What
is Lent?
The
six weeks (or, to be precise, the forty days) preceding Easter
are called Lent. The term Lent is derived from the Old English lencte,
'spring-time', and is perhaps connected with the word 'lengthening',
as the days get longer. Commencing with Ash Wednesday, the
forty days of Lent are a time of reflection and spiritual
renewal - a spring-time of the soul, as it were. Modelled
on the forty days spent by Jesus in the wilderness, a time
He spent 'fasting forty days and forty nights' (Gospel
according to Saint Matthew, 4.2), it initially served
as a time of preparation for those seeking to be baptised
and thereby to be received into the Christian community.
During
the early centuries of the Christian Church, this solemn
fast was taken very seriously. Commencing with Ash
Wednesday and ending with Holy Saturday (the Saturday
in Holy Week), the early Christians
would restrict themselves to only one meal per day, eaten
in the evening (not unlike the present-day Muslim fast of
Ramadan). Fish, meat, eggs and any milk-products were forbidden.
From the middle ages, fish became a staple diet for Lent,
while meats were still prohibited. Today, Christians often
'give up' special treats, such as for example chocolates,
or 'take on board' special activities, such as daily attendance
at the Eucharist, for the period of Lent.
Lent
is also a time for spiritual renewal. Many Christians seek
to deepen their prayer life during the weeks of Lent, and
will attend a Lenten retreat or Lenten Study Group. In this
parish, we hold an annual spiritual
retreat and regular Lent Study Groups.
For more
information, click the links below:
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