Answering questions about Lent

Before the joyous Easter celebration comes the solemn and prayerful Lenten season. Even the devoutly religious may not know all there is to know about this penitential season. The following are some questions and answers about Lent.

When does Lent occur?

Lent is a period of 40 days preceding Easter Sunday. Since 1969, Lent has begun on Ash Wednesday and has ended on the evening of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. Since Sundays are not calculated in that time frame, Lent actually lasts 46 days.

When did Lent begin?

The first Christians approached each Sunday as a celebration of Easter, and each day of the week was considered a time to prepare for the Sunday celebration. Beginning in the fourth century in Europe, dates began to be established for Christmas and other religious dates of significance. The pattern of 40 days of preparation and penance started to emerge around this time. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the first mention of the term “tessarakoste,” meaning “40” in Greek, could be found in the early years of the fourth century. As Greek gave way to Latin in liturgies, tessarakoste was replaced with “quadragesima,” meaning 40 days. Christians started the tradition of Lent around the year 325 during the Council of Nicea.

Why 40 days?

The Compass News says the 40 days of Lent refer to Christ’s 40 days spent in the desert after His baptism. Just as Jesus prayed and fasted, so, too, did the church and its faithful.

Why is it called Lent?

Scholars suggest the word “Lent” is derived from “lengten,” an AngloSaxon word for spring, which also is related to the German word “lenz,” meaning spring. By the 11th century, the Oxford English Dictionary notes that “Lent” had taken on the Christian usage it has today, and the generic term for springtime disappeared.

Where do Ash Wednesday’s ashes come from?

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, when ashes are spread on the foreheads of followers in the sign of the cross to signal their repentance to God. The ashes are derived from burning the palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday.

Why are priests’ garments purple during Lent?

Purple long has been considered a royal color, and purple garb, along with a crown made from thorns, was placed on Jesus to mock him as the “King of the Jews.” Purple/violet became a symbol of the sovereignty of Christ and also was associated with repentance from sin. That is why violet is worn by clergy during Lent, as well as during Advent, the season that precedes Christmas.

How is Lent connected to Passover?

Religious scholars contend that the “Last Supper” took place on what is now known as Holy Thursday. The meal was a seder, a ritual meal held in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Passover. According to the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke, Jesus prepared for the Last Supper on the “first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb.” Lent is a powerful time on the Christian calendar during which the faithful prepare for the glory of Jesus Christ’s life after death.