Lent, a Time for Renewal
A Lenten Meditation by Dr. Alina Voicu, St. Francis Music Director 
The season of Lent is a clearing season. It is a time of spiritual growth and renewal when all of us have a special opportunity to reflect on our life and purpose, pray for God's divine mercy, and grow in faith and devotion. The journey begins in ashes, and it takes us through suffering and death, but it always leads to the amazing victory of Easter - the victory of resurrection and eternal life.
At St. Francis, the music of Lent, in its simplicity, is a reflection of the renewal journey that we take on as a faith community. It focuses on God as the foundation and center of our lives and aims to support the powerful liturgical themes of the season. From traditional Lenten selections such as Forty days and forty nights, When I survey the wondrous cross, and O sacred head, sore wounded to sung prayers such as The Prayer of Saint Francis to special anthems such as The Cross, We are the hands of Christ, You are the Lord of me, and You are mine, the music of Lent incorporates both the joyful and more austere elements of the season, giving us an opportunity to explore and reflect on the meaning of our faith and the personal responsibility that comes with living it out through our deeds and service to others.
While Lent is many times associated with repentance, prayer, fasting, and self-denial, joy and renewal by Word, sacrament, and service to others are at least as important, if not more. The music of Lent, even when somber, provides a wonderful opportunity for renewal, and it can be a unique tool for exploring spirituality, faith, and closeness to God. So, as we begin our 2010 Lenten journey and prepare ourselves for the Paschal feast, let us make Lent truly matter. Let us detach from worldly things, be simple and kind, pray and sing fervently for us and for others, and cultivate virtue and compassion in everything we do.
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Please read below for notes from Father Neil on Lent at St. Francis.Lent at St. Francis
The word "Lent" comes from an old English word that means "lengthen," which refers to the lengthening of daylight as we move toward Easter. So, you might say that along with nature we are symbolically moving through spiritual darkness into the light of the Resurrection.
In the spirit of the season, we will also have Wednesday evening Lenten Suppers and program. Please see the church calendar for more details.
In addition to the marvelous music planned for Lent, we will change to a more penitential tone in our worship, taking an inner inventory of our lives, our consciences, our beliefs, and our behaviors, praying that God expand our vision and our hearts.
We set the tone of the season by changing the color of the altar hangings to purple, placing a veil on the cross in the worship space, and the absence of flowers on the altar.
We will be changing to the Holy Eucharist Rite One, with its more traditional language (thee, thy, thou), poetic rhythms, and penitential vocabulary ("We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness...").
We open the season on Ash Wednesday with the Liturgy of Ash Wednesday and the Imposition of Ashes, with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist. On the First Sunday in Lent, we will begin by chanting The Great Litany, to pray for God's forgiveness, deliverance, protection, guidance and blessing, followed by the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. During Holy Week (the last week of Lent), we will liturgically relive the drama of the last days of Christ's life, beginning with his entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the events surrounding the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday. An Easter Vigil will be held in the evening on Holy Saturday. 
For a schedule of the Lenten Programs and Suppers on Wednesday, please visit Adult Programs under the Christian Education menu of this web site.
Schedule for Holy Week
7PM Wednesday Praying the Rosary and Healing Service
7PM Maundy Thursday Holy Eucharist and Stripping of the Altar
7PM Good Friday Liturgy of Good Friday
7PM Holy Saturday Easter Vigil
Easter Sunday Schedule 8:30AM - Celebration of Holy Eucharist 10:45AM - Celebration of Holy Eucharist Following the Service, Easter Egg Hunt and Covered Dish Luncheon.