Day of fasting and abstinence —Then I turned my face to God, with prayers and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.—Daniel 9:3

Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool… One who was there had been an invalid for thirty- eight years…Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. —John 5:2, 5, 8-9

Day of abstinence — Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord,
how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” —Matthew 18:21-22

All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.—Luke 18:14

“Let no one mourn because they have fallen again and again: for forgiveness has risen from the grave!” —St. John Chrysostom

Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but the one who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” —John 7:28-29

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:7-8

“The most important [commandment],” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: our God is one. Love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” —Mark 12:29-31

“Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” —Acts 4:11-12

Day of abstinence — “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. God will honor the one who serves me.” —John 12:25-26

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. —Psalm 51:1-2

“The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.” —Pope Francis

Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?… God understands the way to it and alone knows where it dwells, for God views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. —Job 28:20, 23-24

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.” —Luke 12:22-23

“The one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” —Luke 6:49

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” —Ezekiel 36:26

Day of abstinence — “But you are not to be called ‘Teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers… The greatest among you will be your servant.” —Matthew 23:8, 11

For God is our judge, God is our lawgiver, God is our king; it is God who will save us. —Isaiah 33:22

“To do penance is to bewail the evil we have done, and to do no evil to bewail.” —Pope St. Gregory the Great

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” —John 18:37

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” —Matthew 5:6-7

Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. —Psalm 27:9

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. —Hebrews 13:15-16

Day of abstinence — “God, my God, I humbly adore thee… Thou art the Liberator of those who believe. Thou art the Hope of those who toil. Thou art the Comforter of those in sorrow.” —St. Patrick

See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what Jesus promised us— even eternal life. —1 John 2:24-25

“Let us understand that God is a physician, and that suffering is a medicine for salvation, not a punishment for damnation.” —St. Augustine

“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” —Isaiah 44:22

Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” —Mark 8:27-29

“You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” —John 15:3-4

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. —James 1:23-24

Day of abstinence — All the ways of our God are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of the covenant. For the sake of your name, my God, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. —Psalm 25:10-11

For Christ must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
—1 Corinthians 15:25-26

“Think well. Speak well. Do well. These three things, through the mercy of God, will make a person go to Heaven.” —St. Camillus de Lellis

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. —Mark 10:14-16

So then, dear friends… make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with God. Bear in mind that God’s patience means salvation… —2 Peter 3:14-15

You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. —Isaiah 25:4

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” —Matthew 25:40

Day of abstinence — “Behold, the fear of God is wisdom; and avoiding evil is understanding.” —Job 28:28

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that… But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High.” —Luke 6:32-33, 35

“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.” —Pope St. John Paul II

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” —John 12:46

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” —John 12:23-24

“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” —Luke 21:36

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” —Luke 22:19-20

Day of fasting and abstinence: About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. —Matthew 27:45- 46, 50

But your dead will live, O God; their bodies will rise— let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy—your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. —Isaiah 26:19

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” —John 11:25-26