Easter is late this year – actually almost as late in the year as it can ever be. The Sunday Easter falls on can be anywhere between March 22 and April 25. This year it’s April 24. So most likely the kids won’t have to hunt their Easter eggs in the snow. A couple of years ago all the grandkids had to wear coats over their spring Easter outfits. And who knows in Kentucky? They might have to this year too, but we’ve got more chance of a warm day.
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The Season of Lent started last week on Ash Wednesday. Lent Season isn’t something the church I attend has ever focused on, but lately I seem to be hearing more people of many denominations talk about “giving up” something for Lent. The idea is to sacrifice something in order to do some soul searching and reflection. It begins on Ash Wednesday, forty days before Easter, but the Sundays aren’t counted in those forty days. Lent is a time for reflection and taking stock of one’s spiritual life.
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You might also wonder why we don’t have Easter on the same Sunday every year. That’s a little complicated. In Western civilization, Easter is always celebrating on the first Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon. The Paschal Full Moon is determined from historical tables. Beginning in 325 with the Council of Nicea, holy dates were established on an Ecclesiastical calendar after astronomers were able to predict the approximate dates of full moons in future years. So while in the beginning the date of Easter was said to be the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring equinox, that’s not exactly correct now. Instead of the first full moon, it’s the Paschal Full Moon from a calendar established centuries ago. Confused yet? Me too.
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But I suppose the thing for Christians to remember during Lent is that it can be a time to focus more on things of the spirit. You can give up something dear to you for forty days and because you’re giving that up, you become more aware of the reason you’re denying yourself. I’m thinking it might also be a good time to begin something such as a more devoted study of the Scripture or more dedicated times of prayer. At the same time we shouldn’t need to have to wait for a holy day to start good spiritual habits or good habits of any kind. But sometimes we need the incentive of a little push.
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So, are you giving up something for Lent? Does that sacrifice draw you closer to the Lord?
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Thanks for reading. Also, I did a guest interview for The Writer’s Window. Check it out Monday, March 14, at www.kayedacus.com/2011/03/14/writers-window-ann-h-gabhart/. If you answer my question at the end of the interview, you get a chance to win an autographed copy of Angel Sister. Jill Eileen Smith was on Kaye’s site last Monday talking about her writing and her new book, Bathsheba. It’s fun getting to know the people behind the books.
