What is Lent?
Posted on 02/24/2016

Lent, begins on Ash Wednesday, and is the 40-day season of preparation for Easter that ends on Holy Thursday, three days before Easter Sunday. During Lent, Catholics recall their baptism and do penance – fasting, prayer and almsgiving as they commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ.

During the season of Lent Catholics typically give something up, to prepare themselves for the greatest feast in the Christian Calendar, Easter.

Easter is the most important Feast in the Christian calendar. During this time Christian’s celebrate the resurrection of Christ. This year we celebrate Easter on April 5, 2016.

What’s the significance of 40 days?

  • In the Bible, 40 is the number used to signify enough or ample time
  • The liturgical significance of the number 40 is our intensified attention to God’s salvation and faithfulness in times of waiting, trials, and testing
  • Noah’s flood lasted 40 days
  • Jesus’ 40-day fast in the desert before be started his public ministry

For more information please visit the Archdiocese of Toronto's website.