The season of Lent is upon us. What is Lent? It’s an ancient tradition in Christianity, a time period of forty days prior to Easter in which people typically fast from certain foods in anticipation of the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. In the past, this usually meant abstaining from meat, dairy, and eggs each day of the week except for Sundays, which were feast days. 1 Some Lent practices include only having one big meal a day, after 3 p.m., with small snacks throughout the day. Today, the type of fasting people do for Lent varies from food items to screen time to a variety of other activities or ‘consumption’ items.
While some people view Lent as a time of giving up certain things, there is also the concept that in giving up something for Lent, you’re also making room for other important activities, such as prayer, time in scripture, and creating space to focus on spiritual growth. While the practice of Lent was inked by the Nicean Council in 325 AD, scholars believe the practice predates that official marker by at least one hundred years or more, a beloved tradition of the early church. 2 While many modern churches often promote a time of fasting at the beginning of the new year, the more ancient practice is in the six weeks prior to Easter.
If you’re already well-acquainted with Lent or if following this time is new to you, there may be spiritual, emotional, and physical benefits for fasting that you might not be aware of. Science is researching all the ways that taking intentional breaks from certain lifestyle habits and eating styles can help the mind and body heal and reset. And while the purpose of Lent is to help refocus your life on spiritual growth, the practice of Lent brings with it a host of helpful blessings.
🏋️ Physical reset: When you decide to follow a Lent practice, you may choose to give up certain foods or to only eat during certain time periods during the day. When we make changes to our eating habits, our bodies pay attention! For example, if you choose to give up processed foods and to focus on lean proteins and vegetables during Lent, you’ll likely find that your digestive system undergoes a reset, that you feel lighter. 3 You may also find that you are more appreciative of the meals you are eating, that you are more mindful as you eat. This is because for many of us, there are multiple opportunities to mindlessly eat throughout the day. We snack on the commute to the office, take half a donut in the conference room, gulp down our lunch at our desk as we prep for the next meeting. When you are in a season of Lent fasting, you’re likely going to be more aware of what you’re eating and when.
Or perhaps you choose to give up social media scrolling, television time, or a different content consumption habit during Lent. If you choose to go on prayer walks during the time you’re usually on screens, you’ll likely discover that your physical health improves with movement and with being outdoors. (As with any nutritional change, be sure to consult with your medical provider before undertaking a Lent-style fast or removing certain food from your diet. If you’re a Member of Altrua HealthShare, you have access to telehealth visits through your HealthWallet app. Schedule an appointment to work with your provider on the best way for you to celebrate Lent. If you’re not already a Member of Altrua HealthShare or have questions about your membership, contact a Member Services Representative at 1-888-244-3839.)
🧠 Mental Reset: If you’re eating more ‘clean’ during Lent, giving up processed foods and sugar, you may find that you feel more clear headed and calm. You also might discover that your mood is more stable or more positive if you are reducing your digital consumption or are avoiding certain kinds of media. And if you’re replacing those habits with more time spent in scripture reading, prayer, or other spiritual practices, you will likely experience more mental peace and focus during Lent.
“Do you wish your prayer to fly toward God? Make for it two wings: fasting and almsgiving.”
Saint Augustine
✝️ Lent FAQs
Why is Lent forty days? The forty-day time period is seen in many places in scripture. Perhaps most importantly, Jesus fasted forty days during His time in the wilderness when He was tempted.
Should fasting for Lent always be about food? While various denominations have recommendations, Scripture itself doesn’t give a requirement for the celebration of Lent, nor does it lay out any kind of specifics on what kind of fasting is needed. Spiritual leaders encourage those who are interested in celebrating Lent to consider giving up for the time period various distractions in their lives, which can include certain foods. You could also consider giving up social media, gaming, certain types of film, television, and books for the time period, or other activities.
What if I miss a day or a week? It’s important to consider that Lent isn’t meant to be a legalistic experience, but rather an opportunity to put away certain distractions and focus on God. If you’re able to celebrate all of Lent in a traditional way, great. But it by no means ‘disqualifies’ your experience if you choose a different time period and/or activity to give up in order to make space for spirituality.
Is Lent only about fasting either food or certain habits? No. Another traditional practice during Lent was almsgiving, a practice of giving food and money to the hungry and poor. Consider making almsgiving part of your Lent tradition and you’ll experience the joy that comes from helping those in need.
Check out this great resource in the Altrua HealthShare ministry archives for more great insight into Lent and how you can make it a practice in your own spiritual life.
1 https://onepeterfive.com/forgotten-customs-of-lent/
2 https://groundworkonline.com/blog/a-short-version-of-the-long-history-of-lent
3 https://christian.net/special-themes/why-fast-during-lent/