INTERFAITH WISDOM

In the Christian world, today is called Ash Wednesday.   In ancient times, it was customary for a person who wanted to repent for a wrong he had done to cover himself in ashes.  These ashes were a sign to the community of his repentance.  Lent is a time of fasting, repentance, and preparation for Easter - the high point of the Christian calendar.

Lent lasts forty days - not counting Sundays - and ends on the day before Easter.  The term of forty days or years is seen throughout the Bible as the length of time that proved something was serious.  Jesus fasted for forty days.  Moses and the Jews wandered in the wilderness for forty years.  Jesus spent forty days in the desert.  You do something for forty straight days and you are serious about it. 

This year Lent ends on Saturday April 20th.  This coincides with the Jewish Passover which will be celebrated this year from April 18 to 27.  Jesus was a Jew and His last meal was a Passover celebration.  We pray that Christians and Jews alike may profit from the coming events.
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