March 29, Fifth Sunday of Lent
Readings:
Ezekiel 37:12-14
Romans 8:8-11
John 11:1-45 or
John 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33-45
March 30, Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Readings:
Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62
or Daniel 13:41-62
John 8:1-11
March 31, Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Readings:
Numbers 21:4-9
John 8:21-30
April 1, Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Readings:
Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
John 8:31-42
April 2, Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
St. Francis of Paola, hermit
Readings:
Genesis 17:3-9
John 8:51-59
April 3, Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
First Friday
Readings:
Jeremiah 20:10-13
John 10:31-42
April 4, Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
St. Isidore, bishop and Doctor of the Church
First Saturday
Readings:
Ezekiel 37:21-28
John 11:45-56
The papal intention for March is that the Church in China may persevere in its faithfulness to the Gospel and grow in unity. The papal intention for April is that those suffering from addiction may be helped and accompanied.
Lent, the 40-day penitential period of prayer, fasting and almsgiving for the faithful to prepare spiritually for Easter continues until Good Friday, April 10. Easter this year will be celebrated on Sunday, April 12. All Fridays of Lent are days of total abstinence from meat, a law that binds all Catholics age 14 and older. Good Friday is a day of total abstinence from meat, a law that binds all Catholics age 14 and older. It is also days of fasting, that is, people are limited to one single full meal on that day. The law of fasting binds all Catholics from their 18th year until up to and including their 59th birthday.
St. Francis of Paola (April 2) chose a religious path after his parents introduced him to Franciscan friars at age 12. He shunned a worldly life and for the most part lived as a hermit. He is founder of the Friars Minims, an order whose name means the least of all religious. His simple life emphasized prayer and penance; he even traveled barefoot. He prayed at the bedside of King Louis XI of France and was a friend of his successor, King Charles VIII. Francis is patron of seafarers.
The first anniversary of the appointment of Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory as the seventh archbishop of Washington is April 4. He was installed May 21, 2019.
St. Isidore (April 4) was a 7th century bishop who succeeded his brother St. Leander, as bishop of Seville. He presided over two councils and battled the Arian heresy. Nearing death, he gave away everything he had, confessed his faults to his people, and received Communion. He is a Doctor of the Church, and the patron of computer users.
(Compiled by Richard Szczepanowski, managing editor of the Catholic Standard newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.)
