LENT
Outline
1. Meaning of Lent
2. Origin
3. Ash Wednesday
4. Theme
5. Penitential Aspects
6. Forty Days
7 Other Aspects
8 Date of Easter
1. Meaning of Lent
Time
of Preparation for Easter
Popular
devotions: giving up things, doing extra good works
In
RCIA it is a Time of Purification and Enlightenment
time to purify
our souls and enlighten our minds
in preparation
for joining the Church at Easter
Easter
is the highest ranking Feast of the Church
so it is preceded
by a period of preparation
40
Days is a recurring theme in Scripture
2.
Origin
Associated
with transition from Winter to Spring
Anglo
Saxen word lecten = Spring
German word Lenz means Spring
In Latin Lent = Quadragesima
= number 40
Time
of Preparation for Easter
2nd century - two day fast
3rd century - fast during Holy Week
4th century - long preparation began
Lent
evolved around the Baptismal theme
Preparation of Catechumens for joining
the Church
3. Ash Wednesday
Mardi
Gras = fat Tuesday - 14th century
Celebration held immediately before Lent
starts
Justification - food would be eaten and
so not spoil
Middle
English shriven = confession = Shrove Tuesday,
it is time to
confess sins in preparation for Lent
Ash
Wednesday is the start of Lent
Ashes
are distributed in Church, with the minister saying:
Remember man that thou art dust, and unto
dust thou shalt
return (old)
Turn away from sin and be faithful to the
Gospel (new)
4. Theme
Three
traditions converge to give Lent its special character
a.
Somber atmosphere
b.
Penitential practices, especially Fasting and Abstinence
eat much less,
abstain from meat
c.
Devotions about the Suffering of Jesus
Popular
devotions: giving up things, doing extra good works
Since
Vatican II: we have a more positive
approach to Lent
more emphasis on
prayer and good works
5. Penitential Aspects
In
the 4th century fasting was joined to preparation for baptism
Penitential
color purple used, Alleluias dropped from liturgy
Funeral service held to bury the Alleluia
Weddings
are discouraged
Fasting
means only 1 full meal, with 2 light ones permitted
Required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday
Ages: over 14 for abstinence and 18 to 60
for fasting
Abstinence
means no meat, observed on Ash Wednesday
and on all the
Fridays of Lent
Stations
of the Cross celebrated weekly in many parishes
Penitential
services for Confession toward end of Lent
6. Forty Days
Number
40 is associated with fasting
Jesus' 40 day fast in the desert
Moses' 40 days on
Elijah's
40 day fast going to
Israelites' 40 years spent in the desert
Lent
= quadragesima = Latin for
forty
For
Lent the 40 days never included Sundays
Since
the Second
because of the
Easter (three day) Triduum
7. Other Aspects
Walking
Jesus' footsteps to
was popular in
the
After
the Moslems recaptured the
the Stations of
the Cross became a
substitute
pilgrimage to the
Pretzels
were a lenten food in the
Middle Ages
represent arms
folded in prayer
Hot
cross buns with cross on icing were popular during Lent
8. Date of Easter
Jesus' Passover was 14th day of Jewish month Nisan
Our
Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon
following the spring equinox (March 21)
Council
of
Orthodox
Church - slightly different calculation for the date
Our
Ash Wednesday - February 6th to March 8th
Our
Easter is between March 23 and April 23
CPPoole