The fronds from last year’s Palm Sunday have been burned to ash.
Carnival Sunday was a blast and Mardi Gras, which literally means Fat Tuesday, or Pancake Tuesday, was filled with pancakes, great Fellowship and many other pre-Lenten treats. It was also Shrove Tuesday as we are soon to be shriven, that is, absolved of our misdeeds great and small, if we present ourselves for confession, repentance, and penance. And now, Lent.
A reflection by Christina Brennan Lee for February 22, 2026.
The word “Lent” comes from the old Anglo-Saxon language and essentially means “lengthen” as in the days lengthening in the Spring. Of course, in the Southern Hemisphere, the days are shortening so the perspective is a different.
However, we who are Christians from the Roman, Orthodox, or Anglican traditions all observe the same 40 days of Lent. It is to mirror the 40 days and nights Jesus spent alone in the wilderness, after his Baptism by John, being tempted by Satan, in preparation for the official start of his ministry that began when he returned.
Sundays are in Lent, rather than of Lent. A picky detail but if you’ve ever counted the days from Ash Wednesday to Easter … more than 40 days because Sundays aren’t actually counted as they are in other liturgical seasons. Why? Because Sunday is ALWAYS Easter! It is a liturgical remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross but it is also a celebration of the Resurrection.
For someone who has faith, or is trying to have faith, or whose faith has been shaken or is just shaky and filled with doubt, Lent is a season to discover or rediscover a relationship with God and begin a new commitment to it. It is a time for reflection of our past actions, our genuine intentions, and the repair of our souls. Some were marked on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday with the sign of the cross in the ashes of the palms. This is an outward sign of and inward recognition of our human mortality. Christian or not, we all know the expression Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust. No matter how high one reaches in life, or how low, we all return to dust.
During these 40 days, some will enter into a period of dedicated fasting, prayer, and self-denial. Some will give up things such as chocolate, alcohol, or cigarettes, some will take on activities such as daily meditation or volunteer work. Some will begin in earnest and maintain their discipline and others will fall away in distraction or be a bit haphazard. There’s no right or wrong way to do Lent when you are intentional about wanting to be closer to God. Whatever your mode, with or without you, Lent begins…
Create in me a clean heart, O God*, and help me find my way back to You. While I would like to show my good intentions by grand repentant gestures and worthy pious activity, I have to be honest here as I know I’m not likely to stick with a full-on heavy discipline for 40 whole days. So, for today, please help me clean my heart and restore my soul in smaller ways such as with patience to give up arguing a point on Social Media or in email or even in person, and take on being mindful of my thoughts, emotions, and judging while driving and in the grocery store line, or reading the news. Dear Lord of all Peoples, on each day of this Holy Lent ~ and beyond ~ let me understand and live into the words You have given us through Jesus:
“Forgive us our sins AS we forgive those who sin against us.”
Perhaps that could change us all for the better.
For this, at least, we pray. Amen.
*From Psalm 51, always a good one for Lent and anytime ~ begins on page 656 of the Book of Common Prayer. Don’t have a Prayer Book at home, go online to BCPonline.org.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Every week, Christina Brennan Lee writes the Prayers of the People we use in our worship services on Sundays. She also leads weekday prayer services and serves on the SsAM Vestry. Click here to see her People’s Prayers website.
For more than 25 years, Christina Brennan Lee was a consultant/trainer in the areas of Interpersonal Skills, Conflict Management, Communications, Strategic Planning, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, etc. She has been a consultant to and has been employed in Corporate, Non-Profit, Public/Govt, Educational, and Religious organizations around the US including the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware. Currently through writing, small group facilitation, and the occasional seminar or retreat, she works in the areas of prayer, spirituality, and adult Christian Education. She has an MA in Religious Studies and Vatican Diploma as Teacher of Religion from St. Charles Borromeo School of Theology, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania; BA, AS, Psychology and Human Resource Management from Widener University, Chester, PA; and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management, University of Delaware, Newark, DE.
