Season of Lent: Journey of Penance

Date posted on February 22, 2023

What is Lent?

Lent is a yearly celebration of the Church in preparation for Easter. Lent has two major purposes: It recalls or prepares for Baptism, and emphasizes a spirit of penance. Through forty days of closer attention to God’s Word and of more fervent prayer, we are prepared to celebrate the Paschal Mystery.

During Lent, the reminder of baptism already received, as well as the theme of repentance, renew the entire community along with those being prepared to celebrate the paschal mystery, in which each of the elect will share through the sacraments of initiation. (RCIA 125, Ad gentes, 14)

For those already baptized Lent is a time of preparation to celebrate the paschal mystery through reminders of our baptism and penitential practices. (GNLYC 27)

Lent is a privileged time for prayer, fasting and almsgiving. This season provides an opportunity to renew and deepen our relationship with Jesus, and to renew the choices we make, so that we might live as he taught.

When is Lent?

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023, and continues until the beginning of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening, on April 6th, 2022. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.

Lenten Penance and the Synodal Journey

In his message for Lent 2023, Pope Francis reminds us that “Lenten penance is a commitment, sustained by grace, to overcoming our lack of faith and our resistance to following Jesus on the way of the cross.”

“May the Holy Spirit inspire and sustain us this Lent in our ascent with Jesus, so that we may experience his divine splendour and thus, confirmed in faith, persevere in our journey together with him, glory of his people and light of the nations.”