by Drew Woodson

Created on: March 08, 2009   Last Updated: March 19, 2009

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, a day many people know as "the day after Mardis Gras." It celebrates the coming of Easter, the most important Christian holiday, and commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness resisting temptations from Satan. The Lenten season in the Christian tradition begins with repentance and forgiveness and often includes fasting. For non-Christians, Lent can still be a time for reflection and understanding.

Lent began as a tradition in the early Christian church as a period of preparation. In order to be accepted into the faith, a person had to go through a rigorous 40-day apprenticeship. During this time, the person would learn the beliefs and practices of the church. The 40-day experience ended with the new member's baptism, which usually coincided with Easter. The whole church fasted with the new members to show their solidarity.

Today, some people still give up luxuries during Lent to reflect on hardship and refocus on more important challenges. The Catholic church recognizes three ways to celebrate Lent: prayer, fasting, and alms giving. One way to combine these celebrations is to fast or cut expensive foods from your diet and donate the savings to a worthy charity. One bishop in Italy has asked parishioners to fast from texting, Twitter, and other ways of virtually connecting to people as a way to emphasize the importance of face-to-face relationships. His suggestion underscores that fasting does not necessarily mean giving up food items. One can fast from just about anything.

While the Catholic church more outwardly celebrates Lent, most Christian churches have some way of celebrating the season. Many have special services throughout the season. Many Christians forego meat on Fridays during Lent.

The early church understood the importance of internalizing self-discipline as a spiritual practice. As the church was persecuted, members needed a strong will to face the inevitable challenges that came with being a part of a persecuted minority. Today, Christianity has a more dominant place in society, so Lent has taken on the role of reminding Christians of other people's powerlessness. Going hungry, however briefly, and giving up luxuries, however unimportant, are small reminders of the blessings of one's community and the difficulties others face. This experience prepares mind, body, and spirit for the internalization of self-discipline. Lent is the perfect time to renew that preparation, to practice self-discipline, and reflect. Whether one is a Christian or not, self-discipline is always a worthy practice.

Learn more about this author, Drew Woodson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.