Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-11
LENT BEGINS TO-DAY.
A SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND DE-
vELOPMENT OF THE FAST.
Church-Speciai services-Pro-
gramme at the Cathedral.
This Is Ash-wednesday.

the German lonz and the Dutch Le,lte-both
meaning spring" Lent" is derived from
the Anglo-Saxon word lencten-a name
given TO spring because then the days be-
Gin to lengthen. Among the Latin na-
tions, however, Lent is called by names
| derived from quadragesima, meaning
| forty, with reference to the duration of
the season, the French, for instance, call
| ing it careme.
ORION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SEASON.
The observance by the Christian Church
OF such a season can be traced back prac-
tlcally TO Apostolic days.
| Irenmus, born A. ID. 100, and n pupil Of
| Polycarp, as the latter was Of ST. John,
when Primate of Gaul, wrote officially TO
Victor. bishop OF Rome, concerning the
controversy then going on both as to the
length and the nature of the fast. And"
says he, this variety among the
observers (of the fasts) had not its origin
in our time. but long before in that OF our
predecessors" Originally the length OK
the fast seems to have been forty hours, as
representing the interval between our
Lords death on the cross and His resur-
rectlon and warrant for such fast was
found by Tertulian in the words of Christ,
THE days will come when the bride
| groom shall be taken away from them,
and then shall they fast in those days"
BY the time of origin. say the middle or
| the third century, the season had been eX-
tended to forty days TO correspond with
| the season spent by the Lord, by Elijah,
and by Moses in fasting.
GENESIS OF THE PRESENT RULE.
| But il was not until about the beginning
! of the seventh century that the present
rule for the regulation of the length of
Lent was generally adopted in the Western
| Church, according to which the season be-
! gins on the forty-sixth day before Easter,
and the six intervening Sundays are eX-
| cepted from the fast, and retain their char
acter as days of festival gladness being,
so to speak, weekly Lasters.
TWO DAYS OF SPECIAL PROMINENCE.
Two DAYS stand out of Lent with special
| prominence-Ash-We Wednesday, the first
! day of Lent, so called in a general aluslon
TO the association of ashes with repent
ence 10y the Old Testament prophets, and
| Good FRIDAY, which cOnsummates Passion
| Week-that is, the week which. begins with
| the Sunday before Easter. commonly
called Palm-Sunday in remembrance OF
our Lords triumphal entry toJerusalem.
PURPOSE OF THE OBSERVANCE.
One of the most ancient homilies of the
| Church of England. heartily approved by
| the Protestant Episcopal Church IN the
| United States, IN No. AAAN. OF the
| XXXIX. Articles of Religion, very clearly
sets forth the uses and benefits Of the
! Lenten fast:
There bo three ends, whereunto If our fast
/ be directed II is then WORK prohtable 70 US
! and acceptable 10 GOD.
Tho drst is 10 chasten the flesh that II be no.
| too Wgnton, but tanned and brought into subiec-
| iion to the spirit. This respect had 81 Paul IN
| his fest, when no said: chastse my body ana
/ bring II into sublection, lest by any meaDs II
! cOmeth to pass that when have preached 10
others l myself DO found a castaUay.
"Tho second, that the spirit may be more earn
| es, and ferYent TO prayer. To this end tasted
I the prophets Gnd teachers that were ct Antioch
/ before they sent forth Paul aud Barnobas to
/ preach the Gospel. The same TWO apostles
1 lasted for the like purpose when they com
/ morded 10 God by their earnest prayers The
/ congregations thet We're at Antioch, Plsldla,
/ Iconium. and Lystrs, as We read In the Acts OF
! the Apostles.
! "Vfe third, that our fast be testimony and
! witness with US before God OF our humble sub
J mission TO III high majesty when we confess and
acknowledge our sins unto Him ana are inward
| ly touched with sorr0wfulness Of heart, bewail-
| ing tho same in the Affections OF our bodies"
AsH-wEDNEsDAY SERVICES.
