What is Lent all about?

What is Lent all about?

HMAS Coonawarra Memorial Service for those who lost their lives in Sea King 02. Six Navy and three Air Force personnel lost their lives in the crash of Sea King 02 while on humanitarian mission on the island of Nias, Indonesia.
Service was conducted by HMAS Coonawarra Chaplain Barrie Yesburg.
Pictured: Memorial to deceased military members.

Hello everyone,

Lent isn’t something that I’ve been exposed to very much in my Christian journey; however, I learned that there are components of Lent that had been weaved into my upbringing without even noticing it.

At my Baptist church we have just looked at the faith habits of Witness, Generosity, Solitude, Fasting, Sabbath and Scripture as a prelude to Lent. We’re also employing the Lectio 365 app, which this year is focussing on the Desert Fathers and Mothers. (If you haven’t already, check out the app at Lectio 365, or in your Android/Apple store.)

So, below is a snapshot of what I’ve learned and is intended as a conversation starter and not an authoritative treatise. I pray that you find it at least interesting and consider what, if any, elements of Lent you might incorporate in your own build-up to Easter. If your experience of Lent differs, please feel free to discuss this with other members of MCF-A as we learn from the knowledge of others and focusses on what important, which is the things we as Christians hold in common.

Lent is a 40-day solemn Christian season of preparation for Easter, running from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday. It commemorates Jesus’s 40 days of fasting in the desert, focusing on repentance, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It is a time for reflection, self-discipline, and drawing closer to God.

The origins and early history of Lent^[1]

Historians generally agree that the 40-day period before Easter, known as Lent, emerged shortly following the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Earliest observances of Lent seem to have focused particularly on the practice of fasting. Council records suggest that the fast applied at first mainly to new converts as a period of repentance and reflection before baptism at Easter. In any case, Lent quickly became a general practice church-wide. The actual 40-day period varied region-to-region, even church-to-church; some including weekends, some not; some fasting Sundays, others not. But in every case, the fast was strict: one meal a day after 3 PM with no meat, fish, or dairy. It was Pope Gregory I (590 – 604) who finally regularized the period of the fast church wide, to begin on a Wednesday 46 days before Easter with a ceremony of ash, and not to include Sundays, which were perennial days of celebration.

Other historical records indicate that a pre-Easter season of fasting, had actually been in practice already, as far back as the second century, and perhaps even earlier. In “History of Lent,” Father William Saunders writes that early church father, St. Irenaeus (c. 130 – 202), in a letter to Pope St. Victor, mentioned a dispute about the number of days for the pre-Easter fast. Irenaeus noted that such “variation in observance did not originate in our own day, but very much earlier, in the time of our forefathers.” Irenaeus himself was a third generation disciple after the Apostles, so his dating of Lenten fasting back to the time of his “forefathers” establishes it as a practice from the very earliest days of the church. Irenaeus’ letter references the idea of a fast lasting 40 days before Easter, strongly suggesting the concept predated Irenaeus’ own time. Jesus fasting 40 days and 40 nights in the desert to prepare for his public ministry is thought to be the primary inspiration for such a timeframe.

Following Nicaea, Lenten practices remained essentially unchanged for centuries. However, by the 800s, the strictness of the fast began to relax. By the 1400s, Christians had begun eating the one meal earlier in the day, and later began to add a smaller meal to keep up their strength for work. Eventually, the one-meal restriction was lifted altogether, and new practices emerged, like the idea of giving up some luxury or need as a personal sacrifice for the season. Over time, “giving something up” became the centrepiece of Lent.

What is the Purpose of Lent?^[2]

• Reflection & Repentance:A time to turn away from sin and reflect on one’s life, fostering a “true inner conversion of heart”.
• Preparation for Easter:A spiritual journey that prepares Christians to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus.
• Imitation of Christ:Reflects the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and facing temptation in the wilderness.

The Three Pillars of Lent

1. Prayer:Increasing time in prayer and reading Scripture.
2. Fasting:Practicing self-control by limiting food or luxuries.
3. Almsgiving:Serving others through charity, sharing money, time, and talents.

What is Not Allowed/What to Give Up

• Meat:Roman Catholics abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays during Lent.
• Luxuries:Many Christians give up luxuries like alcohol, chocolate, sweets, social media, or television.
• Negative Habits:Some choose to give up negative behaviours like gossiping or complaining.

Lent is primarily observed by Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and many Protestant traditions.

God Bless,

Matt, and MCF-A Rep.

[1] A Short Version of the Long History of Lent — Blog — Groundwork Bible Study

[2] AI overview, Google “What is Lent”