This Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the six weeks during the year when many Christians reflect more deeply on their faith, challenge themselves to follow their Lord and Savior more closely, maybe even give up their favorite food or TV show.
When I was growing up, most of my friends were devote Catholics who always gave up something for Lent, usually a food product that they normally never ate the rest of the year, like prunes or fruitcake. And if they did give up something they liked, such as ice cream or chocolate, if they were true to their commitment all week, they could eat this desired food on Sunday.
I really never understood that. Something is up, though, because I also always heard that Lent is 40 days, which is only true if you take out the Sundays.
A web search of Lent actually did teach me that Sundays during Lent are considered by some as “mini-Easters”, a day to celebrate instead of to mourn. I always thought that Sundays any time of year were meant to be revered, the day of the week we were supposed to always dedicate to God.
My thought is to live every day the same, as a child of God, reading His word, sharing His word and living your life so that your faith shows. If I can spend more time during the season of Lent working on that, maybe I will find it easier to keep it up after Easter has come and gone.
17 Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” 18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. 19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 10:17-19 (New Living Translation)
[Starting next week and running until Easter, my Sunday blog will be taken from the book of Luke, looking at the last days to the last hours of Jesus’ life on this Earth. I pray that I can share something meaningful. The picture above is from a church service that my daughter attended in Kenya, Africa, last summer.]
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