We now are in the season of Lent. It is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection.  In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism.  Today, as Christians we focus on our relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or volunteering and giving of ourselves for others. 

  The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan. (See Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13 or Luke 4:1-12). These were the 40 days of preparation for the beginning of his ministry. The number 40 must have been an important number in Judeo/Christian history relating to preparation. (Remember that the Israelites wandered for 40 years in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land.)

  The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which means "spring." Lent began as a time of preparation for converts to Christianity (Easter was the traditional time of Baptism for the Early Church). Persons who were going to be confirmed would go through a period of prayer and fasting in preparation for their entry into Christianity. The preparation time evolved into a season that all Christians observed -- preparing themselves for the observance and remembering of the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ.