JACKSON, Miss— After the celebration of Mardi Gras ends, Ash Wednesday celebrates the beginning of Lent for the Catholic church. For many that means getting that last bit of enjoyment in before giving up something for forty days.
But over the years, Lent has been picked up by non-catholic churches.
“Lent is a time for spiritual spring cleaning,” says Father Thomas McGing, pastor of Holy Savior Catholic Church in Clinton.
Many see Lent as a time of sacrifice, fasting from food or other luxuries. Father McGing says there’s more to it than that.
“It’s about looking at appetites that have gotten out of control,” says McGing, “whether that’s food or time on the internet…. to bring spiritual balance.”
But Lent isn’t just for the Catholic Church to celebrate. Many churches have taken to fasting during the forty day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
“Fasting itself is a principal that the Jews started to honor God,” says Matt Taylor, Family Pastor at Brookhaven First Assembly of God, “Lent was brought about by the Catholics as a specific time frame.”
While traditional fasting calls to give up food, some people give up just certain foods, or other things such as excessive internet use, social media, television, or anything else they find that they use excessively.
“You have to connect giving stuff up,” says Father McGing, “with what is the purpose of it. Which is our dependence must be on God….we can’t depend on material things. Our salvation is in Christ. Lent is a time for the soul.”
Here’s the full conversation with Father McGing about Lent:
