The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-03
LENT BEGINS Oh WEDNESDAY
Forty Day Period to be Obserad
by Many ChurChnlen
Is a Period of Penance and Fhsting
For Episcopalians and Cathoaics-
Some Mistaken Impressions Con-
cerning Lent Corrected.

With next Wednesday. known In re
ljgious circles as Ash Wednesday thu
time of penance and preparation
know as Lent begins and the day
will be observed with fitting anC
appropriate service in all the Episcopa
an Catholic churches of this city. Lent
continues for period of forty days
and 1t is observed as a time when the
devout abstain from worldly pleasures
Good Friday falls on April 18th and
Easter on Sunday on April 18th.
A wei known churchman in discuss
| ing Lent recently said:
| Il find there is a good deal OF ig-
nOrance you might say, in regard to
the real meaning OF certai faaSt and
sacred days in connection With Lent.
AS this period is near at hand | have
heard many questions which prove that
[ am right in my assertion. For iz-
stance, the observance of Shrove Tu-s
DAY and Ash Wednesday. What is
really meant by shrove, shriven rath-
er, is c0nfessing and is the commence
ment of time for confession extending
over the period Of forty days before
Easter
In England the day was observed
by cock fighting, bali playing bull bat
ing, and in some countries iE Is time
for pancakes and fritters, which gave
* the name Of Pancake Tuesday. The
carnival which is observed On that
day is known to be nothing more than
the continuation of a heathen feast OBJ
served by Old Romans. which the
church unable to eliminate, was fore
ed to preserve in connection with the
observance Of Lent.
"The idea Of feasting and reveling
to such an extent before the sudden
cessation of worldly pleasures has new
er been approved by the best church
men, but custom has brought it down
through centuI tes.- 1t 10 gradually and
surely being eliminated, however, for
the christian world, and the time will
come, 1 believe when therere will be
10 more Mardi Gras celebrations in the
United States.
ash Wednesday derives it's name
from the custom of the Catholic Ger
enony in streWing ashes on the head
as an act of penitence: The present
custom is for the priest to- sprinkle ash
es on the head Of each penitent while
he says in Latin Remember man thou
CI uuSL anu Shall IGCuiH u 4uSI
7 his observance is not used in the
church which, however, re-
CARDS it as a sacred day. Many people
cannot understand when Easter should
come. The 40 days of Lent is pattern
ed after the fast observed by Christ
before His crucitiXiOn and 1t
was observed by Moses ana. ElijaL in
their fasting.
ash Wednesday comes ON the 4th
Of March this year and Easter April
10Th, just II days later, which, exeilzd
ing the Sundays, makes it 40 days
Palm Sunday comes the Sunday before
Lent and it is the cO1nmemoration of
Christ's triumphal entry int5 Jerusa-
lem when the people spread palms in
his path and shouted 'HOsanla.' Duc-
ing that week comes Good Friday, the
day Of Christ's crucifxion, the most
sacred day in church observance and
then come the day of resurrection,
when all the world came from its gloom
and Christ rose from the dead trium-
phant over death and sin.
with tie exception of the Catholic
and Episcopal churches, these. days are
not observed as the other churches
claim that there is no direction given
in Scripture for such celebrations, the
only one being the positive command
to observe the Sabbath day and to them
every Sunday is Easter, or: the cele-
bration of the resurrection"