I'm glad you asked: For those in the Christian faith, the Season of Lent is typically considered to be the 40 days between Ash Wednesday (Feb 22 this year) and Easter Sunday (Apr 8 this year) and is often characterized by abstention from certain kinds of food or activities.The period is most commonly thought of as a symbol of the 40 days and nights Jesus spent struggling with the devil in the wildness.

While sometimes regarded as a predominantly Roman Catholic observance, for Christians of all denominations it is a time of preparation and self-sacrifice through fasting, giving up worldly desires and activities. I'm Baptist and I gave up some things to eat for the 40 days and I'm sure missing eating as usual (Oh Well)!

The History of Lent, the practice of Lent likely has it's origins in practical reasons. In agricultural societies (as most Christian cultures were, in the fourth and fifth centuries when Lent is first mentioned in historical context) when winter crops were often scarce! Correspondingly, a period of fasting may have been a spiritual response to a physical need. The excuses and revels of Shrove Tuesday (also known as Mardi Gras), the day before Ash Wednesday, were in all likelihood, a response to the same fact, as people wanted to consume perishable goods (like meats, eggs, dairy products, and sweets) before they spoiled!

As the practice of Lent evolved it began to take on the added significance of a preparation of new church members for the baptism of Easter Sunday. In the spirit of Christianity as a community of living faith, this period of fasting and preparation was eventually embraced by all Church members! Additionally, Lent was once referred to as quadragesima, which is Latin for the fortieth day before Easter. The word "Lent" itself is thought to come from a Germanic root, lenct, which initially meant "spring" and later, "fast" !

Why 40 Days??

Lent's duration is actually 46 days. However as Sundays represent Christ's resurrection, they are not commonly counted in the tally between Ash Wednesday and the Easter vigil. The primary meaning of the fast is considered to be a way of identifying with the suffering of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels, and of acknowledging his substitutionary death for sins of mankind! The meaning of the season is further enriched by other biblical occurrences of the number 40 ...Moses and Elias spent 40 days in the wilderness and in a similar manner to Christ, the Jewish people wandered for 40 years, as recorded in Exodus, and Jesus spent 40 hours in the tomb prior to His resurrection!

For Christians of all colors, Lent continues to symbolize the self-sacrifices of Jesus Christ! I am of the Christian faith, a stroke survivor, and a prayer warrior because now at my age I KNOW prayers works!! If you read this blog please say a prayer for survivors, care givers, and family members who struggle daily to care for loved ones on this support site! May God's grace embrace you forever!! I love you ALL!

Fred!