Chapter 11

Season of Lent

40 Days of Preparation

Our 40-day Lenten journey is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving to prepare ourselves to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord more fully.

This holy season begins with Ash Wednesday, which falls on March 5, and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday, April 17.

Throughout Lent, we are called to deepen our relationship with God through prayer and with our neighbor through charity, evidenced by almsgiving and mercy. Through these corporal and spiritual practices, the entire Church joins in solidarity with the catechumens who are preparing to renounce Satan and embrace Christ when they receive the Easter sacraments.

Lent is a reminder of our own baptism, when we died to sin and rose to new life in Christ. The ashes we receive in the sign of a cross on Ash Wednesday are made from burning last year’s palm branches. The connection between the cross and the Resurrection symbolizes that our self-denial leads us to Easter joy.

Prayer

The chief activity of Lent is a renewal of our daily practice of prayer in anticipation of the celebration of Easter and, ultimately, when we are called home to the Lord. If one’s calendar permits, attending daily Mass, Stations of the Cross, and Scripture study can lead to an inner conversion of our hearts to Christ’s. There are many online prayer resources; for example, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website offers the daily Mass readings in print and in a podcast at bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading.

Fasting and Abstinence

Members of the Latin Catholic Church (as opposed to Eastern Catholics, who have their own Lenten observances), from age 18 until age 59, are obligated to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. They are permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The obligation to fast is dispensed, however, for those that are ill or pregnant.

From age 14 onwards, members of the Latin Catholic Church must refrain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Fridays during Lent.

Fasting and abstinence are not just about eating less, but are a way that we share in the suffering of Christ through self-denial. The Lenten season is a time when we focus on becoming more Christ-like and give up something that might keep us from a closer relationship with Christ. For that reason, many go beyond fasting and abstinence and also add a voluntary sacrifice or two.

Almsgiving

Giving alms draws us out of a focus on ourselves, so that we will reach out to our neighbor in generous, selfless charity. We should not be limited to monetary gifts, but to share our lives in service and corporal works of mercy. Ask your parish, a crisis pregnancy center, or an agency like Catholic Charities what volunteer opportunities are available.

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Ash Wednesday teaches human fragility, Gospel hope

The journey of Lent “unfolds amid the remembrance of our fragility and the hope that, at the end of the road, the Risen Lord is waiting for us,” Pope Francis wrote in his homily for Ash Wednesday.
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2025 Daily Lent Calendar

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“We are invited to lift our eyes to the One who rises from the depths of death and brings us from the ashes of sin and death to the glory of eternal life.”

- Pope Francis

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About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pulido’s coat of arms is divided into four quarters with wavy horizontal lines from top to bottom. The blue and white lines represent the Blessed Virgin Mary. They also suggest water, which alludes to Jesus washing the feet of His disciples and to the waters of baptism. The red and gold lines represent the Holy Spirit and fire. The colors also can be seen as referring to the Blood that (along with water) poured from Jesus’ side at His crucifixion, as well as to the bread (gold) and wine (red) transformed into the Eucharist. At the center is a roundel featuring a symbolic representation of the “mandatum” (washing of the feet), which he believes exemplifies service to all humanity. The roundel’s outer edge is a line composed of small humps; it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Yakima, where Bishop Pulido served as a priest before being named a bishop.

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pham’s coat of arms depicts a red boat on a blue ocean, which is crisscrossed by diagonal lines suggesting a fisherman’s net. This symbolizes his ministry as a “fisher of men,” as well as how his own father had been a fisherman. The boat is also a symbol of the Church, which is often referred to as the “barque of Peter.” At the center of the sail is a red beehive (a symbol of the bishop’s baptismal patron saint, St. John Chrysostom, who was known as a “honey-tongued” preacher). The beehive is surrounded by two green palm branches (an ancient symbol of martyrdom; the bishop’s ancestors were among Vietnam’s first martyrs). The eight red tongues of fire around the boat are a symbol of the Holy Spirit and a representation of the diversity of ethnic and cultural communities. The red of the boat, the beehive and the tongues of fire allude to the blood of the martyrs.

About the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms combines symbols that reflect Bishop Bejarano’s spiritual life and priestly ministry. The main part of the shield shows four wavy vertical lines on a gold background. These represent flowing waters. This alludes to his chosen motto and also symbolizes the graces that come from the Divine life to quench our thirst for God. The upper third of the shield is red because it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Order of Mercy, of which the Bishop’s patron saint, Raymond Nonnatus, was a member. The central symbol resembles a monstrance because St. Raymond is often depicted holding one. The Eucharist is Bishop Bejarano’s inspiration for his vocation. It was through the Eucharist that he received his call to the priesthood at age seven and which keeps his faith and his ministry going. It represents the call to offer oneself as a living sacrifice. The monstrance is flanked on either side by an image of the Sacred Heart, alluding to the mercy of God and echoing the idea of a sacrificial offering of oneself united to the sacrifice of Christ, and of a rose for Our Lady. It is an allusion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, and highlights the bishop’s Hispanic heritage.

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