The Cairo bulletin., 1905-03-08
COMMENCEMENT
OF LENT TODAY
CATHOLICS AND EPlscoPALiANs
WILL SPENT FORTY DAYS
FASTING AND REPENTlNe OF
SINS

Today is Ash Wednesday, the com.
mencement of Lent. which. in the Ro-
man Catholic and Protestant Episco
pal churches, is a fast of forty days
Immediately preceding Easter The
origin of this fast has been disputed
but it is generally regarded as a prep
arat.on for Easter aud a time especial
ly set apart for the repentance of the
sins of the past year: while the mum
Der of forty days devoted to it is
thought to have reference to the Sa
5iors forty days fast in the wilder
ness. 10 the forty days OF the deluge,
he forty years wandering of the Jews,
he forty days granted 10 the Mini
yites for repentance. or the time spent
In fasting by Moses and Elias. Saint
! Jerome speaks OF the fast as a me-
! mortal of the Sayiors passion Ac.
cording 20 the same writer, as well as
81 Leo. ST. Augustine and most of the
| fathers Of the fourth and fifth centu-
ries it was instituted by the apostles,
although Professionals commonly hold
! hat il was not established until the
second or third century II seems TO
have been made obligatory at least as
early as the second or third century.
AZ first there was great diversity in
the manner and time Of its observ.
ancc Its duration was first fixed by
the church at thirty-six days, TO which
four were subsequently added
Ash Wednesday derives its name
from custom which still prevails in
the Roman Catholic church of sprink.
ling the head or forehead with ashes.
! To roll oneself in the dust, TO cover
the head with ashes, was, in primitive
times, a mark of profound grief. A
man who appeared with his body, hair
and dress covered with dust, announc-
ed by such exterior his mourning and
afhiction. Examples of this are fire.
/ luent in scripture being mentioned in
/ lob, The Kings, the Prophets. and also
/ the Gospels David. to express the
bitterness Of his grief, says he ate
ashes like bread In the first cenu.
/ ries of Christianity. when public pen
ace was imposed ashes were cast up
on the heads of those who we're CON
demned and they were obliged TO
stand without the gate of the church
amid the lamentations Of the people
within. The ceremonies Of Ash We'd
uesday in Roman Catholic countries
are a condemnation Of this primitive
usage.
! The day will be observed in Cairo
with special services at ST Patricks
and St Josephs churches and the
! Church OF the Redeemer.
The services at the Church of the
/ Redeemer will commence with low
mass at a. IN. The choral celebra-
| ton will be held at 1880 a. M,
! followed by thildren's vespers at 8 p
m. Evensong will commence at 1880
p. m, Father Roland has requested
that as far as possible all communi-
cants make their communion at the
I first celebration. The members OF
the choir have been requested TO be
present at the 1890 service. The
day will be observed as a strict fast
day.
The Lenten obligations in the Epis
cipal church are given as follows;
Lent. if rightly kept. is a season Of
\ keenest spiritual aid TO the Christian
soul. Spiritual development at this par
/ ucular season depends upon our con-
scientious observance Of the obliga-
4 tons Of the season. For our aid. the
| church provides more frequently her
II services. The Lenten obligations are:
To be at church at least once each
! day.