Lent is a season of preparation and repentance during which we anticipate Good Friday and Easter. Just as we carefully prepare for big events in our personal lives, such as a wedding or commencement, Lent invites us to make our hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ passion and celebrating his resurrection.

The period of forty days between Ash Wednesday and Easter is set aside for self-examination, spiritual renewal, and growth. In many churches, it is seen as a time for fasting and abstinence, for alms-giving and acts of mercy, for repentance and prayer.