Lent Now and Before

What is LENT?

Have you ever wondered what people are talking about when they say they’re giving something up for Lent?

Lent is the 40 days (not including Sundays, so typically 46 days) from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Easter. Lent is a time of preparation and an opportunity to go deeper with God. a time for personal reflection that prepares people’s hearts and minds AS Good Friday and Easter arrive.

What Are the Key Days During Lent?

Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Tuesday is the day immediately preceding Lent, often a time to eat rich foods (fats, eggs, dairy). Also for confession (being “shriven”) before the Lent season.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. A solemn day when you may see people with a smudged, black cross on their foreheads from the ashes of the Ash Wednesday service. The ashes symbolize mortality (“Dust you are, and to dust you shall return”), repentance and our grief for the things we’ve done wrong.

Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week, commemorates Jesus’ ‘triumphal entry’ into Jerusalem where he was greeted with crowds waving palm branches and crying ‘Hosanna!. Ironically, these same voices that greet Jesus as Messiah and King will be the same voices that shout ‘Crucify him!’ just a few short days later on Good Friday. Traditionally, palm branches or palm crosses are given out on Palm Sunday as a tangible sign of Jesus’ ‘triumphal entry’ into Jerusalem.

Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, commemorates the Last Supper, when He washed his disciples’ feet, giving them the “New Commandment” (Mandatum) to love one another.

Good Friday is the day Christians remember Jesus’ death. The “Good” reflects how Jesus’ death was a sacrifice on our behalf so we can receive God’s forgiveness for our wrongs.

Holy Saturday Recalls the vigil, the ‘keeping watch’ at the tomb of Jesus. This is the day on which Lent traditionally ends. It marks the final day of Jesus’ death, which he spent resting in his tomb.

Easter Sunday is the joyful celebration of Jesus rising from the dead to give us the opportunity of eternal life. While people still die, Jesus made the way for people to have a relationship with God in this life and to spend eternity with Him in heaven.

What Happens During Lent and Why?

The three main things people focus on during Lent are prayer, fasting (abstaining from something to reduce distractions to focus more on God) and giving, or charity.

Prayer during Lent focuses on our need for God’s forgiveness. It’s also about repenting (turning away from our sins) and receiving God’s mercy and love.

Fasting, or giving something up, is a very common practice during Lent. The idea is that giving up something that’s a regular part of life, like eating dessert or scrolling through Facebook, can be a reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice. That time can also be replaced with more time connecting with God.

Giving money or doing something good for others is a way to respond to God’s grace, generosity, and love. For example, some people spend time volunteering or donate the money they would normally use to buy something, like their morning coffee.

Jesus sacrificed Himself on Good Friday to bear the punishment for all our wrongdoings and offer us forgiveness. He was raised from the dead on Easter Sunday to give us an opportunity to have a relationship with God for eternity.