The mere mention of the word “Lent” can, for many Catholics, conjure up uneasy feelings of sacrifice and deprivation.
As children, the very thought of giving up lollies, ice cream, television or other luxuries for 40 days can create a sense of trepidation in the build up to Easter – and its effects can linger into adulthood.
That is not to say that there is anything wrong with the inner battle triggered by impending sacrifices.
However, if our perception of Lent stops there, we do not understand its true spiritual significance and consequently lose the truth and beauty of this season in the Church’s calendar.
So what is the purpose of Lent and where did Lent originate? The word “lent” derives from the Germanic “lenz”, meaning “long” and also used for “spring” as days are longer in spring and it is the beginning of new life.
It is a profound symbolism because Lent is intended to be a season of preparation for the Church and for individuals as they draw closer to the celebration of the new life gained through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
In the early Church, it was used as a preparation for new converts who would then be baptised prior to the Easter celebrations.
The earliest evidence of this pre-Easter preparation can be attributed to second century saint Irenaeus of Lyons, who is quoted in the writings of early Church historian Eusebius.
He addressed the period prior to the Paschal celebrations in a letter to PopeVictor I: “The dispute is not only about the day, but also about the actual character of the fast. Some think that they ought to fast for one day, some for two, others for still more; some make their ‘day’ last 40 hours on end”.
Several years after this letter, prolific author Tertullian, then a devotee of the heretical Montanist sect, contrasted the fasting observed by Catholics during the “the days on which the bridegroom has been taken away” (the Friday and Saturday before Easter Sunday) and the two weeks observed by the Montanists. Such variation suggests that the
Church at that stage did not have Apostolic tradition to guide her and was seeking to formulate a practical uniformity.
The idea of a 40 hour fast, as mentioned by Irenaeus, was believed to have stemmed from an understanding that Jesus spent 40 hours in the tomb. It has also been suggested the establishment of a 40 day fast may have been influenced by a grammatical error occurring during the translation of Eusebius’ book from Greek to Latin, giving the impression that Irenaeus was referring to 40 days rather than 40 hours.
Whether this is historically correct or not, the first official mention of a 40 day preparation before Easter was made at the Council of Nicea in 325.
This was followed soon after in a letter from St Athanasius to his congregation in Alexandria in 331, where he implored them to observe a preliminary fast of 40 days, prior to, but not inclusive of, the stricter fast of Holy Week.
Then, in 339, after returning from Rome, he again wrote to urge this 40 day observance: “While all the world is fasting, we who are in Egypt should not become a laughing stock as the only people who do not fast but take our pleasure in those days”.
The period soon evolved into a 46 day period so Lent would comprise 40 actual fasting days, consistent with the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert, and six extra days to make up for Sundays.
Sundays were considered days to celebrate Christ’s resurrection, including those during Lent.Christians were not expected to fast or practise other forms of penance on Sundays. It is a tradition that has continued to this day.
In the late fourth century, St Cyril of Jerusalem established 18 pre-baptismal instructions to be given to catechumens during Lent. During the Council of Ephesus in 431, this was extended to include the “entire community of the faithful, so that right from the outset the catechumens may feel that they belong to the people of God”.
It seems also that, in early centuries, there was no uniformity within the Church in regards to fasting.
In the fifth century, historian Socrates refers to the diversity of practice: “Some abstain from every sort of creature that has life … others fish only … others abstain from fruit covered by a hard shell and from eggs. Some eat dry bread only, others not even that: others again when they have fasted to the ninth hour (three o’clock) partake of various kinds of food”.
The most consistent reference to fasting over the centuries following refers to eating only one main meal a day, although the practice has varied over time.
Today, the Church teaches followers to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (having one main meal per day and smaller snacks to keep up one’s strength) and individuals are free to choose their own form of prayer, penance, sacrifice, almsgiving and good works throughout the Lenten period.
However, despite the evolution of the mechanics and practices of Lent throughout the Church’s history, the spiritual significance has always been its being the foundation of the Paschal season, as indicated by Pope Benedict XVI during his 2012 Easter Vigil reflection.
“The darkness of the previous days is driven away the moment Jesus rises from the grave and himself becomes God’s pure light … He draws all of us after him into the new light of the resurrection and he conquers all darkness. For this reason, the early Church called baptism ‘photismos’ – illumination.”
This is why the Church views Easter as “the feast of feasts” and why the Lenten season is so important.
However, it is vital that despite the sacrificial nature of the season, the eyes of the faithful are set firmly on the victory that follows.
It is, as Pope Benedict explains, a time “to renew our decision to follow Christ on the path of humility, in order to take part in his victory over sin and death”.
It is a time to recognise our frailties, he said, but it is essential we view these in the context of God’s perfect love, that we are made in His image and destined for Him – “able to recognise his voice and respond to him”.
It is this understanding we are called to nurture during our journey through Lent.
We should feel uncomfortable as we approach this season, as our self-inflicted sacrifices and practices are intended to shake up and challenge those obstacles that prevent us from receiving the fullness of Christ’s victory on the cross.
The season of Lent should be a microcosm of our life journey – an intensive opportunity for spiritual growth – to move away from our self-focused desires and towards a deeper discovery of God’s love.
The goal of repentance, fasting, prayer, good works and penance is not to make ourselves suffer for suffering’s sake, but to confront those hinderances and sins that distract us from coming to know God more intimately.
They are aimed at deepening our awareness of Christ’s sacrifice by consciously enduring a period of personal discomfort.
Pope Benedict described Jesus’ time in the desert as his ‘Lent’, referring to it as “a complete abandonment of himself to the Father and to his plan of love”.
It was a conscious choice that we are called to replicate during the season of Lent. As Pope Benedict tells us, our decision must stem from a contrite heart, not from an empty sense of obligation, guilt, fear or duty.
It is not that we have anything to add to Jesus’ sacrifice but Lent becomes an opportunity to unite ourselves to him through our sacrifices and grow in our understanding of how death to one’s self can lead to the reward of eternal life.