Ash Wednesday is less than a week away--2/22/12. We spoke last Sunday in the Quonset Hut about what was required of us as Men of Purpose in observance of Lent. Should we sacrifice something or commit to doing something? Here's what the MOP Handbook has to say about it (page 17).
There are certain Days of Special Devotion (the "DSD") in our liturgical year. On these days, "special acts of discipline and self-denial" are required. The Handbook does not specify what these acts are to be, so I contend that each man must prayerfully discern for himself (perhaps with the help of his accountability partners) what these acts should be him.
I was surprised to note that the DSD are neither limited to the Lenten Season nor required each day therein. Here is the actual breakdown of the DSD:
1. Ash Wednesday (no surprise there)
2. Every weekday during Lent (so weekends are not included)
3. Good Friday and all Fridays (to commemorate the Lord's crucifixion), except:
a) Fridays during the Easter Season
b) Fridays during the Christmas Season
c) Fridays that occur on a day of a Feast of our Lord, which are:
1) The Presentation
2) The Annunciation
3) The Visitation
4) Saint John the Baptist
5) The Transfiguration, and
6) Holy Cross Day
BOTTOM LINE: The Handbook calls us to Days of Special Devotion during which we are to practice special acts of discipline and self-denial. While the Handbook specifies those Special Days, it does not specify the Special Acts. Thus, we MOP can look to the Liturgical Calendar to know The When, but we must search our hearts to know The What.
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