The services III the Episcopal Church on
Ash Wednesday 0o-day) have their key
note penitcntial confession to God OF sins
and humble petitions Tor His pardoning
mercy and reyiVlng grace. Proper psalms
appointed, the whole of the Litany is usually
said, and there are special prayers at the
end of the Litany, in a portion OF which
the people unite with the minister
SPECIAL LENTEN SERVICES.
Union Lenten services are held in several
Of the Episcopal churches in this city, ac-
cording to long-standing local custom, at
8 O'Clock on the several afternoons as fol-
/ lows:
Mondays-St. Marks and Moore-Memo-
rial.
Tuesdays-Grace.
Wednesdays-M Monumental and st. An
| drews.
Thursdays-St Paul's.
Fridays-St. James.
Saturdays-All SAINTS.
Other services have been arranged by
| the various rectors TO suit the needs of
| their respective hocks. For example:
Christ church, Rev. Preston Nash, rec
/ tor: Wednesdays, g p. NJ, special Service
Of Song and Prayer; Fridays, 7. NJ.
/ Iitauy and confirmation lecture; Satur-
! DAYS. 4 to 8 7. NJ. rector will meet those
| who wish TO consult him in vestry-room.
! St. John's church, Rev. Lewis w. Bur-
! ton. rector Ash-Wednesday, IL A. NJ, in
| the church. with sermon every Tuesday,
strictly limited TO the half-hour between
/ 1880 and a. NJ. in the brick chapel, with
! addresses ON the Beatitudes every We'd
| nesday. 3 y. NJ. including sh-Wednesday.
| in the church, with sermons by various
/
| dressed TO young people ; every Friday. IL
| A. NJ, in the church, with a continuation
/ of the course of Lectures on the Creed.
! The special sermon to be preached to
Young people tonight at st. Johns will be
/ by the Rev. j. Y. Bowman, rector OF ALL
! Saints church.
| Monumental church. Rev. J. B. Newton,
| rector: Services will he held at II o'clock
( to-day and every Wednesday at 4:30 p. NJ.
and every Friday at II NJ thereafter during
/ the Lenten season.
So. Paurs church: The rector. Rev.
! Hartley Carmichael. will deliver a series
! of sermons on the Sunday nights during
Lont on The Unity of the Protestant
| Churches" with a view to explain the po-
! eitions OF the various bodies. He will give
/ short histories of the rise and develop
ment of each. Services will also be held
! each morning at $40 O'clock, except Sun
| day, when they will be at g o'clock, and on
/ Wednesdays at z. H., and on Thursdays
s.. Marks Rev. T. G. Dashiell, D, D,
/ rector: Services Will be held Friday
/ nights. which it is especially desired shall
/ be attended by men who are not habituai
ohurch-goers. Bishop Randolph will
preach the sermon at tho first service.
! February llth, aud the other services OF
/ the series will be by Bishop Whittle, Rev.
! Mr.. Burton, Rev. Mr.. Carmichael, Rev.
I Mr.. Mason, ana Ut. NcNlOn.
/ In the other Episcopal churches there
/ will be services at least once week, and
/ in some of them Oftener.
In the Catholic Churches.
| To-day is known in the Catholic Church
| as Ash Wednesday on account of the ashes
I (mades from the palms of last Paln-Sun-
( day), blessed by the prayers OF the Church.
I As the priest puts the ashes on the fore
/ heads OF the faithful he uses these thrilling
/ words: Remember, man, that thou art
/ dust, and into dust thou shalt return, re-
1 minding US of our departure out of this
( life. and that this all-decisiye event, on
| which eternity depends, may take place
/ within the forty days now commencing, IN
order that repenting, like the Ninevehltess
| we may also avert the anger OF God, winch
we have, alas only too often provoked
/ by our sins.
FORTY FASTING DAYS.
This day begins the season Lent. which is
made up of forty fasting days. and these
iorty days are commemorative OF our
SayfJur's fast of forty days and nights in
| the desert. Besides fasting Lent is also q