Proclaim and Praise Lent Devotional - Book - Page 13
INTRODUCTION
F
or most of us Christians, Easter comes and goes by so
quickly. Indeed, the brightness and excitement
associated with this special day are often just a distant
memory for the rest of the year. While our church now
faithfully observes Holy Week4gathering for Maundy
Thursday, Good Friday, and other sacred services4Easter
can often feel like a one-day affair in our hearts. We attend
the services, but many of us still approach Easter without the
deep personal preparation this celebration deserves. Perhaps
this is because the solemn, reflective days leading up to
Easter, though profound, do not carry the triumphant joy we
experience on Easter Sunday.
But what if we could change how we celebrate Easter this
year by preparing ourselves in sincere reflection during Lent?
Lent, known in Latin as Quadragesima, meaning fortieth,
is a solemn season in the liturgical calendar of many Christian
denominations. It begins on Ash Wednesday and spans
approximately six weeks, leading up to Easter Sunday. The
traditional purpose of Lent is to prepare the believer through
prayer, repentance, almsgiving, self-denial, and a renewed
focus on Christ. These practices have long been observed by
Christians in Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Reformed, and
Roman Catholic traditions, and some Anabaptist and
evangelical churches also embrace them today.
