Season of Lent
What Is Lent?
Lent is 40 days long and is the six-week season that leads up to Easter. The Lenten season is one of the most significant times of the year for many Christians around the world, held at a comparable level of meaning to Advent, the arrival of Christmas.
While Advent is a time of rejoiceful anticipation, Lent is commonly regarded as a period of sober observance. The Lenten season is a preparation for commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Ash Wednesday starts Lent with a day of remembering our humanity, the reality of death, and the need for repentance. Churches symbolize this by putting ashes on foreheads, often in the shape of a cross, and reciting "ashes to ashes dust to dust."
From its start date on Ash Wednesday to its conclusion on Easter Sunday, Lent has been a customary time for fasting, giving something up, or abstinence. Just as we thoughtfully prepare for events in our individual lives, such as weddings or birthdays, participating in Lent invites us to prepare our minds and hearts for glorifying Jesus’ life, death, and bodily resurrection.
Lent's Meaning and Purpose
Lent is meant to be a time of repentance. A humble understanding of knowing that we are all born with the curse of sin and that repentance is required. The purpose of Lent is to fully recognize our brokenness as humans and the need for a Savior. The time period of Lent allows us to reflect and open our hearts to Jesus.
The main observation of Lent, fasting, is done to clear distractions and focus on Christ. Giving up something and replacing it with prayer and worship gives way to a deeper relationship with God.
"A more profound and closer communion with God is the reward of sacrifice and devotion. His love and one’s salvation are not reliant on denying oneself chocolate or beer, but idolatry stands in
the way of worshiping the one true God. These 40 days are set aside to praise and worship the Lord; to read the Bible more, and to pray more often. Christians who observe Lent correctly anticipate deeper intimacy with the Lord, which is the blessing; they do not expect rewards such as more favorable answers to prayer or the resolution of health concerns, although many Christians have reported that, following Lent, they experience freedom from long-standing issues." ~ Excerpt from the Meaning and Purpose of Lent by Candice Lucey
i i Chritianity.com Editorial Staff. Jan. 29, 2024, What is Lent? A Guide to Observing the 2024 Season. Christianity.com. 2/1/2024. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/what-is-lent-meaning-history-tradition-