What is Lent?
Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and giving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter.
During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully.
We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.
During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully.
We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.
Lent is sometimes called the “Great Fast.” It's a period of time in which Christians are meant to give up some comfort or adopt some spiritual practice that leads to self-examination, repentance from sin, and, ultimately, renewal of the soul.
Prayer is one of the three pillars of Lent. Prayer is a way of communicating with God and growing in a relationship with him.
During Lent, we are asked to focus more intently on "almsgiving," which means donating money or goods to the poor and performing other acts of charity. As one of the three pillars of Lenten practice, almsgiving is "a witness to fraternal charity" and "a work of justice pleasing to God."