You Shouldn't Overlook Lent this Year

As Christians around the world enter Lent, we are reminded that the Gospel was never meant to be admired from a distance but rather to be lived, carried and embodied,  the Christian Post website reports today (Feb.25, 2026). 

When people normally think of significant events or times for followers of Jesus, they normally think of Christmas and Easter,  the birth and resurrection ,  and with good reason. Without the empty tomb, the Christian faith collapss. Without the birth of Christ, hope has no beginning. Both moments anchor our faith. 

But too often we overlook Lent. It is not flashy and it does not feel good. It is more about suffering than celebration, more focused on hope than  happiness. It can be easy to rush past Lent -- and Advent -- to get to what is on the  other side. But God has incredible and unique to teach each of us this year,  if we're willing to slow down long enough to listen.

One of the most common practices of Lent  is giving something up, also known as the Lenten Sacrifice. This is not some Christian version of New Year's resolutions or self--help tool. It's sacramental. It's sacred. And it's focused on participation

During Lent, the focus is on Jesus'journey to the cross and,eventually, the empty tomb. This was not a glorious or comfortable  process. It was full of struggle, pain, and self--denial. All of this is exemplified by Jesus' prayer in rthe garden of Gethsemane, where in one of the most profound moments , recorded in  the Bible,  He submits Himself to God's will, even  though it meant unbelievable suffering and an  excruciating  death on  the cross.

 

The Lenten Sacrifice is an invitation to walk with Christ from the celebration and heartbreak of the Triumphal Entry to the  darkness and desolation  of the cross.Regardless of what we decide to deny ourselves, it is supposed to be  a reminder of that journey and the incredible  sacrific that Jesus  made on our behalf,

It can be tempting to skip over Lent  to get to Easter. But we have to  remember something: Lent ends before Easter. On this side of the resurrection, we know what's  coming. But during Lent, we set that knowledge aside and sit in the dashed hope Jesus' disciples would have felt.

Everything from the ashes to international  self--denial, to the prominence of dark colors and somber songs are reminders  to us  of that sense of loss and disorientation early Christians experienced. It's all aimed at participation, at immersing us in the biblical narrative.