Emergency: How do I explain Lent in simple terms, to a crazy "prot"?

[Historian]

Serious Baptists know the Bible so e-mail her Lisa's reply.  She can't argue with it and it may get her to thinking.

[spasiisochrani]

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm

[SaintAndrew]

Very good.............Thank you so much.

I hope she can understand reason as I present these points to her.

She's pretty rational, so that's always a postive..........

[Sebastianus]

Look at tomorrow's gospel:

Jesus said to his disciples:
"...When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

You will notice that Christ did not say "if you fast", he said "when you fast."

Lent is Biblical...If it was good enough for the Lord, then it is good enough for me.

Good luck...I wish you a happy marriage.

That is an awesome avatar!  Father Guido Sarducci...good on you mate.

[Nightshade057]

These passages might be helpful also:

"Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, 'O Lord, the great and terrible God, who keepest covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from thy commandments and ordinances...'"
-The Book of the Prophet Daniel 9:3-4

And they said to him, 'The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.' And Jesus said to them, 'Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.'"
- The Gospel According To St. Luke 5:33-35

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church..."
- The Letter of St. Paul To The Colossians 1:24

[Credo]

that we are now all slaves to the Jewish bankers

Score: One. So true.

[FidemScit]

That is an awesome avatar!  Father Guido Sarducci...good on you mate.

Thanks. There's a little humor in my user name, too. It is a quote given to me by my high school Latin teacher -- Loosely translated, it means "he knows faith". If you pronounce it with ecclesial Latin instead of classical Latin, it sounds scatalogical. (I hope no one takes offense.)

By the way, I'm new to the forum. I faithfully attend mass at my NO parish, but have a great love for the Latin mass and real sacred music. I try to keep the traditions of the Church as I can.

[StevusMagnus]

Is Lent based in the bible? Isn't it a Church "liturgical calendar" practice?