LENT begins the holiest season of the year for Christians, especially Catholics. There are certain sacrifices we make and certain traditions that we observe:

• The days of both Fast and Abstinence during Lent are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The other Fridays of Lent are days of Abstinence. On a day of Fast, only one (1) full meal is permitted. Those between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast. On a day of Abstinence, no meat may be eaten. Those who have reached the age of 14 are obliged by the law of abstinence.

• The obligation to observe the laws of Fast and Abstinence "substantially," or as a whole, is a serious obligation.

• The Fridays of the year, outside of Lent, are designated as days of penance, but each individual may substitute for the traditional abstinence from meat some other practice of voluntary self-denial as penance.

• The time for fulfilling the Paschal Precept (East Duty - All the faithful, after they have been initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, are bound by the obligation of receiving Communion at least once a year) extends from the First Sunday of Lent to the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity.

LENT, the 40 days in the Christian year, which lead up to Easter, is an observance of intrinsic value to the Christian church. The word Lent comes from a variety of Anglo-Saxon & Germanic words meaning "spring," a time budding with new life and hope. But for Christians, Lent is not a celebration of nature, rather, it is a process of prayer and spiritual renewal. The Lenten season emphasizes one's need to cultivate the interior life through spiritual exercises and disciplines.

Originally, in the first century, Lent was observed as a forty-hour period, in keeping with the forty hours Jesus' body was in the tomb. This Lenten watch ended with an Easter service at 3:00 a.m. In the third century, the forty hours evolved into a six-day extension. These six days were known as Holy Week. Then, the six days grew into 36 days (36 being the tithe or a tenth of the 365 days of the year). Finally, during the reign of Charlemagne in the eighth century, four days were added to the 36, to create our current celebration of Lent. The added days were Ash Wednesday, which begins the Lenten season, and the three following days, running up to the First Sunday in Lent. The forty days of Lent (Sundays are not included, for they are the Lord's Day, which includes a celebration of the resurrection) is a time which calls all of us to be dedicated to discipline and personal examination.

Lent is a time of preparation. It is designated for the preparation of candidates for baptism and confirmation. This season is intentionally set aside for examination, instruction, penitence and prayer for these candidates. This season is one of preparation for all the people of God.

Lent is a time for penitence and discipline. It is the time for mourning, solemnity and sadness. In the Lenten season, self-examination is crucial. An individual's response to the call for purposeful reflection on one's need for God is an important factor in choosing a discipline with which to actively observe Lent. For some, fasting is a means of self-examination and denial; yet, fasting is not an appropriate discipline for all people. The purpose of a Lenten discipline is to strip away those things which clutter one's life or impede one from being in relationship with God. It is also a time for people to experience and reflect on the sufferings of Jesus, in light of personal sin and unrighteousness. The dichotomy is stark: Jesus' righteousness and our unrighteousness. Jesus, who died so that we may live.

Lent is a time for special prayer. During Lent many people give extra time to personal and public prayer. The traditional symbol for these forms of Lenten prayer is the pretzel. In the fifth century, Christians were known to make dough of flour, salt and water, which they shaped into the form of two crossed arms to remind themselves to pray. The product was called little arms or bracellae, which later was called brezel or pretzel. The pretzel was only eaten during the season of Lent, as a reminder to pray.

From preparation, penitence and discipline to pray, Lent is known as a time of spiritual renewal and growth. As Christ fasted and prayed in the desert for forty days, we try to be mindful of Christ for the standards by which we live our lives, with goals of self-giving and suffering love. With such high goals, any programmatic response may seem to fall short, yet an attempt to incorporate prayer, meditation, and useful action in the path of Christ into our lives, is invaluable. At the Chapel, we have designed our Sunday Lent services and Friday Lenten prayer services in such a way as to help those who are journeying through discipline and introspection. We invite you to join us in this Lenten journey toward the cross.