A hunger for Lent?

In case you didn’t know, today - ‘Ash Wednesday’ - is the first day of Lent¹ and therefore the beginning of a 40-day² season leading up to the celebration of Easter Day. The 40 days recalled Jesus’ time of testing in the wilderness. In Anglican circles, this season is often associated with ‘fasting’ from something, e.g. meat, chocolate, coffee, or alcohol (or even social media), to prepare our hearts for the celebration to come. But less clear to many people, including many Anglicans, is the reason why. What is Lent all about? And what does it have to do with hunger?

Thomas Cranmer, the great 16th century English reformer, sought to clarify any misunderstandings about Lent, as he put together the Book of Common Prayer. To him, Lent was not about bending God’s favour in our direction through the act of fasting. Nor was it about bettering ourselves through the process of self-denial. Rather, through the lens of the gospel, Lent is an opportunity to see more clearly the spiritual hunger of our hearts, so we can celebrate more joyously the wonder of Jesus.

Listen to the prayer he wrote for Ash Wednesday and the whole season of Lent: 

Almighty and everlasting God,
You hate nothing that you have made,
and you forgive the sins of all who are penitent: 
create and make in us new and contrite hearts, 
that we, worthily lamenting our sins, 
and acknowledging our wretchedness, 
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Two things seem pretty clear from this prayer.

Firstly, our spiritual need. Lent is an opportunity to ‘own’ and lament our sinfulness, the core desire of our hearts to fill our souls with anything apart from God. And it’s an opportunity to therefore acknowledge our ‘wretched’ state. We are by nature dead in our sins and there’s absolutely nothing we can do to resurrect ourselves back to life, least of all, give up chocolate for 40 days!

Secondly, God’s grace. Lent isn’t simply about wallowing in the horror of our sin, but letting this spiritual despair drive us to God. Only the ‘God of all mercy’ is able to forgive us our sins and give us new hearts, through the renovating work of the Holy Spirit. And this can only happen ‘through Jesus Christ our Lord’ and his sin-cancelling death and resurrection in our place.

So, whether or not you give up something over the next 40 days isn’t really the big idea of Lent. The physical (and even emotional) hunger of ‘going without’ is supposed to point you to your deeper, spiritual hunger before God. What really matters, therefore, is preparing your heart (in whatever way we can) to be fed with the only thing that can truly satisfy us: the grace of God to us in Jesus. This is the good of Good Friday and the life-giving joy of Easter Day.

So, each of these 40 days, whether you fast or not, set aside time to come before God in prayer and heartfelt repentance. Lament your sinfulness. Mourn your spiritual ‘wretchedness’. Turn from your self-righteous pride. Then hunger once more for all of God’s rich mercy to you in our saving Lord Jesus. Find again in him the only things that will truly satisfy your hunger: the love, the forgiveness, and the transformation you most need to live as his precious child.

Yours in Christ,
Mark Barry

Assistant Minister
Community Connections

18 February 2026

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¹ The word ‘Lent’ comes from the old English word ‘lengten’ for Spring, when the days become longer (i.e. ‘lengthen’) and new life springs into being … at least in the Northern Hemisphere.
² If maths is your thing, you’ll note that Sundays aren’t counted along the way, as they’re considered ‘mini-Easter Days’, anticipating the Easter celebration to come.