Lenten Opportunities for Adults
Prayer and reflection are ways we can deepen our relationship with God and with others, especially during Lent. Prayer and reflection lead us toward greater union with God and greater solidarity with our neighbor. Throughout this year, we have focused on creating a culture of active discipleship among our Bellarmine community. The season of Lent provides us with a focused opportunity to take a next step in going deeper into prayer, which will take us deeper into acts of love and justice.
The opportunities we have prepared offer experiences in groups focused on how our faith moves us into social mission as well as groups focused on deepening our prayer so that we are open to the mission God will call us into. You will see that as a parish grounded in Ignatian Spirituality, we offer several options in these ways of praying.
Many of the choices below are intended for small groups using Zoom. During these months of prolonged distance, please consider being in one of these groups during Lent so you can enjoy weekly contact and engagement with others in our Bellarmine family. If you are in a Small Faith Community, your group could sign up for an option together.
We invite you to review the event descriptions below and sign up for as many as you'd like!
The opportunities we have prepared offer experiences in groups focused on how our faith moves us into social mission as well as groups focused on deepening our prayer so that we are open to the mission God will call us into. You will see that as a parish grounded in Ignatian Spirituality, we offer several options in these ways of praying.
Many of the choices below are intended for small groups using Zoom. During these months of prolonged distance, please consider being in one of these groups during Lent so you can enjoy weekly contact and engagement with others in our Bellarmine family. If you are in a Small Faith Community, your group could sign up for an option together.
We invite you to review the event descriptions below and sign up for as many as you'd like!
Single-Day Events
Part 2 of Fratelli Tutti: The Invitation to New Forms of Integrity, Faith and Connection with Dr. Gillian Ahlgren
Join us Monday, March 8, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., as Bellarmine Chapel, the Institute for Spirituality and Social Justice, and Resources for Renewal for a Zoom-based presentation and dialogue with Dr. Gillian Ahlgren. Building upon Dr. Ahlgren’s first livestream on Chapters 1 and 2 of Pope Francis's recent encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, this talk will walk us through the remaining chapters, with a focus on integrating the challenges and possibilities of solidarity, our only path toward genuine human flourishing. You can RSVP to receive the Zoom link for this Fratelli Tutti event here.
Active Discipleship Day - March 20, 2021, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join us for the second of our Active Discipleship Days for the entire parish, a family-friendly and pandemic-safe day of contemplation and action! We will gather outside Bellarmine Chapel for a kickoff prayer service, then go out to our service sites for two hours gardening, clean up and more. Next, we return to campus for socially-distanced reflection on our experiences and a boxed lunch. Pandemic safety precautions around masks, temperature checks and social distancing will be taken. More details will be shared in advance of the gathering. A remote option is also available to enable our full community to participate. RSVP to join our Active Discipleship Day! (Rain Date: April 10).
Join us Monday, March 8, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., as Bellarmine Chapel, the Institute for Spirituality and Social Justice, and Resources for Renewal for a Zoom-based presentation and dialogue with Dr. Gillian Ahlgren. Building upon Dr. Ahlgren’s first livestream on Chapters 1 and 2 of Pope Francis's recent encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, this talk will walk us through the remaining chapters, with a focus on integrating the challenges and possibilities of solidarity, our only path toward genuine human flourishing. You can RSVP to receive the Zoom link for this Fratelli Tutti event here.
Active Discipleship Day - March 20, 2021, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join us for the second of our Active Discipleship Days for the entire parish, a family-friendly and pandemic-safe day of contemplation and action! We will gather outside Bellarmine Chapel for a kickoff prayer service, then go out to our service sites for two hours gardening, clean up and more. Next, we return to campus for socially-distanced reflection on our experiences and a boxed lunch. Pandemic safety precautions around masks, temperature checks and social distancing will be taken. More details will be shared in advance of the gathering. A remote option is also available to enable our full community to participate. RSVP to join our Active Discipleship Day! (Rain Date: April 10).
Daily/Weekly Lenten Practices and Reflections
Parish Weekly Lenten Reflection Email
This year, Bellarmine’s daily Lenten email reflection is going to be a weekly reflection with staff members sharing some part of their Lenten journey and parish updates related to the week ahead. Sign up to receive our weekly Lenten reflection.
Daily Lenten Reflection Opportunity - Steadfast: A Call to Love
We encourage you to sign up for Steadfast: A Call to Love, coordinated by the Ignatian Solidarity Network. Join writers from the Jesuit and broader Catholic network as we renew each day throughout Lent our commitment to care for both our fellow human beings and our common home. Featuring writers like Greg Boyle SJ, Jim Martin SJ, and many more. You can sign up for Steadfast here.
Go Meatless for Lent!
The Healthy Earth Team invites you to go meatless for Lent. Did you know that one of the single most effective actions an individual can take to combat climate change is to stop eating meat? Check out this resource from Dr. John Sniegocki of the XU Theology Department on vegetarianism and our faith. And stay tuned for more recipes and restaurant recommendations over the course of Lent! Reach out to Tim Severyn with questions or to get involved.
40 bags in 40 days
In addition to giving up something for Lent, you could purge a bag’s worth of stuff every day or set out the bag every Sunday and collect things for that week as you see them around your house. Find a drop-off location to support St. Vincent de Paul. Rumpke’s expanded list of collections provides some locations to drop off your donations. Furniture can be donated to New Life Furniture Bank and clothing to Matthew 25 Ministries.
This year, Bellarmine’s daily Lenten email reflection is going to be a weekly reflection with staff members sharing some part of their Lenten journey and parish updates related to the week ahead. Sign up to receive our weekly Lenten reflection.
Daily Lenten Reflection Opportunity - Steadfast: A Call to Love
We encourage you to sign up for Steadfast: A Call to Love, coordinated by the Ignatian Solidarity Network. Join writers from the Jesuit and broader Catholic network as we renew each day throughout Lent our commitment to care for both our fellow human beings and our common home. Featuring writers like Greg Boyle SJ, Jim Martin SJ, and many more. You can sign up for Steadfast here.
Go Meatless for Lent!
The Healthy Earth Team invites you to go meatless for Lent. Did you know that one of the single most effective actions an individual can take to combat climate change is to stop eating meat? Check out this resource from Dr. John Sniegocki of the XU Theology Department on vegetarianism and our faith. And stay tuned for more recipes and restaurant recommendations over the course of Lent! Reach out to Tim Severyn with questions or to get involved.
40 bags in 40 days
In addition to giving up something for Lent, you could purge a bag’s worth of stuff every day or set out the bag every Sunday and collect things for that week as you see them around your house. Find a drop-off location to support St. Vincent de Paul. Rumpke’s expanded list of collections provides some locations to drop off your donations. Furniture can be donated to New Life Furniture Bank and clothing to Matthew 25 Ministries.