Lent

Origin

Lent is a season of preparation for Easter, modeled on the forty days Jesus fasted in the wilderness before beginning his ministry (Matthew 4). From the church's early centuries it became a time for new believers to make final preparation for baptism at Easter, and for the whole church to turn back to God through repentance, prayer, fasting, and generosity. It begins on Ash Wednesday, when ashes are placed on the forehead with the words, 'Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.'

Historical Background

The forty-day span echoes not only Jesus' fast but Israel's forty years in the wilderness and Moses' forty days on the mountain — a biblical pattern of testing and formation. Over the centuries Lenten practices ranged from strict fasting to giving up particular comforts. The season builds toward Holy Week and the cross, deliberately holding off celebration so that the joy of Easter meets prepared hearts. The Sundays within Lent are not counted as fast days, since every Sunday is a small Easter.

How It's Observed

Many Christians take on a Lenten discipline — giving something up, or adding prayer, Scripture, and acts of mercy. Ash Wednesday opens the season with the imposition of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance. Worship becomes more reflective, celebratory music is often set aside, and the focus turns to self-examination and drawing near to God in readiness for the cross and resurrection.

In Christ

Lent walks deliberately toward the cross, following Jesus from the wilderness to Jerusalem. By voluntarily letting go of comforts, believers share in a small way the path of the One who 'emptied himself' and set his face toward Calvary. The season's restraint is not an end in itself but a clearing of space — so that on Easter the resurrection bursts upon a heart that has first sat with the weight of sin and the cost of love. The ashes point to death; the empty tomb answers it.

Why It Matters Today

In a world of constant consumption and distraction, Lent is a counter-rhythm of restraint and attention. Giving something up exposes how much we lean on lesser comforts and turns the heart back toward God. It is not about earning anything, but about making room — letting hunger become a prayer and preparation deepen joy. What is denied for a season makes the feast taste like grace.

Scriptural Basis

Did You Know

• Sundays are not counted in Lent's forty days — which is why the span from Ash Wednesday to Easter is actually forty-six days on the calendar.
• The ashes of Ash Wednesday are traditionally made by burning the palm branches from the previous year's Palm Sunday.
• The word 'Lent' comes from an old word for 'spring' and 'lengthening' — the season when daylight grows longer.