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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