstinence – to do without meat for the day; for some this may mean abstaining from something else as a sacrifice. (Required every Friday of Lent; some choose year round)

Elect – those who have been studying the Scriptures and Church Teachings for a year and who were ‘elected’ by the parish and bishop on the first Sunday of Lent to enter the final part (Period of Purification) of preparation for the Easter sacraments to be received at the Easter Vigil.

Candidate – a person who is already baptized as a Christian in another denomination and is now seeking full communion with the Catholic faith through the sacraments of confirmation and Eucharist.

Scrutiny – a rite celebrated on the third, fourth and fifth Sundays of Lent, with the Elect asking the parish to pray for them in their conversion to Jesus Christ.

Triduum – the three high holy days, beginning with Mass on Holy Thursday night and ending with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday (based on the Jewish calendar, sunset on Thursday through sunset on Sunday makes up three days). The Easter Vigil (Saturday night Mass for Easter) is the climax of both the Triduum and the whole Church Year.

You may want to keep this short vocabulary list handy during Lent, using it as a discussion guide for dinner conversations with a friend, spouse, and/or your children. Maybe have the children create ‘flash cards’ for a family game with these and other Catholic words.

Blessings for a Spirit-filled Lent, Fr. Jim Deiters

P.S. I will be on a silent retreat this week, February 20 - 27. Let us pray for each other for the Holy Spirit to renew us in God’s Love.