Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-02-16

LENT.
Lent, the fasting time before Easter,
which is observed in the Roman, and
Greek and other oriental churches.
1t is certainly of very ancient, if it
be not even OF primitive institution
The earliest illusions to it speak of it
as an established usage handed down
from the fathers. The forty days Pc
riod, as commemorative of our Lords
forty days fast, or of the similar per
functory fasts of Moses and Elias
commences with Ash Wednesday, be-
tween which day and Easter Sunday
(omitting the Sundays on which the
fast is not obseryed) forty clear days
intervene. The rigor of the ancient
observance, which excluded all flesh,
and even the so-called "white meats"
Is now much relaxed; but the principle
of permitting but one meal, with q
slight rejection or collation., is every.
where retained. In Spain, during the
and the wars with the Moors
a practice arose of permitting, in GER
tain cases, the substitution of contri-
button to the holy war for the obser-
vance of the Lenten abstinence; and
the object has long since
ceased, the composition is still permit.
ted, under the same title of the
In the Greek church, the
fast is of 4S days; but it
is only one of four similar fasting pc.
RODS observed in that church. In the
Anglican church, Lent is retained as a
church season of the calandar, with
special services, and proper collects
and prayers; but the observance of the
fast is left to the discretion of each in.
dividual.
In passage of the Acts of the
Apostles it is recorded that, on some
special occasions, fasting in connec
ton with prayer was practiced both by
apostles and churches. Once in tho
epistles it is recognised as at times
helpful to the Offering of special
prayer. Beyond this, in the midst of
many earnest practical exhortation to
a holy life, no mention is made of fast
ing, nor is there any intimation that
reliance was placed on it either as mer-
itorious in itself or as a help to holi-
ness. In the age Immediately follow
ing that of the apostles, the practice so
far as it prevailed, seems to have been
a continuance of Jewish or pagan oh
servance rather than a christian re-
quirement, Very little reference ap-
pears to have been made to it by writ.
ers of the first century. In the second
century, as Victor and Irenaeus say,
it was the custom of several congrega-
tions to prepare themselves for Easter
by modification and fasting, commence
ing on the day in which they comment
Grated the crucitixion and continuing
until the anniversary of the resurrec-
ton. This included period of about
40 hours. BY the time of the council
of Nice 1926 A. ID it had been extend
ed to 40 days, with the exception OF
the included SAndays, which were
never observed as tests Gregory the
Great, in 500, directed that the season
should begin on the & h Sunday before
Easter, and that on all intervening
week days fasting should be practiced.
Afterwards, either by him Or Gregory
III four days of the preceding week.
with Ash- Wednesday, were
added to make the whole fast 40 days.
The council of Laodlcea (held some
time in the 4th c., but whether near
the beginning, middle or end is not
now knowu) allowed only dry food"
that is, bread and water; and forbade
the celebration Of the the festivals of
martyrs, marriages, and birthdays dur
ing the whole OF Lent. Chrystom,
whose life extended from 347 to 4O7,
says that "as many persons used to
come to the communion thonghtlessly,
at the time of year when
Christ first gave it to his disciples, our
forefathers appointed 40 days fasting,
prayer, preaching, and holy assemblies;
that all men being carefully purified
by prayer, alms-deeds, fasting. watch
ing, tears, and confession, might come
with pure conscience to the holy
table," After time fasting ceased to
be voluntary exercise. Laws enforc-
ing it we're passed in the 9th century
by the council of Orleans; in the eth
century by the 8tE council of Toledo;
in the 9th century the breach of its OBJ,
servance was punished with eKcom-
munication; in the 18th century some
persons who transgressed had their
teeth drawn out. In later times such
seventies were greatly diminished. In
England the observance was first made
obligatory in the 9TH century by
Ercombert, seventh king of Kent.
oAAC0 VA0 A0AVi AoIloA AAouG uoS Uocu
retained in the calander of the church
of England, and has now a place in
that of the Protestant Episcopal
church in the United States, as sea
son for special religious services and
instructions, in which the contiL uance
and strictness of the fast is left to the
judgment and choice of individual
Christians. The six Sundays included
in it are observed as festivals, never as