LENT
From The United
Methodist Book Of Worship
“Lent is a season of
forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on
Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo–Saxon word
lencten, which means "spring." The season is a
preparation for celebrating Easter. Historically, Lent began as a
period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a
time for penance by all Christians. The First Sunday describes Jesus'
temptation by Satan; and the Sixth Sunday (Passion/Palm Sunday), Christ's
triumphal entry into Jerusalem and Christ's subsequent passion and
death. Because Sundays are always little Easters, the spirit of Lent
should be tempered with joyful expectation of the Resurrection.”
“The Great Three
Days—sometimes called the Triduum or Pasch—from sunset Holy Thursday through
sunset Easter Day are the climax of Lent and a bridge into the Easter season.
These days proclaim the mystery of Jesus Christ's passion, death, and
resurrection. During these days, the community journeys with
Jesus from the upper room, to the cross, to the tomb, and to the garden on
Easter Day.”
