The Meaning of Lent
The Origin and Purpose of Lent
EASTER, the Day of the Resurrection, is the most important celebration of the Church. From the beginning, the Church observed a period of fasting before Easter to prepare for the feast. This season of fasting was lengthened to forty days to correspond to the forty day fasts in the Bible: The fast of Jesus in the wilderness before he was tempted by the devil (Matt. 4:1), the fast of Moses on Mt. Sinai while he was receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28), and the fast of Elijah when he fled from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:8).
Lent has historically been a season in which converts were prepared for baptism, which was administered at the Easter Vigil. This pattern informs the church's observance of Lent. All of the baptized renew their baptismal vows in the Easter liturgies and are sprinkled with the holy water blessed at the Easter Vigil. Lent is a season to grow into our baptismal identity. We experience our union with Christ in his cross in a new way so that we will experience the power of Christ's resurrection in a new way in our celebration of Easter (cf. Rom. 6:4, 8:13).
The Sundays of Lent are not counted as days of fasting. It is forty days from Ash Wednesday to Easter if we do not count the Sundays. The church observes Sunday perpetually as the Day of Resurrection. The Lenten Sundays are properly observed with a slight relaxation—but not a total elimination—of the fast.
The Danger of Lent
People talk about what they will “give up” for Lent. This can become competitive and prideful, mere religious activity without aim or goal. The purpose of Lent is to bring us closer to God and to produce in us the fruit of greater love for others. The discipline of fasting helps us to detach from things. When fasting is complemented by an increase in our prayer, the result is a greater experience of God’s presence and new freedom to love. Without the goal of love, fasting loses its purpose (cf. 1 Cor. 13:3). The Bible warns us about the unprofitable nature of fasting when it is practiced wrongly (see Isaiah 58:3-5 and Matthew 6:16). We should identify our current areas of temptation and struggle and link our fast to prayers for growth in the corresponding virtues, especially faith, hope and love (1 Cor. 13:13).
Guidelines for Lent
Our observance of Lent should reflect our spiritual maturity. Some people have been observing Lent for decades, while others may be observing their first Lent. Adopt a Lenten Rule that is appropriate for your current spiritual state. The general Rule for Lent is to “eat less and exercise more.” We decrease our intake of food, pleasure, and entertainment and increase our practice of spiritual disciplines and good works.
There are guidelines for Lent. Each day consists of one full meal and two smaller portions of food. Wednesdays and Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence from meat. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of complete fasting. No food is eaten until sundown—and until after the liturgies on those days. Medical issues and age are reasons to moderate the fast of food. If you struggle with an eating disorder, seek professional guidance in observing the fast of food. Consumption of alcohol and desserts should be eliminated or reduced.
It should be noted that for many people, simply eliminating snacks between meals would be a significant fast. If you've been observing Lent for some years, continue to develop your practice. If you are new to Lent, start with some practice of fasting.
The Lenten fast should include computers, electronics, phones, and various forms of media which occupy too much space in almost everyone’s life in our world. Our attachments to these things are often more significant than our attachments to food and drink. To focus solely on food and drink and ignore these things is, in the words of Jesus, to "Strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" (Matt. 23:24).
The ideal of Lent is not heroic personal effort. The ideal is to enter into a "wilderness season" in which we practice saying no to usual habits and practice saying yes to God and to the demands of love. The ideal of Lent is not perfect performance. If we stumble in our Lenten Rule, we should simply receive grace and resume our Rule the next day. Lent is about grace, not rules. We take on a regimen of spiritual exercises toward the goal of growth. As with a routine of physical exercise, we will benefit from the routine even if we don't do it perfectly.
Self-knowledge is central to a fruitful Lent. Some people are hard themselves—even to the point of self-loathing. They will create an unattainable Rule and feel perpetually guilty about failing to live up to it. For this type of person, a true Lent will unmask the voice of the accuser (cf. Rev. 12:10) and cultivate the experience of grace and acceptance by God. Conversely, some people are too easy on themselves. They create a Rule that provides no challenge. For this type of person, a true Lent will unmask complacency and require effort. Knowing which of these types we tend towards should inform our Lenten rule and practice. If you are unsure which type you tend towards, get input from a mature Christian who knows you well.
The fast will help us grow if we engage the spiritual battle for forty days—and stick with it!
Why Fast?
As the hunger and desire created by the fast is directed towards God in prayer, we learn the spiritual truth of John 6:35, “He who comes to me shall never hunger and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” We discover what Jesus described as "the food to eat of which you do not know" (Jn. 4:32). As we practice abstaining from things, we also develop self-control. Pleasure is good when it is sought within the will of God; but we are only free to enjoy things if we are also free to abstain from them. Fasting develops the ability to say “no” and, thus, the ability to say “yes” in the right way. Self-control is one fruit of fasting. As Jesus said, “Your Father who sees [your fasting] in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:18).
Prayer
As we turn away from things, we open up room in our lives for a greater experience of God’s presence and power. We live the Christian life by God’s grace. Grace comes into our lives through prayer. If we want to draw closer to God, we must necessarily increase our practice of prayer. Those who already practice the disciplines of Morning and Evening Prayer (the “daily offices”) might add time for silence, meditation, or conversational prayer. Those who do not now practice the discipline of the daily offices might pray one or both for the forty days of the season.
Some practice of stillness and silence is essential for the development of our prayer. We live in a noisy and distracted world. Many people never experience any space in which there is not some kind of external noise. A good Lenten Rule includes some period of quiet. The habit of taking a daily walk (without one’s phone) in some natural setting can help to cultivate the experience of interior stillness.
Bible Reading
God reveals his will to us through Holy Scripture. Too often, attitudes and opinions are formed by what people hear through various media rather than by the word of God. If we want to hear the voice of God, we must develop the habit and skill of letting him speak to us through his word. Lent is an opportunity to develop the habit of daily Bible reading. The Book of Common Prayer contains a lectionary with readings for each day of the year. It begins on page x and ends on page xlv. The lessons for Lent begin with Ash Wednesday on page xvi and xvii. These lessons are meant to be read in the context of Morning and Evening Prayer, but they can also be read separately, with deeper reflection. Reading through one or more of the gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke or John—can be an excellent Lenten discipline.
Confession
A good confession does not focus on every little bad habit. Surface behaviors often mask deeper problems within us. The best confession is the fruit of prayer—asking God to reveal to us what is wrong in our lives. Lent is an opportunity to ask and listen for an extended season. Confession leads to forgiveness. As St. John writes, "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
Good Works
Good works are things we do for the benefit of others, motivated by love (cf. 1 Cor. 13:3). Lent is a time to reconcile with others with whom we have conflicts. Lent is a time for renewed response to the needs we see around us. Lent is a time to consider how God is calling us to use our gifts in ministry. Our good works are the evidence that God is working in us. The Holy Spirit makes us less self-centered and more responsive to the needs of others.
Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction is essentially “coaching.” Often we get stuck in the spiritual life because we are caught up in our own anxious thoughts and habits. Getting input from someone else who can look at our life and prayer more objectively can help us to break through barriers and grow in new ways. We can get spiritual help from clergy or lay people with experience in spiritual direction, but we can also benefit from spiritual conversations with mature Christians who have been practicing the life of prayer for a longer time. The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. Lent is an opportunity to get help from our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Conclusion
Lent is a season of opportunity given to us by the church to turn from self towards God and experience in greater measure the joy of Easter.