For many Catholics, Lent is a season of reflection and sacrifice. This year Lent begins on the 5th of March and will last 40 days, ending on April 17, the day before Good Friday. The reason why Lent lasts 40 days is because 40 is the traditional number of judgement and spiritual testing in the Bible. Lent is symbolic of the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the desert before his public ministry began.
There are three pillars of the Lenten season: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Catholics follow the pattern of Jesus’ disciples and participate in a partial fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. As a way of commemorating Christ’s death on the cross, Lent is a time of increased generosity and remembering those less fortunate.
Catholics will abstain from eating meat on Fridays during the lenten season. Fish is allowed, as it is a symbol of Christ.
This year a special Lenten mission will be held at St. Anthony’s in Questa on March 10 and 11. The mission will begin at 5 p.m., with mass on both days followed by speakers, starting around 6 p.m. Stations of the Cross will be held at St. Anthony’s and the local mission churches on Fridays during Lent. The Knights of Columbus will hold their annual fish fry on certain Fridays and local restaurants will likely have their Lenten specials.
This period of increased prayer and sacrifice will culminate on Holy Thursday, when the washing of the disciples’ feet will be re-created during the mass service that evening and then celebrants will enter into the Easter Triduum (Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday).
Many locals have participated in these activities their entire lives. Roberta Robinson of Questa shares her Lenten experience, describing it as “a time of growth, appreciation, and sacrifice. While I work on my relationship with God always, Lent gives me the extra time and opportunities to deepen and grow my relationship with our Lord, through prayer, whether it’s the long-standing traditions of our faith, spiritual reading, or taking on additional reflections or challenges. It is also a time to appreciate all that I have been blessed with in my lifetime through the sacrifices made during Lent. A time to show my love for and trust in our Lord.”
Local Georgiana Rael says, “The Lenten season reinforces my faith each year as a time to consider how I use my time, talent, and treasure. My central reflection is, ‘Do I know Him? Am I loving Him? Do I serve Him?’ For me, the connection between the Lenten season and the Pilgrimage for Vocations highlights how I need to strive to live every day of the year. Prayer, silence, and song.”
For so many, the season will begin with ashes on their forehead, a church full in attendance, and culminate with a grand feast on Easter Sunday, (April 20 this year).
