Attn: Catholics~what is Lent practiced for?

Question

I'm writing a paper~I know when it's practiced and by whom, but no real meaning to the purpose behind it, please help!

Answer 1

It was the forty-day preparation before the Easter Baptisms. It also was to emulate Jesus and His forty days in the wilderness and His temptation by the Devil.

Answer 2

The Resurrection of Christ is considered the greatest feast in the Christian calendar. To properly appreciate it, church leaders decided some preparation was necessary, a little soul-searching, a little bodily mortification to get us out of ourselves and thinking more about spiritual matters. On a practical level, the season was a nice fit because until the first sprouts came up, the root cellar was pretty bare. What better time to fast and abstain from meat than when there wasn't any available?

The first lents were a few days long. Eventually, they settled on 40 days because that's a good Biblical symbol for "a long time", repeated in several Bible passages. Spiritually, we were emulating Christ's ordeal in the desert, examining our hearts for spiritual flaws to better prepare to celebrate Easter. By denying ourselves food and other worldly pleasures, we were disengaging from the seductions and distractions of fleshly desire as Christ did, feeding ourselves on God's Word rather than mere bread. The intended result was a fresh appreciation of the central mysteries of the faith, the Passion, death and Resurrection of Christ.

Answer 3

Why do we practice lent? Well, there is an awesome song about that by the Dogma Dogs that i use to teach my third grade religious ed. class. i'll put the lyrics below:

Chorus:
(it's) Lent, Lent
Time to repent
Because it't Lent, Lent
Our wills they get bent
By what we've done and failed to do
(But) ask for mercy--He'll give it to you

(Verse1):
From Ash Wednesday til Evening Mass
On Holy Thursday, use a magnifying glass
Inspect your life: do you see some sin?
Let the alms and the penance begin!

(Verse 2):
Remember, man, that you are dust
Believe the Gospel, give it some trust
Lent means Spring, it's a beautiful thing
To get prepared for the risen King

(Verse 3):
After 40 days and 40 nights
Of prayer and fasting, living right
(Then) Easter Sunday comes to town
Christ gets up and the Spirit comes down!

Answer 4

The Season of Lent originated from the early days of the Church as a time to prepare for Easter. Lent used to be a period of forty hours spent fasting to remember Jesus's suffering and the forty hours He spent in the tomb. In the third century, Lent was made six days long, and in 800 AD it was made forty days.

The season of Lent lasts forty days and occurs before Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter. The forty days skip Sunday because Sunday signifies the Resurrection of Christ.

To prepare for the coming of Jesus, the colors are purple and royal blue. In the Western church, Lent always begins the seventh Wednesday before Easter. However, in the Eastern Church, they don't skip Sundays and they begin on Clean Monday - the seventh Monday before Easter.

During Lent, Catholics have several activities they can do to prepare for Easter. Catholics abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and each Friday during Lent. Catholics should also fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Answer 5

The Catholic Church follows the Biblical practice of Jesus Christ and the Jews in setting aside days where the entire Church fasts and prays as one in a attitude of constant renewal.

By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert and in spiritual preparation for the celebration of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

This season of penance is an intense moments of the Church's penitential practice and are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and charitable and missionary works.

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

Lent is a period of praying, fasting, and other forms of self denial and sacrifice that is intended to allow us to better appreciate all of the human suffering that Jesus experienced during his time on earth ... not just his passion and death.

By joining our sacrifices with his, we improve our own self control, come to a greater knowledge of his truth, and hopefully, make significant progress in our ongoing quest of attaining holiness and perfection in Christ.

By donating to the poor what we might have otherwise spent during Lent on food and other forgone luxuries, we also accomplish practical, charitable work.

Answer 7

lent has been practiced from as far back as the 4th century. it is a time of preparation,fasting,alms giving and reflection. it is a time to prepare for or recollection on baptism. at this time people in rcia classes are prepared to be baptised,those who have been baptised reflect upon baptism and its meaning. lent consists of key biblical events such as the passsion of christ and the resurrection. being held at spring and around easter it is a time of rejuvenation,a new life a new birth in baptism. it is common to fast, be more charitable and give alms. you may find more at fisheaters.com, ewtn.com or search catholic and view the sites that seem of benefit. hope this helps and god bless.

Answer 8

there are many wonderful posts prior to mine - i hope they give you some insight. lent, for me, is a time to remember all that Christ gave for me. 40 days is all that is asked. we (Catholics) are to fast, abstain from meat on fridays, give up something (mine is usually chocolate!).... it's funny but those simple things are rather tough yet they should be easier then anything. it's a time to remember that nothing we have is our own but all a gift from God. i will admit that that first pieceof chocolate after those 40 (really 46) days is the best chocolate i eat every year!

Answer 9

Of course it's not sinful, I am a baptist turned anglican, and I assure you, it's not a sin! Christians all over the world practice Lent

Answer 10

Surprising as it may sound, Lent was a practice from ancient Babylon, when the man-god Tammuz died and his mother Asherah ("queen of heaven") wept and fasted for 40 days, before, supposedly he came back to life