Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten Season

Wed, Mar 5th 2014, 11:27 AM

Various religious sects will observe the beginning of the Lenten Season which commences today known as "Ash Wednesday."

"Lent is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar of many Christian denominations that begins on Ash Wednesday and covers a period of approximately six weeks before Easter Day.

During this season, many of the "faithful commit to giving up certain luxuries" as a sign of penitence.

 


"The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement and self-denial. Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the tradition and events of the New Testament beginning on Friday of Sorrows, further climaxing on Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday, which ultimately culminates in the joyful celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Many Roman Catholic and Protestant churched during this season would dress religious crucifixes and other religious symbols in darker color mainly violet fabrics as a form of solemn observance of this season. Moreover, Catholic churches during this time would have stations of the cross every Friday as a devotional commemoration of Christ carrying the cross and usually react the said events leading to and the execution itself.

 



"Throughout Christendom, some adherents mark the season with the traditional abstention from the consumption of meat, most notably among Roman Catholics.In some Catholic countries, grand religious processions and cultural customs are observed, and the faithful attempt to visit seven churches during Holy Week in honor of Jesus Christ heading to Mount Calvary."

In the tradition of of the greatest events for the church (especially the Roman Catholic Church)"Lent is traditionally described as lasting for forty days, in commemoration of the forty days which, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by the Devil. However, different Christian denominations calculate the forty days of Lent differently. Historically, the season of Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday and includes the Paschal Triduum. This duration has been maintained by most Western Christian denominations, including the Anglican Church, Lutheran Church, Methodist Church,[8] and Western Rite Orthodox Church. However, after the liturgical abbreviations of the Second Vatican Council in the Roman Catholic Church, Lent is now taken to end on Holy Thursday rather than Easter Eve, and hence lasts 38 days excluding Sundays, or 44 days in total." br? This event, along with its pious customs are observed by Christians in the Anglican, Calvinism, Lutheran, Methodist, and Roman Catholic traditions.

Whether you are a Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Protestant or even non-denominational do something this Lent to show that you are grateful of the sacrifice made for the salvation of mankind by practicing penitence, almsgiving and exercising additional faith.

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