| What is the meaning of Lent? |
| Lent is the period of fasting and repentance in preparation for Easter. The length of the Lenten fast is the 40 days plus the 6 Sundays before Easter. For centuries, it has been observed as a special time of self examination and penitence. Lent is a time for concentration on fundamental values and priorities, and is not a time for self punishment. During this time, participants give up a particular food or habit or take up new things. Both can serve to mark the season as a holy time of preparation. Some things added during Lent are daily Bible reading, fasting on Fridays, times of prayer, taking a course of study related in some way to spirituality. The New Testament teaches us that our acts of fasting and repentance should be done in a manner that does not attract attention to ourselves: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:16-18). Fasting is a good thing when it is done with a Biblical perspective. It is good and pleasing to God when we give up sinful habits and practices. Lent is also an especially appropriate time for the sacrament of confession. While confession to a priest is not required to receive God’s forgiveness, it can be a meaningful rite of reconciliation to God. Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is the day Lent begins. The “official” name of Ash Wednesday is “the Day of Ashes.” The reason the day became known as Ash Wednesday is that it is forty days before Good Friday, which will always be a Wednesday. This is symbolized by the imposition of ashes on the forehead, with the words, "You are dust and to dust you shall return." In the Old Testament, ashes were a sign of penitence (feeling regretful at offenses) and mourning. Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is the day we remember Jesus' "triumphal entry" into Jerusalem, exactly one week before His resurrection (Matthew 21:1-11). It is referred to as "Palm Sunday" because of the palm branches that were laid on the road as Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem. This day is marked with a blessing of palms and a procession in which the whole congregation carries palms. It is also marked by reading the story of Jesus’ passion. Some of the Palm Sunday palms are kept and used to make the Ash Wednesday ashes for the next year. Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday, also known as “Holy Thursday” is the Thursday of Passion Week, one day before Good Friday (the Thursday before Easter). Maundy Thursday is the name given to the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, known as the Last Supper. Two important events are the focus of Maundy Thursday: (1) Jesus having the Last Supper with His disciples and thereby instituting the Lord’s Supper / Communion (Luke 22:19-20). (2) Jesus washing the disciples’ feet as an act of humility and service, thereby setting an example that we should love and serve one another in humility (John 13:3-17). All Saints Church observes a foot-washing ceremony on Maundy Thursday to commemorate Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. The word “Maundy” is derived from the Latin word for “command.” The “Maundy” in Maundy Thursday refers to the command Jesus gave to the disciples at the Last Supper, that they should love and serve one another. Good Friday Good Friday is the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. It is traditionally the day on which Jesus was crucified. Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.” |
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| The Parish of All Saints |
| The Anglican Church in the Diocese of Trinidad and Tobago |
