Lent: An Overview

What is Lent?

Perhaps the best way to describe Lent is to start with what it is not - it is not the season before Easter when one gives up one's favorite food or activity to become more Christian!  While fasting and self-denial are part of traditional Lenten practices, if all one does is give up dessert and going bowling one is not observing Lent!  Lent is also not a gloomy time, a sad time, or a depressing time.  So now that we know what it is not, what is it?

Lent is the forty-day period of repentance and renewal preceding Easter.  By observing Lent you become ready for Easter and are better prepared to understand its meaning. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at Easter.  The last week of Lent is called Holy Week - it commemorates Jesus' last week of life on earth and, ultimately, his resurrection.  Lent is a special time for:

• meditation, prayer, and penitential practices (penitence means prayer in which we confess our sins and make restitution where possible, with the intention to amend our lives)
• increased understanding of Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection
• preparing to renew our baptismal vows and recommitting ourselves to a Christian life

A Brief History

Lent came into being as the time of final preparation for Holy Baptism, at a time when all baptisms were done at Easter. The candidates, who had been in an intense period of training for Christian living—lasting three years in most cases—were solemnly admitted as candidates at the beginning of Lent. They, their sponsors, and the whole church spent that period in prayer and fasting, additional instruction, and performing works of mercy in preparation for the baptisms at the Easter Vigil. It was also a period in which those who had been excommunicated for serious sin did penance in order to be restored to communion at Easter.

This remained the pattern for many centuries. However, as Christianity spread and the baptism of infants became the norm, such an extended period of instruction began to fade. Lent became a time for the members of the church to renew their commitment to Christ as they anticipated the great feast at Easter.   Even today many people are Confirmed and Received into the Church at the Great Vigil of Easter.

Strict forty day fasts (no meat and sweets, etc.) eventually became part of Lent.  In more recent times, the emphasis of Lent has shifted from long periods of fasting to prayer, meditation, and reflection on the meaning of Easter.  While how people observe Lent has changed over time, the heart of Lent is still penitence and reconciliation with God.

Observing Lent

As Lent begins you should set aside time to examine and evaluate your life as a Christian.  Spiritual renewal is only possible if you are willing to repent for your sins and change your life.  Reconciliation with God involves:

• sorrow for sins - changing your life begins when you admit Jesus suffered and died for your sins
• commitment - commitment to God is more than just going to church on Sundays - it is carrying out God's will every day
• spiritual growth - Christian maturity begins when you acknowledge dependence on God for everything
• perseverance - keep your hope and faith in Jesus everyday - we all face times of testing but we must overcome temptation and despair and persevere

Penitential practices help one to change inside.  Traditional Lenten penitential practices include:

• fasting
• special commitments
• good deeds and almsgiving
• prayer and reflection
• studying Scripture
• participation in church worship services

Fasting

While most Christians do not fast as strictly as in the past, fasting is still an important part of Lent.  It helps one to cleanse both body and mind and to recall the time Jesus suffered and died to redeem us. It also encourages meditation and reflection.  People fast in different ways - some give up meat on Friday, some give up their favorite food or drink, and some eat a simpler and more healthy diet.

Note - Sundays are considered a feast day in the Church and thus are not considered part of Lent.  So if you give up desserts for Lent and your birthday falls on a Sunday you can have a piece of birthday cake without breaking your fast.

Special Commitments

This involves giving up something to give you more time to read, study, meditate, and help others.  This self-denial should be a positive act.  The purpose of self-denial is to strengthen self-discipline and self-control, to help give meaning and direction to your life, and to increase time for Lenten activities.

Good Deeds and Almsgiving

Good deeds and almsgiving  consist of self-sacrifice to serve and benefit other people.  Jesus instructed his apostles and his followers to do good for spiritual rewards.  Thus doing good deeds and giving alms is a perfect way to follow his message.  And the doing of deeds is just as important as giving alms - giving your time to help your neighbor or to work in a community activity is actually more of a true reflection of Jesus' teaching than just increasing your weekly pledge by a few dollars.

