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Ash Wednesday February 17th
02/17/2010
Lent! It's coming but what is it?
Lent is one of the "seasons" of the church year. It is a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter, the day of Christ's resurrection.
In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare people for Baptism. Over time, the focus of Lent changed to be more of a time of penitent preparation for Easter by the entire community. Since about the 7th century, the church in the West has kept Lent for 40 days (excluding Sundays) beginning with Ash Wednesday.
The liturgy for Ash Wednesday, celebrated here at 12:10 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., includes the Imposition of Ashes which provides a physical reminder of our humanness, "we are dust and to dust we shall return." The liturgical color of Lent is purple or neutral beige.
The penitent focus of Lent is not meant to discourage us but to make us more mindful of our dependence on God. Many people observe Lent by adding a spiritual practice to their routine such as prayer, reading, keeping a journal, participating in a mid-week service, abstaining from something one otherwise enjoys, volunteering time and talent or by just making more time for quiet reflection.
The point in all these things is not to suffer, but to grow spiritually in Christ.
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