The Essence of Lent

The essence of Lent is that it is a time to prepare ourselves for the death and resurrection of Jesus. Lent is a time to reflect on our limitations as humans and our need for God in our lives. There are three aspects that help us in our preparation and reflection; fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

Fasting builds understanding and empathy for those less fortunate than ourselves. These days, fasting has moved away from the traditional idea of going without food to more of a focus on abstinence by giving up something for the duration of Lent. Catholics are no longer required to abstain from eating meat on Fridays during lent, however, fasting in the form of not eating meat (other than fish) on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday is still a tradition (but is not required for young children or the elderly).

Almsgiving then ties in with fasting by thinking of what others need and giving of those things.

Prayer is the center of Lent because our trust in God gives us strength to look beyond ourselves and to make sacrifices throughout Lent. Prayer helps us to reflect and talk with God about where you are in your journey.