Lent has traditionally been a season of repentance, of turning anew to God for renewal.  Which is why it has begun with ashes.  Ashes – a sign of mourning, symbolizes our sorrow over sin and our ache for a new direction.

What’s Ash Wednesday? (First day of Lent)  

It began in ancient biblical days, when people used ashes from burnt palms to show that they were sad and in mourning.  They were sad and in mourning for many reasons:  because someone had died, because things had changed, because things were not right, because the people themselves had sinned.  The ashes showed people were sad, and the ashes were a prayer to God to help make things right.

Thus, a day called Ash Wednesday, has been set aside, when we put ashes on – a little on our forehead or hand to show that there are things in our lives that are not right and make us sad and there are things we have done that were wrong, and we ask God to forgive us and make us whole again, to make us better, to lead us in a new direction.  The ashes also remind us of the brevity (briefness) of our time, which makes it precious.  The ashes remind us and call us not just to live, but to live a holy life, a good life – to stand for something, and to listen for God’s direction.

Additional Meanings of the Season of Lent

Where does the word “Lent” come from?

From lengthening, as in the lengthening of days as Spring approaches.

The word Lent was often used interchangeably with Spring.

How Many Days Are There in Lent?

Forty Weekdays and Six Sundays

When Does Lent Begin and End?

The date of Easter was set by council of Nicea in 325 C.E.  It is always the first Sunday after the full moon of the Spring equinox.  Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is therefore forty (40) days and six (6) Sundays before Easter. The Liturgical Color of Lent is Purple or Violet; The reason is the Season of Penitence.

FASTING

LENT is a good time to fast and pray and draw closer to God during this important season

Fasting can be a path to peace and happiness.  That’s right:  fasting, the practice of abstaining from food and drink for meals, days, and even weeks at a time, is one of the most powerful ways we have of becoming closer to God and finding true joy.  Self-denial leads to a greater sense of wholeness.  That’s why Christians have fasted for thousands of years, and it’s why Lent, the 6-week period between Ash Wednesday and Easter, is a time of serious fasting.

However, you don’t have to simply fast from food.  Many Christians today are creative about fasting, and Lent can be a time of shedding whatever is standing between you and God.