Lent: A Season of Reflection

Lent is a Christian religious observance in the liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later as we celebrate Easter Sunday. The purpose of Lent is the preparation, through prayer, repentance and self-denial, to consider the life and ministry of Jesus in the biblical stories. Lent is traditionally described as lasting for forty days, in commemoration of the forty days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke before beginning his public ministry, after which he endured temptation.

During the Lenten season, many commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penance or self-denial. Many also add a Lenten spiritual discipline, such as reading a daily devotional, or setting aside a specific and intentional time of prayer.

It is during the liturgies and worship services of Holy Week that we recall the last days of Jesus’ life including: his death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

This year the Lenten season begins on Wednesday, February 17, and concludes on Easter Sunday, April 4.