Lent for Children

During most of my childhood Lent meant “giving up candy or sweets”.  I always tried to give up eating cauliflower….mainly because I did not like eating it….but I was taught that Lent is the season of self-denial and giving something(I enjoyed) up made sense, but it wasn’t something I necessarily looked forward to.  Lent was somber. It was a dark time for a kid. I always found myself wondering….What is Lent all about, anyway?…this season of self denial, penance and meditation?

As a young adult, I explored the deeper meaning of Lent and how very important this season can be in preparation to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection! As with any BIG event in our lives, we must prepare ourselves.  Lent is literally a time of reflection on the passion of Jesus; 40 days in which we reflect on the hugeness of what our Salvation is and the plan that God had for each of us through Jesus.  It is a very prayerful time in which we prepare ourselves to celebrate the grace of our forgiveness, our gift of salvation and the hope in the Resurrection.

There are two important symbols of Lent.

The desert experience reminds us of the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the desert before being allowed into the Promised Land. It is also very symbolic of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert being tempted and tempered before beginning His earthly ministry. The number “40” is symbolic too.

Water is also an important symbol in Lent.  Lent is a time we work towards an inner renewal of our Baptism in Christ.  It is a season when we delve a little deeper into our faith and understanding of our salvation through grace.

So as we experience the days leading up to Easter….let us remember our
Baptism….let us reflect on large scale of our redemption.   Let us Thank God every day for His grace and love…and for eternal life.  Do you think you can do that?