The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-03-21
The Season of Lent.

he hrSt or Marcn, Oelng ASH w cuheSu"H,
began the religious seasons of Lent among ko-
man Catholics and Episcopalisns which is
period of fasting and church attendance al
most every day, for six weeks, in commemmo-
ration of the f'rty days fast of the Saviour IN
the wilderness previous toand in connection with
his final cruciixion, aud subsequent resurrec-
ton three DAYS after. 1t thus embraces the
"passion of Christ" the last week Of Lent be-
ing what is called Holy Week. with the cere.
monies of Holy Thursday and Good Friday,
emblemalic of the Saviours death and burial
on the latter day. when there is temporarily
erected in the Catholic churches, a highly
adored altar, indicative of the place of the sep
ulchre-the whole closing with the jubiIant pc.
riod of Easter Sunday, (the next Sunday t"i.
Lovingly when he arose from the dead and
the fast is over Lent is a fast intended |"
prepare christians for the Easter festival. Pro
testants generally consider Lent as not having
been established before the second or third
century; but the Catholic church maintains,
with St. Jerome. st. Leo, ST. Augustine, AMI
the maiorit, of the farher> "f the fourth AMI
fifth centuries that ii is of apostolic "riYiu. =
They reason thus: hat which ind mi
versal in the church and of which NJ cannoi,
nevertheless, nliu Tue iliSlHul'oh a
must have been established by the APOSTLE.
and the 69th apostolic canon; tie "unc! ii
Nice, in 325 that of Laodcea in '65, aud o!
the second and third centuries, speak oi r"l a.
usage generally observed by the churrh. ln
the Latin church, Lent frrnerly lasted but ;Ilr
ty-six days in the hf h century four days w"re
added. in imitation of the io'ly days tasl "t
the Saviour, and this usage became gpnerai il:
the Western church. except in the church OF
Milan.
The Greeks begin Lent one week s'"rr
than the Roman Catholirs but they d" not tas
on Sundays, except in passion week, though
their fast<, general. >pcaki"g, are more ri2id
than those of ANY other religious donomina'
ton. The Latin Monks had formerly three
fas,s, of forty day each; and the Greeks OBJ
served four besides Lent, but they have reduc-
ed them to seven days each. Some original
sects had still other great ta>ts. The Eighth
Council of Toledo. in 653, orders that those
who break the tasts without necessity, shall
eat no meat during the year, nor shall they
partake of the Lords Supper ut Easter. The
Bishop must give the sick and aged permission
to eat animal fool during Lent. Such pcrni<
sion> are however, generally put into The land
they Jettu proper, on a review "l the H. ALA II
the persons asking. With the CatiI' lie s.'...
day Of Lent, Sundays excepted, is day + .'-'
on one meal, moi to he taken I'll III, ..lt.
for all per>olr> not legi:iuately y rX'.u ;,, o..
cause of their iII.heaIth, severe labor. ID az,
or with respect to females, their condition. -
Persons are bound by this law, at least when
they are tNrnty."ne years ofaTe. But, hy d..
prn~alnn the use OF hr>h.meat s allowed At
all the urtlS rn Sundays. and ut "ne rr,r:, II
Monday Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with tn"
exceptiun',l lulN' ihnI >days. hsapr> I" Iii"
diocese Il" Bal'mnr,, and /" tiat u! NJ" l"'k
alsn, with the pru.is" III the latter that the use
Of meat is not ALLOW ed oil Thursday next after
Ash Wednesday, nor on any day III Holy
Week immediately preceding Easter Sunday
Palm Sunday. too i day of abstinence from
flesh meat in he diure>e, but not day OF fast.
In the diocesr of Richmond, Va, we notice that
in addition flesh meat is allowed on Saturdays
except the fir, and last Saturdays, and the
Saturday of Emher week; and on the first four
days and the last six days of Lent, meat is not
allowed to those bound by the laws ofthe fast.
The close Of Lent, in Catholics countries, is
celebrated with great iejoicng>. In Ron",
sageS, eggs &C., are sold, are i Illuminated, -
the most picturesque manner the II 5l h.i.'.
in order To attract buyers. The >ral
Saint. made OF butter, is "tcn seen ':""s IL,
other grotesque aud Iaughanle objects. ii""t>
of eggs are multiplied eudIcssl y bv mirrors, and
the whole scene is unique. bl liant and at.rac'
tive The English Church has retnurd Lrn,
aud many other Ia>ls hut giv~> II" dlc tI"'>
respecting abstinence from f""i la' /" l"+-
ing regulations issued b, the RI Rev. Bl>h"p
this diocesr, will give fair rx!rinit "i the ru
which the Cathuic Church row hollis on tnr
subject of the fast "l L.nt:
l. All the faithful VIII" have complete. t.'e.r
twenty first year are bouni t" observe lie t'-t
of Lent.
2. They are only to make one "'ca. i" day,
excerpt Sundays
3. The meat allowed on fast day is not to
be taken before eleven A. VI.
d. At that meal it on any day permission
should be granted for eating flesh, b'tI tic n
and fish are not to be used III the >aInc time.
5. A collation. i, allowed in the evening,
rigid Chri tian will never let it exceed the
fourth part of an ordinary meal. The quality
of food allowed at the COLLATION. is in this Dio
cese. bread, butter, cheese, all ki;.d> OF vegcra
tables, aud fish, previously prepared and grown
cold. Milk and eggs are prohibited,
6. General usage has made it lawful to drink;
in the morning some liquid Coffee tea, or
thin chocolate, made with water, to which u
few drops of milk may be added, serving rath-
cr to color the liquids, than to make them sub.
stautial food.
+ The taithfnl oro allowed fine uSe of hogs