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Published on Friday, February 01, 2008
By Patricia Farrell Aidem
In most Christian faiths, Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of soul-searching and repentance for the 40 days leading up to the most joyous of feasts, Easter.
Starting with Ash Wednesday, Lent observes the weeks Jesus Christ spent in the desert fasting and praying before returning to Jerusalem.
There, in a single week, he was honored, betrayed and crucified, before rising from the dead, fulfilling his mission as savior.
In recognizing Christ's sacrifice, Christians most commonly observe Lent with their own sacrifices.
For the Rev. Virginia Benson, pastor of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Torrance, Lent is a time for communal grieving.
"It's one of the lesser-known meanings of Lent, but an important meaning," Benson said. "A lot of people have unresolved grief - they're so busy they can't take the time they need to mourn - and since the church is solemn during Lent, it creates the space for people to do that
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