Lent ‘a season of preparation’ for Christians as they look to Easter

ST. GEORGE — Last Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period leading up to Easter as Christians spiritually prepare for the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection through fasting and other practices.

Stock image, St. George News

“We recognize the importance of Lent as a season of preparation for the central event of our faith the Cross and resurrection,” Pastor Joe Doherty of New Promise Lutheran Church, told St. George News.

For Christians, the 40-day period commemorates the time Christ spent in the wilderness fasting prior to beginning his ministry. The number 40 is considered to hold special significance in Christianity as it is it used repeatedly the Bible. Examples of this are Moses talking with God on Mount Sinai for 40 days or the Jews wandering the wilderness during the 40-year exodus.

While spiritual preparation for the Easter observance likely happened in the centuries following the Christ’s death, it was made an official affair by the Catholic Church in the Fourth Century.

Beginning with Ash Wednesday, which was observed on Feb. 22 this year, Lent will end Thursday, April 6. This will be followed by Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. Between now and April 6, millions of Christians the world over will observe the season through various means, with fasting in some form seen as the traditional practice.

Fasting is defined as a person giving up something they love to eat, or do during this time, as a way to draw closer to God and focus on the meaning of the upcoming Easter season.

In this file photo, Father David Bittmenn, of the Saint George Catholic Church, St. George, Utah, April 2, 2021 Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

“There are a lot of different takes on this,” said Carol Drake, a pastoral assistant at the St. George Catholic Church who also currently serves as the president of the St. George Interfaith Council.

Children may give up candy or a form of entertainment for example, Drake said, while others abstain from eating a certain type of food or engaging in social media or some other activity they enjoy. Additionally, people will also focus on spiritual study, self-reflection and attending worship services.

Others may also see the 40 days as a time to “fast from discouragement, and fast for hope instead,” Drake said.

The Lenten period can be seen as a time the faithful can give of themselves, she said. This may take the form of people doing something to help family and friends or the community at large, like volunteering at a local charity.

As a part of the Catholic observance of Lent, each Friday leading up to Easter, the faithful participate in the Stations of the Cross at the church while also abstaining from eating meat for the day.

Stock photo, St. George News

As Lent nears its conclusion, the Saturday before Easter is referred to as “Holy Saturday” by Catholics and is seen as the time Christ’s followers held vigil outside of his tomb as they waited for his resurrection. This is also used as a day to officially induct adult converts to Catholicism into the faith through the Rite of Christian Initiation.

Other Christians observe Lent in various ways. Some faiths that have their roots in Christianity, or see Christianity as one part of a universal expression of faith, may also follow Lent to a degree or have a similar periods of fasting they observe.

Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist (Church) observes the 40 days of Lent through Bible study and service to our community,” Rev. Joyce DeToni-Hill wrote to St. George News in an email. “This year we are focusing on study and worship how Jesus modeled love as he reached out to those on the margins of the community.”

Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church will hold various Lent-related activities leading up Easter Sunday.

While the Unitarian Universalist faith may not officially observe Lent, the faith has its roots in Christianity and has members who may choose to follow the practice in some way, Michael Kruze, of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Southwest Utah, told St. George in an email.

During the 2022 Stations of the Cross interfaith event held on Good Friday in St. George, Utah, April 19, 2022 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

“In the spring and during Lent UUs ponder, reflect and appreciate our mortality, impermanence and place in our world,” Kruze wrote. “UUs historical and theological roots are partly Christian and some UUs would consider themselves as such.”

Laura Fairchild, a local representative of the Baha’i faith, wrote that the Lent season roughly coincides with her faith’s fast, which runs from March 2-20 and precedes the Baha’i new year.

“It is a time of prayer, meditation, and spiritual rejuvenation,” Fairchild said. “A number of special prayers have been revealed specifically for the period of the fast… Fasting has been a significant practice of religion throughout human history.”

While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints focuses on the significance of Christ’s resurrection, as other Christian sects do, it does not officially observe the Lenten season. However, individual members are not discouraged from personally observing aspects of the season, if they choose.

For example, Latter-day Saints can participate in Lent-related activities leading up to Easter, such as the annual interfaith Stations of the Cross event held in St. George.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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