The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-02-27
LENr.-Aah WednesdaY oocnrred Yeg-

LRNT.-AAh Wednesday occurred yes
terday, and with 1t commenced the season
ofLent, which is Saxon word signifyiRg
frightening. tits q time set apart by the
Roman Catholic and Episcopal Churches
for penitenCe and meditation, preparatory
to the great festival Of Easter.
1t seems clear that the original fast be-
fore Easter was one Of forty hours, that
being the period between the death Of our
Lord and His resurrection. Additional
days were prefxed for the Encouragement
OF devotion, the number varying In differ
ent churches; when the custom Of adding
them was first introduced 1t isnot easy TO
determine. Cassian, A. D. 400, says that
some churches keePtheir Lent six, others
seven weeks; yet none exceeded thirty.six
fasting days; Sundays were deducted;
and, in the case Of seven weeks, Saturdays
also, except one, Easter Eve. BE athrms
that the observation Of Lent was not prim'
tive; the season was thus set apart In or
der to stimulate devotion, and 70 prepare
men for Holy Communion. The forty
days fssts Of Moses, Of Elias, and Of our
Losd were cited as examples. Sozomen,
C. 440, writes, "The Quadragesimal fast,
before Easter, some observe six weeks, as
the Illyrians and Western churches, and
all Libys, Egypt and Palestine; others
make it seven weeks, as the Constantine
politans and neighboring nations as far as
PhGnicia; others fast three only Of those
six or seven weeks byintervals; others the
three weeks next Immediately before
Easter, and others fast only two weeks, as
the Montanists."
Five reasons for the Lent fast are given :
/. The Apostles sorrow for tho loss Of
their Master. 2. The declension oil
primitive piety. 3. Preparation for Holy
Communion: at Easter. 4. That cate
chumens might prepare themselves ior
baptism; and 8. Penitents for absoludon'
In the first three or four centuries
much latitude was allowed In the observa'
ton of the feast Of Lent Chrysostom
recommends 1t, yet eniorces more strong
" the necessity Of good works and aims
giving. The Council OF Orleans, 541,
enIoins fasting under pain Of ecclesiastical
censures.
The ancient mode of observing Lent
was to abstain from all food until evening.
Distinction of meats was not primitive.
The greatest ascetics made no scruple 10
eat meat in Lent when occasion required
it. It was season OF abstinence from
public shows, from the celebration OF
birthdays and marriages, Of frequent re-
ligious assemblies and sermons.
Ash Wednesday and the three days
preceding the first Sunday in Lent were
probably added by Gregory the Great, TO
complete the number forty, which seemed
peculiarly consecrated as fasting season.
Ash Wednesday Is called Caput Jjuntt,
or Cdput QuadrageSimGj' and also Dies
CineruHl.
We find from Gratian's account Of the
ceremony used upon this day that all
penitents, who either then were admitted
on penance or had been admitted pre-
viously, were presented to the Bishop be-
fore the doors OF the church, clothed In
sack. cloth, bareIooted, and with counte.
nsnces detected TO the earth, contessing
themselves guilty both by their habit and
their looks. They were to be attended
by the deans or arch.presbYters Of the
parish and the penitential presbytersl
whose office Wasl 10 inspect their CONVEX
sation and epjoin them penance according
to the measure Of their faults by tho de-
grees of penance that were appointed.
After this they bring them into the c0rch;
and then the Bishop, with all the clergy,
falling PROSTATE on the ground, sing the
seven penitential psalms with tears, ior
their absoluion. After this, the Bishop
rising from prayer, gives them imposition
ofhands, sprinkles them with holy water,
puts ashes upon their heads, and then
covers their heads with sackcloth; de-
claring with signs and groans that, as
Adam was cast out Of Paradise, so they
for their sins are cast out Of the Church.
Then he commands the interior ministers
to expel them out of the doors Of the
church, and the clergy follow them, u.s.
ing this responsory, "In the sweat Of thy
face shalt thou eat thy bread; for dust
thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return
In the end Of Lent, on the Thursday kbe-
fore Esster, the deans and presbyters are
to present them before the door Of the
church again.
In the English Church service called
denomination, or Denouncing Of Gods
Anger and Judgments against Sinners"
is appointed TO be read on Ash Wednes-
day IN place Of the discipline above des-
cribed, "until the said discipline may be
restored again, which Is much to be wish.
3D." says the opening address. The ser.
vice consists Of a dozen curses gathered
out OF Deuteronomy, an exhortation by
the minister, the Psalm "Miserere mel
Deus" and some short prayers.
In the Roman Catholic Church, previ.
Gus TO the Mass on Ash Wednesday, the
service Of blessing and distributing the
ashes Is performed. The ashes are pro-
cured by burning the palms consecrated
on Palm Sunday Of tho previous year. AT
ter the antiphon, versicle, and response
and four prayers, the priest sprinkles the
ashes with holy water, saying the anthem
"Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, o,
Lord, and l shall be cleansed; Thou shalt
wash me, and I shall be whittier thar
snow" He then tumigates them with
incense three times; then, kneeling be-
fore the altar, he puts some Of the conse-
Grated ashes on his own head, marking
his forehead with the sign Of the cross,
and doing the same, first, to those in at
tendance on the altar, and then 10 the
congregation as they come up and knee
al the altar rail, saying to each, in Latin
Remember, man, that thou art dust, and
unto dust thou shalt return" In the mean
time tho choir sing the appointed anthems
and alter prayer the proper Mass for
tie day is begun.
LARGE FUNERAI-The funeral Of the
late Peter Ehrhardt took place yesterday
afternoon. and was. largely attended bv