{"id":15930,"date":"2026-03-10T12:25:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:25:54","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-06-29T11:41:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T15:41:13","slug":"why-do-we-call-it-lent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/angels-and-miracles\/miracles\/why-do-we-call-it-lent\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do We Call It Lent?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter<\/a>, historically a time of fasting and prayer<\/a>, getting ready for the celebration of the Resurrection. It is a time to give something up<\/a> and draw closer to God. For many people, it is a yearly spiritual practice they\u2019ve done since they were young. For some, it\u2019s a new practice, perhaps to try something different or learn about the spiritual benefits of fasting<\/a>. No matter your history with Lent, there\u2019s always a chance to learn something new about it. Like, why is it called Lent?<\/p>\n

Why Is It Called Lent?<\/h3>\n

The word \u201cLent\u201d comes from the old English \u201clencten,\u201d which means spring.<\/strong> This is the early spring\u2014and if your area is anything like mine, the crocuses are pushing up through the earth, a sure sign that spring is on the way.<\/p>\n

The early Christians celebrated baptism at Easter and so they would dedicate the weeks beforehand as a time to prepare, to be reconciled to God by a period of penitence and fasting.<\/p>\n

At first it was just a few weeks and then it became the 40 days that we know today\u2014and remember that\u2019s 40 not counting the Sundays<\/a> which are technically feast days and not fast days.<\/p>\n

So Lent was a description of the time of year this was all happening, spring coming to the earth as renewal was making its way to us.<\/strong><\/p>\n

READ MORE: Is Lent in the Bible?<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A Deeper Meaning for the Word \u201cLent\u201d<\/h3>\n

But let me try out another felicitous way of thinking of the word \u201cLent.\u201d\u00a0 Lent, as in lending something to someone, letting them have it because it\u2019s yours to loan.<\/p>\n

Sometimes you\u2019ll hear the phrase, \u201cborrowed time,\u201d as in \u201cHe\u2019s living on borrowed time.\u201d But recently I read how in the 18th century a different expression was used. They would say \u201clent time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBorrowed time\u201d focuses on us and our notion of controlling our future. \u201cLent time\u201d puts the emphasis back on God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s a switch in emphasis. \u201cBorrowed time\u201d focuses on us and our notion of controlling our future. \u201cLent time\u201d puts the emphasis back on God. Every moment is precious, every moment is lent by the divine.<\/p>\n

Think of these precious days as something to be celebrated because they have been lent to us by the greatest of all. The Bible<\/a> says, \u201cYou are dust and to dust you shall return\u201d (Genesis 3:19), a phrase that we repeat at Lent, a reminder of our mortality.<\/p>\n

We are lent to the earth, to a life of joy and sorrow, to a life of love because we are loved by God<\/a>.<\/p>\n

READ MORE ABOUT THE LENTEN SEASON:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n