The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-02
ANTIQUITY OF LENT
IT'S OBSERVANCE ONE CT THE Old
EST CHRISTIAN CUSTOMS.
Meath Once the Penalty for Disregard
Of the Season of FnstinE-why
Fixed at Forty Days.
New York Times.

its beginning is involved in obscurity. BY
some it is contended that Lent is of apos-
tolic origin. while others hold it is an ec-
clesiastical institution.
But whether or not Lent as fixed sea-
son of fasting was observed by the Apos-
ties or was not established until the o.
ganizaton of Catholicism. all authorities
agree in saying that for time, at least,
after the death Of Christ, the primitive
Christians observed a fast of forty hours
prior to the anniversary of the resurrec-
tom and it is the general concensus OF
modern opinion that this fast of forty days
was practically the ancient type of the
modern laws.
In st. Luke ", 35 Christ said: "But the
days viii come when the bridegroom shall
be taken away from them and then shall
they fast in those days"
This was taken by the primitive Chris
tiaps to mean that they should fast after
Christ's death and until his temperance.
The custom, therefore. obtained among
them of fasting forty hours-from the
afternoon of Good Friday to the morning
of resurrection day.
Even If Lent was not a long season OF
fasting among the primitive Christians, it
became so before long, and there are &C.
clesasticai records TO show that prior to
the fourth century the Lenten season was
generally fixed at forty days of fasting
and prayer The custom has lasted, then.
for at least 1.5oo years, practically as IT Is
to-day.
The Roman ecclesiastical name for Lent
is Jejunium Quadragesimale, the fast or
from the Anglo-saxon word Lencten. mean
ing spring, with reference to the season in
which It occurs In the old Greek cnur ,.,t,,
what is now the first Sunday in Lent and
ended on Holy Thursday Neither Greeks
days during Lent, and the Greeks. in addi-
ton, did not fast on Saturdays in Lent
Socrates has left testimony 70 the erect
three weeks before Easter. and did not IN
clude Saturdays or Sundays in their count,
the Christians tasted six weeks. and IN
some other places, notably at CONSTANT
nope the Christians sta Tasted n seven fasssd
only in alternate weeks during this period,
and excepted Saturdays and Sundays.
OTHER CUSTOMS.
According to another ancient Roman
writer of note, the Christians of Rome in
his day tasted seven weeks. excluding Sat-
urdays and Sundays, and also Holy Satur-
day from the count. Under this plan Lent
actually covered thirty-six days-a 1.-THE or
the year. being one-tenth of the annual
number of days.
Lent was never, however. closely identi-
fed as symbol with the idea OF 1.-THE OK
the year and there is little authority Tor
saying that this idea ever exlste ts,, s s.ret
during the latter part OF the sixin censu trs
fixed Lent at thirty-six days IN one OF ans MS
ing a part of the fourth century the Chris
tians at Rome tasted for nifty days pes,n-
ping ping WITH for nxy days Beginning
on Sexagesima Sunday. Some OF the 6reeh
Christians tasted seventy days before Ensa
direction day, beginning on Septnasesima
The proof that Lent was not closely as
year yesiS'i is FOUND in the cirepmostsncs that
either the very Pope who nrSt nxen, tne lase
at yxfenae eay the Fl fast to forty days
adding four days from Quadragesima week.
The manner of observing Lent curing ane
was not less varied than the measure or the
duration of the period of fast ., 49,,
strict laws for the observance or Lent. anu
Charlemagne, when he conquered Saxony,
went to the Length b,s 10 OF dssth he wantony
disregarded the prescribed opservances OF
the holy season; these r tSs aiiowance 81
dispensations The Butter Towers, az
Rouen, are said to have been built from the
psring The earlier centuries there was
uniformity of observance OF Lent. save ,naSS
by abstention from meat, although tho total
abstention was generally confined 10 COM
paratively few days during from me pg mest
some only from fowl; some ate only bread,
some ate nothing and some tasted curing
the entire day, while others Idsteu uu thaff
only a part of the Gay Originany, ~ c,,rie-
is, during these carry celieui e,,ar hraad
tians partook OF noiy coii,' III, us iii.a
and wine, only on i1asler, 49, ~ tnch,mens
wise, the only uay On WI. m,,ssis absaivad cat
were oaptized anu p ssn.tg,'7 "os0 -
ecnumens were heopny 70. ST.,
DURATION OF THE FAST.
T. -. aruavs heen tho general opnioN
II nos ,s,,. ~, ,ravailinv
that the early ana, many, ,he pie' aims
idea of fixing the Lenten fast at 1orty
49,. xrau, o,,t of the forty-day periods in
uays Sc" RECONSIDERATION cava
the Bible. Jonah, IN MS Recommendation" $40
Nineveh forty days of grace. Moses anu
,,,.E, aro FORTY davs in the wilderness.
Eh'an 49,. .,..s.sru,a,,t te,nptation for
CHRIST iasteu anu u'iuei w. -.
FORTY days So 1t was natural that great
,o,,,r,er,orative and penitential observance
az ant should nv general and gradual
l,sant and custom fix itself upon a period
80 Sortv davs
" c ~, edicts of the Church nodded
81. 80 its nresent form about one thou
Leu. aa,d ,n na.s AGO and since then it has re-
,mainad nracticallv unaltcred
i' ,rh a ppnan1 Catholics and the Episcopal
;a,,a alone observe the Ienten season. 1t
=; ;e 3,,a nresnnf custom in the Protestant
ITr;soonal church TO fast on two days in
~ S,,eeIr during I,ent--Wefnesday and FRI
d d,S ~
II tho Roman Catholic Church there is
- na,aral nile of observance applying TO
:, ss Int, q. evervwhere and there are
di ;,,ried lot innaI with the