It seems that we just finished Advent and already Lent is only a few weeks away. Lent is the liturgical season of forty days which begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with the celebration of the Paschal Mystery (the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord). It is the primary penitential season in our liturgical year and reflects the forty days Jesus spent in the desert in fasting and prayer. After our Lord was baptized by John in the Jordan, He went out into the desert to prepare for His ministry. Satan presented Him with the temptations to be a great and powerful messiah rather than the meek and humble one as the Father willed. This temptation continues throughout the life of Christ as Peter rebukes Him for saying that He would have to suffer and die (Mt 16:21-22) and James and John asking if they should call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritan village that refused to receive Jesus (Lk 9:51-55). Even at the moment of His death the crowd taunts Him saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross (Mt 27:40).”
During these forty days, we are liturgically uniting our lives with Jesus in the desert (Catechism of the Catholic Church 540). The liturgy (especially Mass) allows us to enter into salvation history here and now (CCC 1095). In order to be with Jesus in the desert, it is the custom of the Church to do “spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works) (CCC 1438).” By either adding penitential practices or denying ourselves comforts we are able to join Jesus in the desert in His meekness and humility. Going to reconciliation is also a great way to humble ourselves before the Lord while removing any barriers our sins may have created between us and God.
We also have penitential practices as a community of believers as we all fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstain from meat on each Friday. It is also our custom to receive ashes on our foreheads to further humble ourselves. Mass takes a more penitential tone as the music and environment become simpler and the penitential color of violet is used. We also do not sing the Gloria or proclaim Alleluia.
Although we are still a few weeks from the beginning of Lent, it is a good time to create a plan of what you are going to change during the Lenten season so that when Ash Wednesday comes you will hit the road running. It is easy to let Lent sneak up and find ourselves scrambling to figure out what we are going to do. Make sure your plans are balanced in that they are achievable and yet not too easy. Don’t forget to pray and ask God what He wants you to do this Lenten season. By taking this season seriously, you will grow deeper in your relationship with our Lord and the celebration of the Easter season will be that much more joyful.
