THE Christian community in Nigeria will, today, join their counterparts in the world to commence the 2013 Lent, which will be ushered in with Ash Wednesday service in churches.
Lent, an annual period of fasting and penance, will run for 40 days, culminating the Easter Sunday, which marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Christians are expected to use the occasion of the 40-day fast, which is the hallmark of the Lenten season, to reflect on the various aspects of their lives and mortify the flesh.
The fast is modelled after a similar exercise by Jesus Christ in the wilderness, before he began his public ministry.
The period ends on March 31, which is the Easter Sunday, a day considered as the most ancient festival of the Christian church year.
The length of Lent varies among bodies of faith.
For the Catholics, Lent ends on the Thursday before Easter, known as Holy or Maundy Thursday and for others, it ends on Holy Saturday, eve of Easter.
In counting the 40 days, every Sunday within the period is skipped, because the day commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death.
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