What is Lent and why does it last forty days?
Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, meaning “lengthen” and refers to the lengthening days of spring. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by new converts and then became a time of penance by all Christians. Today, Christians focus on relationship with God, growing as disciples and extending ourselves, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of ourselves for others.
Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter." This is why you will see the designation "Sunday in Lent" rather than "Sunday of Lent" in the naming of these Sundays. On each Lord's Day in Lent, while Lenten fasts continue, the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.
This content was produced by Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications.
Click on the photo to watch the recording of this year's Ash Wednesday worship service
Why does Lent begin with ashes?
As the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday is a time to reflect on our humanity, sins, and mortality.
The United Methodist Church (UMC) begins Lent with ashes to symbolize repentance, mortality, and the need for cleansing. The tradition of using ashes on Ash Wednesday has roots in the Old Testament and has long been used in Jewish and Christian worship.
Explanation
- Repentance: Ashes signify sorrow for sins and a commitment to God.
- Mortality: Ashes remind people that they are dust and will return to dust, a reminder of human mortality.
- Cleansing: Ashes symbolize the need for cleansing, scrubbing, and purifying.
Ash Wednesday services
During Ash Wednesday services, a priest may mark the foreheads of worshipers with ashes in the shape of a cross. The service may include words such as "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
