SermonStudio
Lent
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series VI, Cycle A
This season of Lent, which we begin today, developed gradually in the church. From what historians can tell, one of the earliest pre-Easter traditions was fasting for the forty hours between Good Friday and Easter morning. People understood that Christ was in the tomb for forty hours, so a period of fasting and remembering the sacrifice Christ made for us became part of the observance. Over time, the fasting was extended from forty hours to all of Holy Week (only one small evening meal per day would be eaten).