History of Lent Lent is the Christian season of preparation before Easter. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, penance,repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement and self-denial. Lent is a time prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting,repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ - his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection. This will be a time of study, prayer and attempting to highlight the growing crisis of hunger, homeless, war situation in Ukrine and internal problem in the many parts of the world. Lent is a special time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation of the celebration of Easter. The two elements which are especially characteristic of Lent -- the recalling of baptism or the preparation for it, It is by means of them that the Church prepares the faithful for the celebration of Easter, while they hear Gods word more frequently and devote more time to prayer Fasting has a strong and regular role in bringing the individual to a place where they understand their complicity in an unjust system and where they draw closer to God and to their neighbour. When Jesus began his ministry of liberation for the poor and dispossessed he spent 40 days in the wilderness and fasted. In these stories, fasting was not a stunt but rather a sign. Fasting can point the way to a greater compassion and help us demand that something be done to stop this crisis in its tracks. The rules of fasting varied. First, some areas of the Church abstained from all forms of meat and animal products, while others made exceptions for food like fish. For example, Pope St. Gregory (d. 604), writing to St. Augustine of Canterbury, issued the following rule: We abstain from flesh, meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese and eggs. The general rule was for a person to have one meal a day, in the evening or at 3 p.m. Nevertheless, I was always taught, If you gave something up for the Lord, tough it out. Dont act like a Pharisee looking for a loophole. taking time for personal prayer and spiritual reading and most especially making a good confession and receiving sacramental absolution. Although the practices may have evolved over the centuries, the focus remains the same: to repent of sin, to renew our faith and to prepare to celebrate Easter joyfully the mysteries of our salvation.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 01:02:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015