Symbols of the Season: Journeying Through Lent
- Admin
- Mar 27
- 6 min read
Read about Lenten symbols from the scriptures and tradition. These visual, tactile, and natural symbols enrich our Lenten journey toward the joy of Easter.
In the liturgical calendar, Lent, short for Lenten, is the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter. The word Lent is derived from the Old English Lencten, meaning Springtime or Spring, and is also related to West Germanic langitinaz, meaning long days or the lengthening of days. This season's foundations lie deeply within Scripture and the Gospels. In the Gospels, Lent mirrors Jesus' forty-day desert sojourn, where he faced temptation, fasted, and prayed before the start of his public ministry. Scripturally, it also echoes Moses and Elijah's forty-day prayer experiences on Mount Sinai and Mount Horeb. Thus, Lent designates the forty days leading to Easter, a time for the faithful to fast, pray, abstain, give alms, serve the poor, and resolve to turn to God, commemorating Christ's desert trial, passion, and death.
The formalization of Lent as a distinct liturgical season occurred at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. However, the practices and themes associated with Lent were already present in the early Church, as evidenced by the writings of Church Fathers such as St. Irenaeus, St. Athanasius of Alexandria, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, and St. Augustine of Hippo. Over the centuries, various symbols have become integral to the observance of Lent, each carrying deep spiritual significance.
Palm Leaves: When Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem, riding upon a donkey, palm leaves were held and laid down on the path. The crowd proclaimed and praised God, saying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord..." Thus, Palm branches, or fronds, hold a central place in the Palm Sunday procession and liturgy and have become a timeless symbol of Lent.
Ashes: In ancient biblical times, people covered themselves with ashes and sackcloths during their prayers of repentance. This act was a public admission of guilt, imploring God's mercy, a promise to change ways and turn towards God, and a pledge to resist future temptations. Ashes also represent the dust of the earth from the Book of Genesis, when God said to Adam, "…you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Ashes are used in the liturgy on Ash Wednesday when the faithful are smeared with ashes in the form of the sign of the cross on the forehead as a sign of repentance and a reminder of one's mortality in this present life. These ashes come from burning the previous year's Palm Sunday leaves.
Praying Hands: Praying hands symbolize prayer to God. Just as Jesus prayed during his forty days in the wilderness, in the same way, prayer in Lent should precede other acts of Lenten service. A praying hand leads the faithful to form a deeper relationship with God. In some cultures, like in Germany, the faithful offer pretzels that look like praying hands during Lent. A pretzel contains simple yeast, salt, flour, and water ingredients. This preparation adheres to Lenten fasts, which were standard in the early Church. The pretzel's three holes represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Stones: During Jesus' forty days and nights in the wilderness, the tempter challenged him to turn stones into bread. Jesus overcame the temptation by quoting the scriptures, saying, "Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from God's mouth." After Jesus overcame the temptations, angels ministered to him.
Incense: In the Scriptures, burning incense was a common practice during prayer and worship of God. Incense as a symbol of prayer comes from the Scriptures, especially from the book of Psalms, wherein the Psalmist says, "Let my prayer come like incense before you." Incense symbolizes prayer ascending to God. Frankincense, one of the gifts offered to Jesus by the three wise men from the East, was given to him in recognition of his priesthood.
Fish: The Lenten symbol of a fish marks the day as an obligation to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstain from all flesh and meat every Friday in Lent. Fish featured prominently within the Gospels and were an essential symbol in the early Church. Lenten fish fry events across our parish communities have expressed this tradition.
Bread and Wine: In the book of Genesis, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought bread and wine to bless Abraham. Bread also represents the manna from heaven that God promised to Moses and his people. Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana, turning water into wine. Essentially, bread represents a staple of daily life, and wine represents God’s providence and blessings. On Maundy Thursday, Jesus, by the divine office of his priesthood, broke bread and shared wine with his apostles, celebrating the first eucharistic meal. Bread and wine are central to the Pascal mystery, commemorating Jesus' last supper with his Apostles.
Liturgical colors: The liturgical colors of Lent are violet, red for Palm Sunday and Good Friday, and white or gold for Easter. In the Gospels, a robe was placed on Jesus during his passion. According to the Gospels, this robe was scarlet according to Matthew and purple according to Mark and John. Purple is also used during the sacrament of reconciliation. These Lenten colors represent mourning, grief, humility, royalty, and repentance. The fourth Sunday of Lent is called Laetare Sunday, meaning joy in Latin for Laetare. The optional liturgical color for this day is Rose (pink), representing Joy and Hope amid a penitential season.
Lenten flowers: Lenten flowers such as the Lenten Rose and the Passion flower represent aspects of our Lenten journey. Helleborus are Lenten roses that bloom from late winter to early spring, coinciding with the season of Lent. Other Lenten flowers include violets, lilies of the valley, larkspur, wild orchids, bleeding hearts, irises, and more.
The passionflower represents Jesus' agony and passion. The association of the passionflower with Christ’s passion comes from interpretations made by early Spanish missionaries in South America during the 16th and 17th centuries. These missionaries saw in the flower's delicate structure a symbolic representation of various elements of the crucifixion. Some of these elements were: The 10 petals and sepals represented the 10 faithful apostles during the passion of Christ. The corona, or the fringe of filaments in the center, was interpreted as the crown of thorns. The five stamens were thought to symbolize the five wounds of Christ. The three stigmas represented the three nails that held Jesus to the cross. In essence, the Passionflower came to be associated with the passion of Christ due to the symbolic interpretations of its physical characteristics.
Nard: Nard, derived from the Spikenard plant, was an expensive ointment that was also considered a perfume in some cases. In the Gospels, Mary of Bethany used the Nard to anoint Jesus' feet and head before his passion and suffering on the cross. The disciples chastised Mary for using expensive ointment, whereas Jesus rebuked his disciples for their chastisement.
Stations of the Cross: The cross symbolizes Christ's redemption and victory. The fourteen stations of the cross are a devotional practice that retraces Christ's journey to Calvary, representing his passion, suffering, and crucifixion. The fourteen stations begin with Jesus' condemnation to death and end with his body being laid in the tomb. These fourteen stations are widely depicted across Catholic churches and represent God's salvation for humanity through Jesus.
Holy Water: Holy Water represents Christ's victory over evil. It also represents baptism, new life, penitential passage, and reconciliation. Holy water is used during the liturgies of Holy Week and Easter Vigil. Holy Thursday marks Jesus' washing of his apostles' feet. Holy water also represents the blood and water flowing from Jesus' pierced side on the cross.
These Lenten symbols serve as a visual and tactile reminder of the season's core themes: repentance, sacrifice, and anticipation of Easter's joyous celebration. Engaging with these symbols invites us to deepen our spiritual journey, reflecting on Christ's sacrifice and preparing our hearts for the resurrection. These potent symbols create a rich, multi-sensory experience that helps to guide us through the solemnity of Lent and into the joy of Easter.
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