From the Pastor’s Desk:
Many Christian denominations observe the Season of Lent, but do they, do we truly understand the season. In the first three centuries of Christianity, most Christians prepared for Easter by fasting and praying for three days. It did vary from city to city. In Rome the length of preparation was three weeks. The word Lent comes from the Middle English word LENTEN, meaning springtime, the time of lengthening days. In both the Old and New Testaments there can be found “doing penance”. In its early three week time, Lent was the period of intense spiritual and liturgical preparation for catechumens before they were baptized at the Easter Vigil and many of the members of the Christian community walked with the catechumens. Over the centuries Lent developed like all liturgical seasons to the season we recognize today.
The forty days developed because it is the length of the fast and temptation of Jesus in the desert. Also in part of our early Christian past many practiced the forty day time frame of fasting beginning right after Epiphany, a time which stressed prayer and penance.
Once Christianity became widespread and most people were baptized as infants, Lent lost the connection to the preparation of catechumens. However, the themes of repentance and fasting became the dominant them of Lent. The II Vatican Council restored the order of catechumens and most adult converts to Catholicism are baptized at the Easter Vigil, thus the early Church’s baptismal meaning of Lent has once again become important.
The celebration of Ash Wednesday comes from the late third to the early fourth centuries and traditionally begins the Season of Lent. Scholars and theologians continue to “discuss” when Lent actually begins and ends. Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday are not a part of Lent, they are the special days called the Triduum. That would mean Lent ends at sunset on Holy Thursday evening.
In celebrating the Season of Lent, we are to fast and abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays. Fasting means to limit food to one full meal on those days with the other two meals being much smaller. Abstinence means not eating meat, although fish is allowed.
Walk with the Lord this Lenten Season in Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving for the Poor.