What is Lent? Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "spring." The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others. Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter" and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.
As we enter this important time in our life I want to invite you to enter into a time of prayer and introspection. Let us begin a time of growing in our relationship to God.
Fast from criticism, and feast on
praise.
Fast from self-pity, and feast on joy.
Fast from ill-temper, and feast on
peace.
Fast from resentment, and feast on
contentment.
Fast from jealousy, and feast on love.
Fast from pride, and feast on humility.
Fast from selfishness, and feast on
service.
Fast from fear, and feast on faith.
What will you give up or take on in this season?
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