Lent
Image of grey sky with three crosses in the distance.
As we approach the liturgical season of Lent, we are invited to enter into a journey with Jesus which led to His betrayal, arrest and crucifixion at the hands of the Romans two thousand years ago.
The forty days of Lent recall the forty days and forty nights endured by Jesus in the desert following his baptism and prior to his public ministry, where he was tempted by the devil and ate nothing in that time (Matt 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13).
In the Old Testament, Moses similarly spent forty days and forty nights without food or drink on Mount Sinai before receiving the Ten Commandments from God (Exodus 24:18; 34:28). Elijah travelled to Mount Horeb for forty days and forty nights (1 Kings 19:8) in preparation for his ministry as a great prophet.
Lenten observance in the early Church dates from the 4 th century AD. It was later observed by Roman Catholics as a form of penance in preparation for Easter Day. They followed the three traditional pillars of Lent (prayer, fasting and almsgiving) for forty days in order to bring them closer to God. Nowadays (since 1966) the two major fast days in Lent are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The other Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence from flesh meat.
People often give up something like sweets or chocolate or even social media for Lent, or take up a voluntary activity or service to others instead. They can also sign up for a silent retreat or daily devotions, in order to develop a closer relationship to God in repentance and renewal in readiness for the glorious Resurrection of our Lord. Amen.
