ALL ABOUT LENT


    The word Lent comes from an Anglo-saxon word that means spring. This season of the church is 1st mentioned in the notes of the Council of Nicaea in the year 325.  Lent is a time of penance that begins on Ash Wednesday.  On this day, people go to church and receive ashes on their forehead as a reminder that “we are made of dust and to dust we shall return.” (The ashes are made from palms that are burned after Palm Sunday.)  Lent ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.  This season of the church lasts for 40 days.  Sundays are not included in this, because the Sunday is always the day of resurrection and cannot be considered a day of penance.  However, our Sunday liturgy in Lent takes on a somber tone as a reminder of the fact that we are in the midst of a penitential season.  That is why we use purple hangings and omit the Alleluias from our worship. 
    In the early church, Easter was the one time of the year for baptisms.  Candidates for baptism (who were all adults), prepared during Lent and used this as a time of learning. Those who were estranged from the church used this time for penance. Eventually the church adopted this as a season for spiritual renew for everyone.  Notice that the Gospel lessons focus on the themes of baptism, new life and redemption. 
  Why do we fast or “give things up” for Lent?  Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness and we try to model his self-denial. When we give up things we like, we have the opportunity to open our hearts to God. Some people take on new things in Lent. When we give to the poor, we live more abundantly.  This season reminds us to love God above every other love.

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