On the worship calendar of the Christian Church, we have come through the season of Advent and Christmas, and as February begins are in a brief period of “Ordinary Time” until we come to the season of Lent, which begins February 17.

“Transfiguration of the Lord” is Sunday, February 14; this last Sunday before Lent is designated as a day we can look at the story of Jesus being “transfigured” up on a mountain (Matthew 17:1-8). This event marked a transition in Jesus’ ministry; from this point on, he began his journey to Jerusalem, where he would die. And then we begin our journey toward Good Friday on the following Wednesday with:

Lent – The season of Lent beings with “Ash Wednesday”, which falls on February 17 this year. This day gets its name from the fact that ashes are a symbol, in the Bible, for reflecting on our behavior and repenting of the things we have done wrong (e.g. Jonah 3:6, Matthew 11:21). The whole season of Lent is a period of 40 weekdays and 6 Sundays; in the early church it was a time for people who wanted to become members to study, pray, fast, and be examined, in order to join the church Easter morning. Later, the season developed into a time for all Christians to prepare themselves for Holy Week, through confession, repentance, and rededicating themselves to Christ. Its name is derived from the Middle English “lente” which means “springtime.”