"This Lent we are again invited to join in renewing our journey as Catholic Christians on the path to holiness.
"Holiness means being like God the Father, who is merciful (Luke 6:36)."Holiness means being lovingly obedient like Jesus. Holiness means to live as one guided by the Holy Spirit.
"St. Francis de Sales teaches that the path to holiness will be different according to one’s state in life. It will be exercised today in different ways by the investment broker, the scientist, the minimum wage worker; by the politician and the teacher; by those widowed, young people, parents of young children and the clergy.
"So, the quest for holiness needs to be adapted to the strength, activities, and duties of each particular person.
"With this in mind, we find Lent offers us three traditional means to draw near to God: prayer, fasting and almsgiving."
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The official position is that abstinence on Fridays is the norm for all Catholics between the ages of 15 and 59 inclusive, but the Bishops Conference here has determined that Catholics in Canada may substitute some other pious exercise or act of charity on all Fridays of the year, with the exception of Good Friday.
Read the rest of Archbishop Terry's Ash Wednesday post at the Blog The Journey of a Bishop:
http://archbishopterry.blogspot.com/2010/02/ash-wednesday-journey-to-easter-renewal.html
