10 Things you should know about Lent (Part 2)

Last week, I shared to you two things: First, reckoning the forty days is not importantly numerically exact. Second, the 40 days of self-examination, fasting and penance is called Lent because that is the Old English word for spring, the season of the year during which they fall.

This week, I will share to you the third and fourth things you should know about Lent.

3. There is a biblical basis for abstaining from meat as a sign of repentance.

“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia…‘I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.’” (Daniel 10:1-3)

That’s a perfect example of abstaining from meat as an act of contrition. But why are Fridays days of abstinence from meat? (CIC 1251) That will lead us to the next thing you should know about Lent.

4. Fridays are days of abstinence from meat because Jesus died for our sins on Friday, making it an especially appropriate day of mourning our sins (just as Sunday, the day on which he rose for our salvation is an especially appropriate day to rejoice) by denying ourselves something we enjoy.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies and pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and alms-giving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).” (CCC 1438)

It’s very interesting to look at Lent in biblical, liturgical and spiritual perspectives to know why Catholics consider this Church event a very important one.

I will leave it here for now. Next week, more facts you should not miss about Lent.