These forty days of Lent, Oh Lord, with you we fast and pray …” The familiar words of the Lenten song proclaim the traditional Lenten customs of special fasting, arms giving and prayers. 

Fasting is about imitating Jesus in the desert as He Himself, in union with His Father, fasted before preaching the Good News of God’s reign. Fasting is about making our prayer real and authentic as we pray out of deep awareness of our dependence on God for our daily bread.

May we cultivate the virtues most necessary on our earthly journey, namely: The Virtue of Temperance, Fortitude and Temperance, Sobriety and abstinence, and lastly Chastity and purity.