Lent: What Is It?

You might have heard people around you talking about Lent and the activities that come with it. But what exactly is Lent?

Lent is a holiday celebrated by the Catholic religion. Catholicism is a branch of Christianity just like being a Methodist or Baptist. Being Catholic comes with a lot more practices. For example, praying the Rosary, having bread and wine at every mass, and the holiday of Lent.

The holiday of Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, which takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday (Sundays are excluded if chosen to be). This holiday is celebrated for 40 days to resemble how Jesus went 40 days without food or water in the desert. In this story, Jesus had the opportunity to make his food and water but resisted the devil’s temptations by surviving without these needs. This event is told in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 4, verses 1-2. Here, the devil worked to temp Jesus into creating food and water for himself. The devil had said, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread”. Jesus could have easily done this but chose to stay humble.

Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent, so many people decide how they will spend their holiday during this day. Choosing what to fast, how to pray, and how to practice almsgiving. On Ash Wednesday, a mass is held where the participants will be blessed with ash on their foreheads. This ash is meant to be a reminder to repent. Repent means to “turn back to God”. The Early Christians would get ash on their foreheads after confession, but now ash is almost only used on Ash Wednesday. The practice of putting ash on the forehead in the shape of a cross is said to originate from Pope Gregory the Great, the 64th leader of the Catholic Church. This ash is meant to resemble several things. The first subject the ash resembles is the subject of sin and humility. With this, the person is meant to think of their sins and the mistakes they have made. The next thing it resembles is mortality. The ash represents how we will all die and there is no way to avoid death. The last thing this ash resembles is renewal. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, which can be seen as a new beginning and a way to get closer to God.

To resemble this story, they give up something that separates them from God for the 40 days. Some examples of things they give up are social media and phone use. You can also give up bad habits, like unhealthy food or swearing. The main practices of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Praying simply includes praying extra during the season, fasting is the giving up something and not eating meat on the Fridays of Lent, and almsgiving is the practice of giving to the needy.

Lent is an amazing time for those in the Catholic religion. It is a great way to grow closer to The Lord and get excited about Easter.