Page 17 - The Portal magazine - March 2025
P. 17

THE P    RTAL                              March 2025                                     Page 17

        Fr Michael Halsall writes:


        Pre-Lent





             NE OF the distinctive features of our Ordinariate liturgy is that we restored the
        Oseason of Septuagesima, or pre-Lent: a short liturgical season which was dropped
        during the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. Septuagesima
        is the name given to the three consecutive Sundays preceding Ash Wednesday.

          It is named after the first of these - Septuagesima  we need Him (1 Corinthians 3:9). If this forthcoming
        Sunday - which occurs roughly seventy days before  Lent is to be different and more fruitful than previous
        Easter (septuagesima is Latin for “seventieth”).  ones, then consider the following: firstly, begin Lent by
        Sexagesima (“sixtieth”) Sunday comes next, followed  making a sacramental confession, giving proper place
        by Quinquagesima (“fiftieth”) Sunday on the Sunday  to the idea of Shrove Tuesday (not ‘Pancake Tuesday’).
        before Ash Wednesday. These named Sundays  The name Shrove comes from an Old English word
        prevailed in the various revisions of the Church of  shriven, meaning absolved of sins, reflecting the time
        England’s Book of Common Prayer  and serves as  a  of confession and repentance during Lent. Secondly,
        link with its rich and distinctively English liturgical  choose a Lenten penance which has value to the body,
        heritage.                                             mind, and soul. Our patron – St John Henry Newman
                                                              – is helpful here:
          In order to effect a gradual transition between the joy   “fasting is only one branch of a large and
        of Christmastide and Epiphanytide, and the stringency   momentous duty, the subdual of ourselves to
        of Lent, the season of Pre-Lent takes on some of the   Christ. We must surrender to Him all we have,
        sobriety of the latter, but without its harshness. During   all we are. We must keep nothing back. We must
        the Mass in this short season the Gloria in excelsis   present to Him as captive prisoners with whom
        Deo is omitted, and the Alleluia is replaced with a    He may do what He will, our soul and body,
        Tract: a Scripture sequence, focusing on the Sunday’s   our reason, our judgement, our affections, our
        theme.  Some  Catholic  communities  which  are  still   imagination, our tastes, our appetite”.
        allowed sole use of the 1962 Latin Missal carry out                           (Sermon 5. Surrender to God.
        a liturgical rite of burying a plaque or written image              First Sunday in Lent, 12th March 1848)
        of the Alleluia, marking its absence until the glorious
        Easter vigil. Purple or violet is the liturgical colour of   The Church dispenses the discipline of fasting for
        the vestments.                                        those who are over 60 years of age: so what are we
                                                              to do instead, but take on a task leading us to the
          Pre-Lent serves as a ‘warming up’ period to ‘Lent  surrendering of our lives to Christ. We could take up
        proper’, rather like an athlete warming up for an  a daily discipline, such as praying a complete mystery
        event, or allowing a car to warm up and circulate the  of the Rosary, giving it time and reflection. We could
        oil around the engine prior to driving off. Many of us  follow  the  readings  in  the  Divine  Worship:  Daily
        quickly fail in our chosen Lenten observance because  Office, morning and evening, if the full Office is too
        we do not give it proper consideration beforehand, and  much. Cancelling social appointments during Holy
        it comes as an unrealistic challenge as Ash Wednesday  Week, and going to mass daily would be a special way
        arrives. Now would be a good time to consider what  of entering into the drama of the Passion, so making
        the Lord is asking you to do during the forthcoming  our celebration of Easter more profound and complete.
        holy season of grace, as our small efforts are joined  Either way, spend some time in the next few days in
        with the many graces that we gain along the way.      prayer, discerning what it is that is best for you during
                                                              this holy season.
          Very few of us can keep our Lenten fast or chosen task
        whilst ‘going it alone’. On no fewer than eleven times in   Wishing you all a blessed and holy Lent.
        the New Testament St Paul uses the language of ‘fellow        Fr Michael Halsall is the Episcopal Vicar
        worker’ in Christ, regarding those who assisted him
        in his calling as an Apostle. Similarly, and perhaps      for Vocations & Formation, lecturer at Allen
        more importantly, St Paul identifies each of us as God’s              Hall Seminary, and Group Pastor
        ‘fellow workers’, in that we co-operate with God’s work                         He may be contacted at
        in living and proclaiming the Gospel: He needs us and               michael.halsall@ordinariate.org.uk
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