To properly celebrate this great season in the church we should be aware of its Regulations. The penitential and grace-filled Lenten Season begins with Ash Wednesday on March 2, 2022. It is a time of hope-filled renewal as the Church journeys towards Easter. In order to assist the faithful of the Diocese of Brooklyn, our Bishop, the Most Reverend Robert John Brennan, wishes to draw attention to the following: 

Abstinence:

All the faithful who have reached 14 years of age are required to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent. 

Fasting: 

All the faithful between the ages of 18 and 59 inclusive are bound to fast on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday. Fasting means limiting oneself to one full meal and avoiding food between meals. Light sustenance may be taken on two other occasions during the day. 

Easter Duty: 

After they have been fully initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, all the faithful are bound to receive Holy Communion at least once a year. This precept must be fulfilled in the Easter Season unless, for a good reason, it is fulfilled at another time. 

By special permission, in the USA, the period for fulfilling this precept is extended to include the period from the 1^st Sunday of Lent (March 2, 2022) until Pentecost (June 5, 2022). 

Also to be noted: 

The “Alleluia” is not sung or said from the beginning of Lent until the Easter Vigil. Musical instruments are to be used during Lent and the Paschal Triduum only to give necessary support to the singing. The Church should not be decorated with flowers during Lent. 

Funeral Masses are not permitted during the Paschal Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday). 

The obligation to observe, as a whole or substantially, the penitential days specified by the Church is a serious one. Days of penance are not merely individual exercises but rather ones observed by the whole Church as the Body of Christ. The faithful are urged to celebrate the sacraments of the Eucharist and Penances frequently during Lent as well as reading the Word of God, praying the Stations of the Cross, praying before the Blessed Sacrament and performing acts of charity especially to the poor. 

May this time of Lent unite us all more closely to the Lord in His death and His Resurrection!