What is the Season of Lent?

Lent can be defined as a period offorty (40) days before Easter,intended to be a time of intensivepreparation for the celebration ofthe Paschal Mystery.

- Lent begins on Ash Wednesdayand lasts up to the Holy ThursdayEvening.

What is the significance of forty days (40) in our Lenten preparations?

1. Lent can be defined as a period of forty (40) daysbefore Easter…

- Number forty (40) is traditionallyemphasized because it is oftenfound in the Scriptures connecting itto the salvation history.

- These scriptural allusions were usedby the Church Fathers in explainingto us the meaning of Lent.

What are the biblical accounts in which (40) has a special significance?

- Genesis 7:12, 17“Noah and the Great Flood”

“Rain fell upon the earth forty daysand forty nights”“The flood continued forty days uponthe earth…”

- The New creation begun afterdestroying the corrupted mankindthrough a flood.

What are the biblical accounts in which (40) has a special significance?

- Exodus 16:35“Journey to the Promised Land”

“And the people of Israel ate themanna for forty years, till they came toa habitable land”

- The Israelites walked to the promisedland and has escaped the slavery of theEgyptians.

What are the biblical accounts in which (40) has a special significance?

- 1 Kings 19:8“Elijah on the way to Horeb”

“Elijah arose and ate and drank andwent in the strenght of that food fortydays and forty nights to Horeb the Mt.of God”

-Elijah is comforted and strengthenedby a food so he could reach theMountain of God – Horeb.

What are the biblical accounts in which (40) has a special significance?

- Exodus 24:18“Moses on Mt. Sinai”

“And Moses entered the cloud, andwent up on the mountain and Moseswas on the mountain forty days/fortynights”

-Moses spent solitude with God,listening and knowing the plan and willof God.

What are the biblical accounts in which (40) has a special significance?

- Mt. 4:1-11/Luke 4:1-13“The Temptation of Jesus”

“Jesus was led up by the Spirit into thewilderness to be tempted by the devil.And he fasted forty days and fortynights”

-Jesus was tempted but He knows whoHe is and His mission is clear to Him.

How do we prepare ourselves?

2. A time of intensive preparation for the celebrationof the Paschal Mystery.

Alms Giving

Prayer

Fasting

What is the meaning of ashes during Ash Wednesday?

1. It is a symbol of transiency – we arereminded how short and how passinghuman life is.

2. It is sign of purity – they are pureelements since they undergo theburning process.