Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-02-12
ABOUT LENT.
Abstinence and Fasting Begin
With Wednesday.

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Special Services to be Held In Catholic
and Episcopal Churches Of Town
Period Lasts Until after Casters Some
Interesting Facts about the 0bsery-
ance.
On Wednesday lent began. The
day is known as Ash Wednesday
and its coming was signaiized by
special services in the Catholic and
Trinity Episcopal churches. Rigid
observance of the period will mark
the members of both these churches.
The Litinay will be read each Fri
day afternoon at the Episcopal
church during Lent.
The fast of Lent begins on Ash
Wednesday and lasts until Easter
Sunday. During this time there
are 46 days, but as the faithful do
not fast on the six Sundays falling
in this time, the fast lasts 40 days.
For that reason it is called the 40
days of Lent The 40 days of Lent
was instituted by ST. Peter, the first
Pope. During the 46 days from
Ash Wednesday to Easter, the time
is to be spent in fasting and in pen
ance for sins. The Jews, having
been delivered from their captivity
in Babylon, spent 46 years in build
ing their temple in place of the
grand edifice raised by Solomon and
destroyed by the Babylonians, and
thus the Catholics rebuilt the tenn
pie of the Holy Ghost, built by God
at the moment of baptism, but de-
stroyed by the sins Of the past year
In the Old Testament the tenth part
of all the substance Of the Jews was
given to the Lord and thus the tenth
part of the time of the faithful be
given to Him.
The fast of Lent is begun on Wed
nesday, for the most ancient tradi
lions of the church explain that
while the Lord was born on Sunday.
he was baptized on Tuesday, and
began His fast in the desert on Wed
nesday. The term Ash Wednesday
comes from the custom of putting
ashes on the heads of the clergy and
people on this day. BY this cere
mony the church brings before the
minds of the faithful the dust and
corruption of the grave. The great
men of old did penanee in sack cloth
and ashes, In the beginning of the
church ceremony of putting the ash
es on the heads of the people was
only for those who were guilty of
sin, and who were to spend the sea-
son of Lent in public penanee. Be
fore mass they came to the church,
confessed their sins and received
from the hands OF the clergy the
ashes on their heads. Then the
clergy and all the people Frustrated
themselves upon the earth and
there recited the seven penitential
psalms. Rising, they formed into a
procession with the penitents walk
| ing baretooted After the 18th century
the public pensnce began to be put
aside, but the custom of putting ash
es on the heads of the clergy be-
came more and more common, until
at length it became part of the Latin
rite. Formerly they used to come
up to the altar railing IN their bare
feet to receive their ashes, and that
solemn notice of their death and OF
the nothingness of man.
The word LENT in the ancient
languages of Northern Europe means
Spring, to distinguish it from ad
vent, the Fall or Winter fast. The
Latin and Greek names of Lent
mean 40 days, and from these come
the names of Lent in French, Italian
and the tongues OF Southern Europe
which are formed from the Latir
and Greek. The history of Lent il
traced through every generation ant
age up to the time OF the apostles
These things were forbidden to
the Christians in the different ages
of the church during Lent-wille,
meat and food Meat is forbidden
because 1t is the food nearest like
our flesh, and we can easier do with
out it. Fasting from food means
that the faithful are to practice sell
denial by notifying themselves
ITO the church was left the power o.
imposing and of arranging the facts
each year. For that reason, as TIL
peoples, customs and ways of th'
world change, tothem the churcf
accommodates the law of the fasting
In the early ages the Christians
tasted vigorously. Then man wa
stronger physically than now anC
would withstand more austeritie
than to day. The constitution O
man was weakened. Now thos
whose work is not too severe take
only one meal day. On certain
DAYS meat is forbidden entirely anS
others it is permitted only'once {
dav Tho faithful arn axnacfed t(