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Verbum

Article Title

The Meaning of Lent

Document Type

Article

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"For many of us the time of the year has come to participate in the celebration of Lent. For most Catholics, Lent means giving up something they enjoy, doing something good, and not eating meat on Fridays. Some see it as a waste and hate to make the sacrifice. But Lent is a special celebration. Ash Wednesday begins Lent. Ash Wednesday is significant because the placing of ashes on the forehead is a sign of humility before God; a symbol of mourning and sorrow at the death that sin brings into the world. It not only prefigures the mourning at the death of Jesus, but also places the worshipper in a position to realize the consequences of sin. The Sundays during the Lenten season commemorate special events in the life of Our Lord, such as his Transfiguration and his Triumphal Entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, which begins Holy Week. Holy week climaxes with Holy Thursday, on which Christ celebrated the first Mass, Good Friday, on which he was Crucified, and Holy Saturday—the last day of Lent—during which, Our Lord lay in the Tomb before his Resurrection on Easter Sunday, which is the first day after Lent."

First Page

37

Last Page

40

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