Lent is the season of the church's year that is most associated in the popular mind with abstinence. "What have you given up for Lent?" used to be a popular question.
But as well as giving up, Lent is also a time for taking up, for it is also a time for learning and reflection. Many parishes and theological groups will have special Lenten study programmes to afford opportunities to withdraw for a short time from the busy daily round and reflect on aspects of Christian life.
A variant on this theme, and one which may be more accessible to those who find it difficult to make a commitment to a study course, is the Lenten sermon. Many cathedrals and churches will have Lenten series, which, week by week, challenge those in the pews to think a little more seriously about their faith.
In the coming week there are numerous examples of such activity. Tomorrow in St Catherine's and St Audoen's churches, Dublin, the visiting preacher will be the Rev Michael Harley from the Diocese of Winchester, and at Evensong in St Patrick's Cathedral the Lenten address will be given by the Rev Terence McCaughey on the theme of "A Time to Grow in Our Understanding of the Bible".
On Tuesday evening the Bishop of Down and Dromore, the Right Rev Harold Miller, will preach in Stillorgan on the relevance of the Bible today, while the Archdeacon of Dublin, the Ven Gordon Linney, will speak in Howth on "Issues Facing The Church".
In the Centre for Christian Studies in St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork, on Wednesday the second in a series of talks on "Discipleship" will be given by the Rev David Armstrong , Rector of Carrigaline.
The parish of Rathfarnham and its Roman Catholic neighbour, the church of the Holy Spirit, Ballyroan, are jointly sponsoring a Lenten series on "Scratching the Surface of Irish Society". The first session, in Rathfarnham parish church on Thursday, will be on "Sectarianism and Dialogue" and the speakers will be the director of the Glencree Centre for Reconcilation, Ian White, and the Rev Tom Norris from St Patrick's College, Maynooth.
Today the church's Ministry of Healing will hold a Quiet Day in Kill O'The Grange parish centre, Co Dublin, where the leader will be the Rev Stella Durand, curate of Kiltegan. In Holy Trinity Church, Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh, there will be a Memorial Service of Thanksgiving for the life and ministry of the Ven R.S. Jackson, at which the preacher will be the Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, the Right Rev Michael Mayes.
Tomorrow RTE will broadcast Morning Prayer from St John's Church, Clondalkin, where the rector is the Rev Paul Houston. The Bishop of Cork, the Right Rev Paul Colton, will visit Mitchelstown. In St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, the speaker at the Annual Ecumenical Service for the Gift of Sport will be the Chief Constable of the RUC, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, a former interprovincial rugby player.
In St Ann's Church, Dublin, at 3.30 p.m. the final recital in the Bach Festival 2001 will be given.
On Thursday the Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Robin Eames, will begin a visit to the Diocese of Auckland, as a guest of the Primate of New Zealand, to deliver a series of lectures on Anglicanism.