Lent's History

Lent is Old English for "springtime." Lent is the springtime of the Church, implying joy and preparation for new life.

Jesuit historian Norman Tanner offered a brief history of Lent. Fr. Tanner opened, "The earliest mention of Lent in the history of the Church comes from the council of Nicaea in 325 AD. ...the council also issued twenty canons of a practical nature, dealing with various aspects of church life, and the fifth of these canons speaks of Lent."

Understanding Lent's nature can help people find conducive ways of entering it anew.