What is Lent?

The season of Lent is upon us, but is something that our church does not often talk much about. You might find this article useful in understanding what Lent traditionally has been in the Church, and why it is so important to many other Christians.

Lent is a forty-day period before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday. We skip Sundays when we count the forty days, because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection. Lent begins on 1 March 2006 and ends on 15 April 2006, which is the day before Easter...Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days.

Lent traditionally has been associated with Christians giving up something important to them, in honor of what Christ gave up for us at Easter. If you are looking for a way to put James's challenge to live out your faith in action, this might be one way to do so.