Lent is a period of forty days before Easter where believers commit to fasting and repentance. The forty days reflect the period of time Jesus fasted and was tempted in the desert prior to beginning his ministry and provides a penitential pathway to more deeply contemplate Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. It is largely practiced by the Catholic Church in preparation for Easter, but much less so by other Christian denominations. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends on Palm Sunday.
The goal of Lent is to achieve a greater intimacy with God, and not a religious mandate.
The intent of Lenten practices is to recognize ones' need for repentance, draw closer to God, and prepare our hearts for Holy Week and the celebration of Easter.
Selected facts about Lent you may not know:
(1). "Lent" is derived from the Old English word meaning "a lengthening of days" as well as from the Middle English word for "springtime".
(2). Lent was not a formal religious tradition until the First Council of Nicene in AD 325. Not strictly a scripturally based tradition, therefore, but the 3 eminent good works of Lent are: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving.
(3). The ashes used in Ash Wednesday come from burning of palms used on Palm Sunday from the previous year (burned on Shrove Thursday). Palms therefore mark both the beginning and end of Lent. And to ashes we will all return.…
(4). In Biblical times meat was reserved for feasts and celebrations. Christ was crucified on a Friday, hence the "meatless Friday" tradition as well as the importance of fasting.
(5). The liturgical color of the season of Lent is purple. In ancient times purple dye was exceeding valuable: created from the mucus of a rare species of sea snail exposed to sunlight, and 1 oz. dye required 250,000 snails! Purple was therefore considered a color only the wealthiest of royalty could afford.
(6). For Fact-checkers: Lent is actually 46 days and not the 40 days more commonly recorded as a critical time throughout the Bible (see below). In the 6th Century Pope Gregory decided that Sundays should be a time of celebration and not fasting, so since that time Sundays in Lent have been considered "cheat days". Hence the 46 days!
(7). Most intriguing: The incredible importance of the number 40 in the Bible. (146X)
So, these 40 days of Lent carries a significant meaning both in a Biblical sense as well as in our lives today. Liturgical vs. personal. Liturgical: public celebration, prayers, readings. Personal: repentance, preparation, self-examination, transformation, escape from the bondage from sin (particularly our own original sin), growth, and redemption. Lent is not just a time to give up alcohol or chocolate but represents a way to prepare for Holy Week and the joy of Easter. A time to hear the Word, to pray, to dwell more mindfully and spiritually on the sacrifices Christ made for us on the cross, and a time to be reconciled with God and with our neighbor.
In the context of the Threefold Paths, however, the eminent works of Lenten season serve to help us prepare for our own future time in the desert. Prayer, fasting, almsgiving. Although the Desert Path is no longer a personal choice, it is a place we will all eventually be called into by God. Be a ready and willing servant.
Remember the Cry of the Baptist to "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand" and reflect on your own original sin, and as well to heed the Binary Charge of Christ: (1)To love God with all your heart, and all your mind, and all your soul, and (2) do more compassionate acts. Be kind. Lent drives us to do just that.
Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving.… Make the most of these 40 days.