for as long as i can remember, my family has honored the 40 days leading up to Easter…in other words, i grew up with Lent. but every year i find myself re-researching the answers to these questions:
- what is Lent?
- when does Lent start?
- what is the purpose of Lent?
- what does Lent mean?
- what should i give up for Lent?
so whether your new to Lent or you’ve celebrated a hundred times, sometimes a refresh helps, right?! i think i find myself looking these answers up again every year partly because my reasons for “needing” Lent change. it is also because it’s so easy to revert back to my elementary understanding that Lent is just a time when you “give something up because it’s good for you.”
for years, that’s kind of what i thought. on the surface, i knew i was giving something up so that on a very TINY scale i could mirror Christ’s sacrifice for us. but as i said no to chocolate for 40 days, i rarely thought of Jesus. i mostly just thought that i wanted chocolate (or to see the numbers on the scale go donw). additionally, there was always the lingering question of whether giving up chocolate was really doing something? because how can giving up chocolate {or anything} even BEGIN to compare to Jesus giving up His life?
the answer is, it can’t. as moms {or humans}, we can never-ever-in-a-billion-years-with-any-kind-of-act-or-deed pay Jesus back for his ultimate sacrifice. nor can we make it up to God for giving up His only son.
it’s was hard to be ok with {or even understand} that uneven balance until i started to think about it like this…
i make a thousand sacrifices a day for my kids. we all do. we give up time, sanity, self-care, hygiene, SLEEP, dreams, goals, plans, money, our very bodies even…for our kids. most days, these sacrifices go completely unnoticed. no one repays them. and the next day, we do the mom thing all over again. with love.
but then there are those moments {dare i say days?} when we receive small whispered i love you’s, someone does their chores without complaining, or eats vegetables, or has an entire conversation with you without asking for something. maybe you discover a hand-written note on your pillow or someone impulsively proclaims you’re the best mom in the world.
those TINY little offerings in no way match the sacrifices we make as moms. but don’t they make it all feel a little lighter? a little more worth it? it will NEVER be even. but it can be something.
as a mom who still has a lifetime of growing and learning to do in faith, this is my current view of Lent. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter when i can do something. Jesus doesn’t need it to match His sacrifice. He’s not asking for it at all. but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter.
alright then, so what is Lent?
Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter. this year {2020} it begins on february 26th {Ash Wednesday} and ends on april 12th {Easter Sunday}.
what is the purpose of Lent?
Lent is a penitential season, which means it is an opportunity to reflect on your life, offer up your challenges, obstacles, and struggles to God, and ask Him to show you ways you can grow and become better for yourself, your family, your friends, and Him.
why is Lent 40 days?
Lent is 40 days to commemorate the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert {according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke}. His time in the desert was before Jesus began his public ministry.
what should i do for Lent?
start by asking God. then listen. really listen. listen through opportunities placed in front of you. listen through other people. listen through books, blogs, podcasts. listen through church, Bible studies, book groups, and small groups. listen in absolute silence, even if only for a minute. open your life for 40 days to looking for God.
maybe He’ll guide you to develop new, more productive habits. or perhaps to get rid of habits or routines that are in the way of your progress. sometimes it isn’t until we STOP doing something that space opens up for a new, more life-giving opportunity.
maybe you need to spend more time with God and less time on something else.
maybe you won’t hear Him yet and you’ll just have to do the next good/hard/right thing and look for Him along the way.
best question to ask yourself? how can you become a better person, mom, wife, friend, sister, daughter, and community member? then, do it and ask for His help and guidance.
what to most people do for Lent?
traditionally, during Lent there is a strong focus on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
prayer is simply talking to God. this can be done in a more disciplined way – waking every morning at 6, reciting memorized prayers, following a plan, devotional, or Bible study. or prayer can take place amidst your regular day – in the car on the way to soccer, as you get yourself ready for work, as whispers during challenging times. prayer can take many forms – petition, intercession, adoration, thanksgiving – and is central to the Christian faith.
fasting is a spiritual exercise and means going without a certain food for a certain amount of time. the purpose is inner growth – drawing nearer to God and opening our hearts to receive His blessings. going without food is a tangible feeling of longing for something, of dependance on something for health and survival. in a world where we are made to feel like “we got this,” it is a reminder that there are more important things in life than _________ and God can show us the way to those new priorities.
almsgiving is giving to those who are in need. this can be in the form of time, talent, or treasure. during Lent, Christians are asked to reflect on where they can fill in the gaps of need in their families, neighborhoods, communities, and the greater world. even the smallest of acts go a long way.
if you’re still deciding and need some ideas for what to do for Lent this year, i’d like to invite you to join us for this year’s Grow in Gratitude, where we will uncover & celebrate everyday blessings! this year, Lent starts on february 22nd and i cannot wait for you to join the hundreds of families already signed up and ready to participate in Grow in Gratitude!
Grow in Gratitude was designed especially to fit into a Mom’s busy schedule, with a variety of pretty page formats to help you invite God into your day through gratitude.
sound like just what you need to grow in your faith and relationship with God this Lent! ready to learn more?! all the fun details + a peek inside the Grow in Gratitude materials for Moms + KIDS right HERE.
meanwhile, now you have answers to the most common questions about Lent, all in one spot! no more need to spend endless time searching – just save this post to reference for years to come!
**the information in this post references a Dynamic Catholic article for its broad range of easy-to-understand facts. it is IMPORTANT to note, Lent is not an exclusively Catholic practice. Lent is an opportunity for ALL CHRISTIANS to find ways to bring more Jesus into their regular days, to reflect on habits and routines keeping us from spending more time with God, and to grow in our faith TOGETHER. if you’d like to check out the article, you can find it here at DynamicCatholic.com.
