Lent and Easter: Renewal, Reflection, and Resurrection in Our Ecumenical Catholic Community

The most profound season in our ecumenical calendar, the Lenten period that leads to the celebration of Easter and Jesus Christ’s resurrection gives us the opportunity at Holy Angels to spiritually reflect upon the past year and focus on our renewal as Catholic Christians.

At Holy Angels, an independent and authentic Catholic Church part of the Diocese of California’s Ecumenical Catholic Communion, we embrace and rejoice in our inclusive community during this transformative time of rebirth. We welcome all to our parish in North Tustin, a suburb of Orange County about 35 miles south of Los Angeles, and online via our live-streamed services on Zoom and Facebook, by offering a nurturing space for all who long to embrace Jesus Christ’s boundless, unconditional love.

Our Lenten Traditions
Celebrating the start of the Lenten season officially on Ash Wednesday and culminating 40 days later with Holy Saturday followed by Easter Sunday, we at Holy Angels enter this special time by reflecting on and renewing our own spiritual journey to fully embrace Jesus Christ’s resurrection. In our ecumenical Catholic community, Lent focuses on three aspects to fulfill this growth:

1. Prayer
To deepen our relationship with God, we frequently participate in mass, adoration, meditative prayers, and scriptural readings. Seeking reconciliation through confession is also a way to help strengthen one’s communication with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

2. Fasting
During the Lenten period, fasting—cleansing—is an expression of spiritual awareness and self-control. For example, on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent, we abstain from meat. We also make meaningful, personal sacrifices such as refraining from social media, sweets, or entertainment to focus on Jesus Christ.

3. Acts of love and charity
Lent asks of us to especially help those in need through outreach, shared meals, volunteering, acts of kindness, and donations. Simply offering our time and presence to those who are alone or suffering, for instance, is a great gift in honor of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for us.

Symbols of Lent
Modeled after Jesus Christ’s 40 days in the desert, Lent calls us to grow closer to God by trial, purification, and renewal. At Holy Angels, rich liturgical Lenten symbols of our Catholic faith underscore this significance. Ashes, for one, are a sign of repentance and mortality on Ash Wednesday, while the color purple signifies penance, humility, and preparation. The cross itself is a reminder of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and our call to take up our own crosses, and stations of the cross are specifically a Lenten devotion symbolizing Jesus Christ’s suffering.

When Lent leads into Holy Week, the most sacred time of our church’s year, Holy Angels then commemorates:

~ Palm Sunday, Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem

~ Holy Thursday, The Last Supper

~ Good Friday, the passion and death of Jesus Christ on the cross

~ Holy Saturday, a day of waiting and preparation for the resurrection

~ Easter Sunday, a celebration of Jesus Christ’s victory over death

Enriched with diverse cultural expressions and artistic elements, these services resonate with a wide audience at Holy Angels while staying true to our Catholic themes of sacrifice and redemption.

Our inclusive community celebrates this transformative Lenten time by welcoming all to gather for more prayerful experiences as well as for acts of charity and service within our community and beyond. At Holy Angels, Easter is a vibrant celebration of resurrection and new life, where we come together for joyful worship services, featuring uplifting music and inspiring sermons.

The inclusive community of Holy Angels embraces the Lenten season, culminating with Easter, as a time of profound personal and communal transformation. Our church blends time-honored Catholic rituals with innovative practices that welcome everyone to experience reflection, renewal, and resurrection, creating a collective experience of hope and healing. So, join us at Holy Angels as we walk along the path Jesus Christ indicated and rejoice during this special season in a community that fully embraces you!