Prayer and Reflection

Prayer and reflection are a very important part of your Lenten journey.  Prayer is how we communicate with God.  Reflection involves examining your life seriously and thoughtfully.  Prayer and reflection help you learn more about God and about yourself.  They also help you to learn to rely on God and to receive spiritual strength from Him.  Many people find it useful to use a devotional guidebook to choose Lenten prayers.  You can find these at your local bookstore. However you pray, you need to make it a daily habit.  Set aside a quiet time when you are not likely to be interrupted, and make it known to family and friends so they will know not to disturb you.

On Wednesday March 5th the Cathedral is having a Lenten Quiet Evening from 7:00 – 8:30 pm. This will be a time of prayers, mediations, and silence offered to invite individuals more deeply into their Lenten journey of spiritual examination and repentance.

Studying Scripture

This involves reading God's word and reflecting on it.  Doing so can bring new meaning and relevance to events in our lives.  Jesus urged his followers to actively pursue their faith and studying Scripture is a perfect way to do so.   Studying will help you increase your understanding of the Bible and Christianity, link that understanding to your life to inspire living God's word, and strengthen your faith and hope.

Suggestions for study include:

• reading the Bible daily, especially the Gospels and discussing the readings with others - click here for the Cathedral's the Gospel in 40 Days Reading plan
• reading Christian books and magazines
• participating in religious education or classes offered by your church   - at the Cathedral during Lent we have a bible study called "Bad Girls of the Bible" on Tuesday nights at 6:30 pm and on Sundays a class with the Dean called " Christianity and the Episcopal Tradition" at 12:30 pm

Participation in Church Worship Services

During Lent you will notice changes in the Sunday service.  Music is restrained, and the Great Litany may be used in the Entrance Rite. The decoration of the building and the use of color is reduced and restrained. Many use the old English custom of the Lenten Array: unbleached linen vestments, unbleached material covering the crosses and pictures, and only simple symbols stenciled in black on the vestments and veils. The word Alleluia is missing from the liturgy. But above all, the Word of God read in the liturgies has a different focus. It is the reading from the Old Testament which sets the theme rather than the reading from the Gospel.   For more information see Sundays During Lent

Special worship services are held throughout Lent, starting with Ash Wednesday and ending with the services held during Holy Week.    These include:

• Ash Wednesday (February 17)
• Palm Sunday (March 28)
• Maundy Thursday (April 1)
• Good Friday (April 2)
• Easter Vigil (Saturday April 3)
• Easter Sunday (April 4)

Lenten services help you to renew and strengthen your faith, to share insights about the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection, and to clarify your faith.

Hints for Observing Lent Effectively

By now you may be a little overwhelmed and thinking "There is no way I can do all of this".  So here are some hints for observing Lent effectively.

Observe Lent with Others

This is a time for strengthening ties with family and close friends.  Everyone in a family, including children, should pray, read the Scriptures, and attend church services together.  By making Lent a family affair one is more apt to keep commitments and to find time to pray, reflect, and study.

Plan Your Lenten Program

It is very helpful to plan your Lenten program.  Determine what you will do and when and write it down - this helps you remember to take time to pray, reflect, and study.  In making your plan, be realistic and begin only what you can accomplish.  For most people giving up a favorite food as a way of fasting is more realistic than a strict fast.  In choosing penitential practices select ones that require genuine effort and self-control but are also realistic.  Selecting something you can't fulfil leads to guilt and can lead to one giving up the observance of Lent altogether.

Having a Positive Attitude

Approach Lent with a joyful attitude.  Think of it as a time of opportunity rather than a time of sacrifice.  After all, this is the time one prepares for Easter and its promise of eternal life through the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

After Lent

After Lent comes Easter and its time of joy. But that does not mean one should give up all one started during Lent - God wants us to pray to Him, study His word, and follow Jesus' teachings all year, not just during Lent.  So hopefully after Lent you will continue your daily prayers and meditations, to study Scripture, to help others, and to do all the other things you did during Lent.

Sources: 

- "What you should know about Lent". Channing L. Bete Co., South Deerfield, MA.  1982.
- The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 1998 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York.
- Conversations with the clergy and staff of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit, MI