Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-02-21
THE IENrEN SEASON,

The Lenten season, ODself0u 40 W.
Episcopal and Catholic churches, COM
menced last Wednesday, which is known
in the calendar of those churches IS Ash
Wednesday. The regulations for the
observance of Lent are promulgated BY
the Bishops of the different dioceses
over which they preside, but are sub
stantially as follows:
All the faithful who have completed
their twenty-frst year are, unless ieglu-
mately dispensed, bound to observe the
Fast Of Lent.
They are to make only one meal
day, excepting Sundays. The meal al
lowed on fast days is not to be taken
until about noon. At that meal If on
anv day permission should be granted
for eating flesh, both flesh and fish are
not TO be used at the same time, even BY
way of seasoning. ;,
K small refreshment, commonly called
collation.. is allowed in the evening; no
general rule as to the quantity of food
permitted at the time is or can be made.
But the practice of the most regular
Christian is never to let 1t exceed the
fourth part of an ordinary meal.
The quality of food allowed at Q
collation. is, in this archdiocese, bread,
butter, cheese, all kinds Of fruits, salads,
vegetables aud fish; milk and eggs are
prohibited. General usage has made it
lawful to drink in the morning some
warm liquid, as tea, coffee, or chocolate
made with water. :,
Necessity and custom have authorized
the use of hog lard instead of butter in
preparing fish, vegetables, etc.
The following persons are exempt
from the obligations of fasting; Young
persons under twenty-oRe years OF age,
the sick, nursing women, those who are
obliged to do hard labor, and all who
through weakness cannot fast without
great prejudice to their health.
By dispensation, the use of fresh meat
will be allowed at any time on Sundays,
and once a day on Mondays, Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays, with the ex-
ception Of Holy Thursday and the second
and last Saturdays of Lent.
Persons dispensed from the obligation
of fasting on account Of advanced or ter
der age, or hard labor, are not bound by
the restriction of using meat only at one
meal on days on which its use IS granted
by dispensations.
Others dispensed from the fast for
other causes, as we'll as those who are
obliged to fast, are permitted to use meat
only at one meal.
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of
Lent, is the forty-sixth day before Easter
Sunday. Six of the intervening days
being Sundays and improper for fasting
are not counted, as Lent requires only
forty days. The name Ash Wednes-
day" is derived from very ancient
custom Of the Catholic Church. The de-
rivation of the term "lent" is not def
nitely known, though it is probably
from the Saxon 'lencten," to lengthen,
in view of the fact that the days begin
TO lengthen about the commencement
of the fast. Lent is an imitation
or memorial of the Sayior's forty
days temptation and abstinence;
while other authorities hold that the
forty days have reference to the forty
days of the deluge, the forty days granted
to the Ninevites for repentance, or the
time spent in fasting by Moses and Elias.
1t is very ancient, some claiming that it
was instituted by the Apostles them
selves, and others that it was not estab-
Eshed until the second or third century
after Christ. Its observance was made
obligatory upon the church as early as
A. D. $50. 1t is only in the Episcopal
and Roman Catholic churches that the
nature of the fast is prescribed by
rule. But the rules are often modified
according to different climates and Gus
toms. In this country the use of flesh
is allowed several times per week, ac-
cording to the discretion Of the Bishops.
It has always been allowable to eat fish
during Lent. Speaking of the observ-
ances Of the first day Of Lent, the au-
thority above stated cites that in some
parts of Germany the young men gath
cred the girls into a cart, drove them
into river or pool, aud there washed
them favoredIy." This shows that mer.
riment was not rigidly excluded. A
very absurd custom, observes Brady,
prevailed in England till the reign Of
George 1. During the lenten season
an officer denomiuated the King Cock
Grower, crowed the hour each night
within the precincts Of the palace, in
stead Of proelaiming in the ordinary
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