What Is Lent And What Is Its Purpose?

Lent comes from an Anglo-Saxon word, lencten, which means springtime. Lent falls in the midst of the seasonal change from winter to spring. As lent arrives it is usually still cold but the lengthing of daylight has begun and we have begun to look forward to the arrival of spring.

To Christians lent is a time for renewal, a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter. this preparation has grown from two days of fasting prior to Easter in the 2nd century to one week of preparation in the 3rd century to six weeks of preparation since the 4th century.

Lent was initially for those preparing for baptism, but gradually other Christians began to use this time for fasting, prayer and almsgiving as an external sign of their internal love for God.

The forty days before Easter was eventually designated as the Season of Lent. In the 4th century a penitential theme was set as the theme for this season. From the beginning people focused on Lent as time of "giving and giving up." Today the season of Lent has been realized as time of doing, doing good for God and others, through acts of charity and sacrificial giving of time, talent and money. It is also a time to fast from excessive consumption of food and drink.

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