38 Lent is a period of forty days that begins with AshWednesday and ends before Easter, when we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. From year to year, the date of Easter changes, and so does Lent. Forty days to prepare Easter is the greatest feast of the year for Christians, because it recalls Jesus’ resounding victory over death. And a great feast must be prepared! Each year, God asks us to prepare ourselves to receive the Good News of Easter with a renewed and pure heart. To do this, we must put forth effort, no matter how difficult it may seem! The Church (based on the Gospels, the Word of Jesus) tells us three ways to get closer to God: by fasting, prayer and almsgiving. It is not a question of choosing between the three but of trying to practice them together. Fasting Fasting consists in doing without anything that is useless or even cumbersome in our diet, but also in our lifestyle. For example, we can do without sweets for forty days and abstain from meat on Fridays; we can choose not to put butter on our toast. But we can also “fast” from video games or movies and, during Lent, devote more time to others… by playing games, chatting, and serving by doing kind deeds. These are just examples; think about what you can do to grow closer to the Lord and to walk with him on the road to Calvary. THE TIME OF LENT The time
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