Lent was originally a time for study and preparation, of catechesis, in preparation for Baptism. We are called to faithful study, and to take to heart the message of God's saving grace. We enter that world in reflective meditation, waiting upon God to reveal Himself in the quiet places of our heart. Lent calls us to deny ourselves. Lent calls us to focus on both our interior and exterior life.
Faith means nothing, unless it is expressed in service to others.
Lent calls us to follow the way of the cross. The lenten disciplines help us to refocus our life along this way. Jesus is the perfect example of servanthood - the life lived for others.