Lent is a time of soul- searching, discipline, and repentance for the celebration of Christ`s death and resurrection. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends the day before Easter. Lent consist of 40 days before Easter, not including Sundays. Sundays are not counted because Sunday is a celebration of Jesus` resurrection.
Lent represents the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, fasting and being tempted by the Devil (matthew 4:1-11 )
Ash Wednesday is the first day of lent. On this day, Christians are to focus on their complete sinfulness and the necessity of Christ suffering and death to insure our salvation.
Ashes are referred as signs of sorrow, mourning, humility, and repentance. On Ash Wednesday, ashes are used to remind people of their mortality!
" you are dust, and you shall return" ( Genesis 3:19 )
Palm Sunday or the Sunday of passion begins Holy Week. This is the last week of lent. Good Friday represent the imprisonment, trial, and death by crucifiction of Jesus.
There are Three main Practices of Lent
1. Fasting: Give something up for God!
2. Prayer and Meditation: Reflect on your own sin and what it cost him!
3. Give to the poor: Show your love of Christ to others!
" A Prayer for Lent "
lord, at the beginning of this Lenten sesson, I sense my need to you; yet I am not quite sure how to reach you.
I heard someone say, " Read you Bible.' But too often the words are like bullets that ricochet off my brain.
I heard someone say, "Pray." But my prayers, hurled heaven ward, fall back to earth like lifeless stones.
I heard someone say, " Meditate." But my wandering mind was lost in a desert of random thoughts.
Lord, speak to me through your WORD and let it penetrate my mind and my heart.
Lord, speak to me through PRAYER, and turn my lifeless stones to bread.
Lord, speak to me in my Meditation, that I may see, amid life`s wilderness: The way, The truth, The life....... AMEN!!!
4 comments:
I have never known what Lent was about. Thanks for sharing.
To tell you the truth, I did not know either! As a baptist/pentacostal, we did not celebrate lent. I now work in a catholic hospital and most of my co-workers are catholic. I wanted to know why everyone walked around with ash on their foreheads. LOL!
I did my own investigation. I do not understand why non catholics do not practice Lent, but now that I know, I will be incorporating it into my christian celebration of Holy week!
I was baptized a Catholic when I was a baby and went to Catholic school until the 8th grade. I remember getting the ashes in the shape of a cross on my forehead and the drunks on 47th street in Chicago would look at me crazy when I walked home from school. Lol! My mom still does Lent, I've gotten away from the old practices. I need to get back into something, and I don't have an excuse there is a Catholic church a half a block from me. I love the prayer in your blog. I'll try to send you a picture of my Confirmation group picture. The drunks asked me wasn't I too young to be getting married? Ha!
HI there!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Lent!
Peace, blessings and godliness,
Lisa
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