Lent is a time of preparation for the great Feast of Easter.
In the beginning, the church celebrated its only feast – Easter. Every Sunday, the early Christians gathered in some place to celebrate their “Weekly Easter”. Around 200 years after Christ, this celebration was extended for three more days known as the “Easter Triduum”. Gradually, people thought it fitting to celebrate the Feast for 50 more days until Pentecost. It was only toward the end of the fourth century that people recognized that the celebration of such a great Feast needs an appropriate amount of preparation. And thus, 40 days of Lent came into being.
Why 40 days of preparation? In the bible the number 40 is the time of preparation for a great event. Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain without touching any food or water (Ex. 34:38). Jesus prepared for His public ministry for 40 days and 40 nights (Mt 4:2). The Israelites spent 40 years in the desert preparing themselves to enter the Promised Land. This time allotment means preparing oneself until one gets ready for a task or mission. We should seriously ponder — are 40 days of lent enough for us to prepare ourselves for Easter?
Lent is also a time for the Lord to prepare us for His mission for our salvation. Our response to His mission for us depends on how well we prepare. This year, Easter may be the special time we recognize our calling. Why not give it a good try? Find out what God’s choice is for you and prepare well for it.
-Fr. Ranjan D’Sa OCD