Ever wonder what Lent is all about? Here are some details on what all the Lent terms mean and some activities you can do at home.
As we enter into the season of Lent, we wanted to share some special activities you can do with your family and friends during this time. You can download the documents below for some ideas of what to do during Lent this year when we cannot be together at the church.
- What is Lent
- Activities for Lent 2021
- Lenten Prayers
- Candle Meditation
- Videos in Support of Lent
- Love yourself through Lent
WHAT IS LENT?
LENT through to EASTER
Advent tells us Christ is near, Christmas tells us He is here.
In Epiphany we trace all the stories of his grace.
Candlemas doth then appear, telling that our Lent is near.
Soon we look for a new moon, Wednesday next we fast till noon.
Ashes on our brows appear, mindful that an end is near.
Forty days with Sundays off brings us to the One they scoff.
Lent is a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends 40 days later (not counting Sundays) on Easter Sunday.
Traditionally, the purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer for Easter through prayer, doing penance, mortifying the flesh, repentance of sins, almsgiving, and self-denial.
The 40 days of Lent are reminiscent of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness after his baptism and are thought to represent the preparation for ministry.
In the early church, converts were prepared during Lent for their baptism on Easter Eve.
Carnival, is a time for merrymaking and festivity and usually begins on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday and lasts until Ash Wednesday. The origin of the word is uncertain, though it possibly can be traced to Latin carnem levare or carnelevarium, which means to take away or remove meat.
Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras is the Tuesday in Carnival during which fat is used up in the house and the house is ‘shriven’ (old English for cleansed) of all fat.
Ash Wednesday is a day of solemn remembrance when we are reminded that death is coming “Ashes to ashes.” The ashes are derived from the palms of the previous Palm Sunday.
Palm Sunday is the preceding Sunday before Easter and marks the beginning of Holy Week – the last week of Jesus’ life – and heralds the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. The week is marked by several solemn days.
Maundy Thursday “Maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, or commandment, reflecting Jesus’ words “I give you a new commandment.” It is usually marked by one of two events – Washing of Feet or the remembrance of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper.
Good Friday is the day we commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Traditionally, it is a time of solemn reflection as we recall the 7 Last Words of Jesus from the Cross.
Holy Saturday is a time for Baptism and renewal of Baptismal vows. It is also a day when new converts were received into the Church. Sometimes it is called the Easter Vigil.
Easter (Pascha) is the major celebration and the oldest feast of the Christian Church. It derives its name and roots from the Jewish Passover although in English the word is from pagan nomenclature. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ from the tomb. The date of Easter is a moveable feast and is thus derived. Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.