Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where according to the Bible he endured temptation by Satan. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial—for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In Western Christianity (with the exception of the Archdiocese of Milan which follows the Ambrosian Rite), Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Holy Saturday. The six Sundays in Lent are not counted among the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter", a celebration of Jesus' victory over sin and death.
You might think my celebrating Lent has something to do with being married to a former "Gentile", but actually I've done it on and off since High School. I had some friends who celebrated Lent and thought it was a great idea. It's like fasting, but longer. My definition would be: giving something that you frequent for 40 days (not counting Sundays) to draw closer to God.
Lent starts this Wednesday ("Ash Wednesday") and Phillip and I have decided to give up "fast food". Our definition of fast food is "anything with a drive thru". Of course we've defined "Sunday" as sun-down Saturday to sun-down Sunday, so we'll probably still get some in there somehow, but it'll be good for us. And for our pocket books. :)
4 comments:
That's a really good one, and very doable I might add. If you want further motivation for that one you could just read the book "FastFood Nation" and that will curve your fast food appetite for life.
One year I tried to give up chocolate in every variety. I must not have been very committed because that didn't last to long.
NICE! I can't think of something I frequent that I am willing to give up for 40 days... I'll let you know if I find something... :)
As a fellow LDS member I too am "celebrating" lent this year. Most of my coworkers are Catholic and I figured any reason is a good reason to give up something I should probably not be doing in the first place. But on Friday when we do No Meat Potluck, they always have a special bowl for us "carnivors". :)
Potlucks are good ideas. Next year we'll have to try that.
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