Preparing for Lent

In basic terms, Lent is the season before Easter. For many, Lent is a time of preparation, penance, and devotion. The 40 days of Lent represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness before beginning his public ministry. Sundays are not included in these forty days, because every Sunday is a feast of the resurrection - thus, Sundays are never fast days.

When you think of Lent many images, practices, and rituals may come to mind; fasting, ashes, pancakes, purple, palms, and the list could go on and on. Fasting has always been synonymous with Lent. Fasting is considered a spiritual discipline because it helps us pay more attention. When we fast, we suddenly notice food and how much it occupies our live. By recognizing this, we can redirect some of our energy spent on the pleasure of food toward other important matters.

Fasting in Lent does not always need to be only about food. We can also fast from other things, such as behaviors, which draw our attention away from God. In whatever way we choose to participate, the church gives us forty days to prepare our hearts and lives for the great miracle of Easter.

How will you prepare for Lent?