The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is always the seventh Wednesday before Easter Sunday. In the weeks between, Christians are invited to a season of prayer and self-reflection, often combined with some measure of self-discipline beyond their usual routine. We often hear of people “giving up chocolate for Lent.” In recent years, there has been a shift toward taking up a new practice during Lent to strengthen our relationship with God; perhaps an activity to take the place of the thing we have given up.
As Bishop Stephen London says, “the purpose of Lent is to take time to reset ourselves completely: in body, mind and soul, so that we can recognise Jesus’ grace and mercy in our lives.”
This season of self-discipline and prayer lasts for 40 days, all the days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, including Holy Week, with the exception of Sundays. The 40 days mirror the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness after his baptism and before his temptation, and also the 40 years the Hebrew people spent in the wilderness before entering their promised land.
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