Lent 2022: from when to when does it last and what is it?

When does Lent begin?

It is good to know when Lent begins. Well, its start date is not fixed. The period of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, the date of which depends on the date of the movable holidays of the Catholic Church as they are. falls on the first Sunday following the so-called church’s full moon (i.e. the first spring full moon: no earlier than March 22 and no later than April 25), while Ash Wednesday is designated exactly 46 calendar days before Sunday. The first day of Lent, known as Ash Wednesday or Ash Wednesday, usually falls between February 4 and March 10. In 2022, Lent began relatively late, on March 2. Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Pope Francis called for this day to become a day of prayer for world peace in the Catholic Church. In the faithful they go to churches, where during the Holy Mass the priest sprinkles their heads with ashes, saying the words “Dust you are and to dust you will return” or “Convert and believe in the Gospel”. In addition, they observe strict fasting on this day (i.e. limit the number of meals during the day to two light and one full meal) and abstain from meat meals.

How many days is Lent?

It would seem that answering the question of how many days Lent lasts should not pose any problems. It is assumed that Lent lasts 40 days, which is a direct reference to the forty-day fasting of Jesus Christ in the desert described in the Bible, during which he was tempted by Satan. The number 40 has a symbolic meaning in the Holy Scriptures: the biblical flood lasted 40 days, the same number of days Moses spent on Mount Sinai, and the Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years after escaping from Egypt. Originally, Lent lasted only 40 hours, covering Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Later, the fasting period was extended to a week to finally establish the 40-day period of Lent, commencing on the Wednesday before the sixth Sunday before Easter. In accordance with the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church in force until 1983, the period of Lent lasted from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, i.e. 46 calendar days. However, since Sundays were not included in it, the period actually amounted to 40 days. Currently, the code of canon law does not specify on which day Lent ends, but it has been assumed that this period lasts until the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Thursday), and on the following days of the Easter Triduum, i.e. Good Friday and Holy Saturday, the so-called Passover fast. This year, Holy Thursday falls on April 14.

Lent in the Catholic Church is a time of reflection and penance, a period in which the faithful prepare for the most important holidays for Christians – Easter, ie the Holy Resurrection. Prayer, fasting and alms are to help them in dignified preparation for Easter. During Lent, the faithful resign from participating in grand games, undertake various mortifications and participate in Lenten services. Every Friday, there is an adoration service called the Way of the Cross. It consists in a symbolic recreation of the path that Jesus Christ traveled on his way to death. During the service, the faithful consider the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross, from the moment Jesus was condemned to death until his body was laid in the tomb. In addition, in Polish churches there are Bitter Lamentations – it is a passion service, most often in the form of a Eucharistic service, combined with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and a Passion sermon. During Lent, altars in churches are devoid of flowers, priests wear purple vestments, and Lenten songs are sung in churches. At this time, Lenten retreats are also organized in individual parishes. They usually last 3 or 4 days, they are to help the faithful in spiritual conversion and preparation for Easter, they are also often an occasion for Easter confession.