On March 19th, I sat down with Mrs. Devan to talk about Lent. With Lent just starting, I wanted to get some insight from our campus ministry director. I asked her questions about the different traditions of Lent and the history behind it.
Lent is a period of 40 days in the Christian liturgical calendar that leads up to Easter. It serves as a time for preparation, reflection, and repentance for Christians. Lent is also meant to help us focus on our faith and connection with God. The 40-day period reflects the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert before beginning his public ministry. There are three main parts of Lent fasting, prayer and almsgiving.
On Ash Wednesday, you might see people have crosses on their foreheads made from ashes. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, and the ashes are a symbol of repentance, morality, and spiritual renewal. It is common for many Christian traditions to have the ashes made from the burned palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration, which connects the beginning of Lent to the events of Jesus’ passion and death.
I asked Mrs. Devan what makes the Ash Wednesday Mass stand out from other masses. She said “Lent is arguably the most important season in the Catholic Church, beginning with Ash Wednesday.” When asked about the importance of giving something up for Lent, she stated “By giving something up it helps us practice self-discipline, reflect on our faith and grow closer to God. It helps remind us of what Jesus did for us—sacrificing His life—and encourages us to grow stronger in our faith. Lent is a time to hit pause, think about our actions, and get ready to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.” Some things that Mrs. Devan has given up for lent in the past are social media, music, sweets, and complaining. Lent is also a time for us to get closer with God. She said that one year she put 40 acts of kindness in a fishbowl and pulled one out each day. Lent is celebrated by all Catholics and many Christians. Some more traditions that go along with Lent are fasting, prayer, almsgiving, Ash Wednesday, stations of the cross, confession and the reading of scripture. On Easter, don’t forget the reason for the season!
