River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-03-11
CHURCH COLUMN
THE ORIGIN OF LENT

The holy seasons appointed by
the Church will generally be found
to date their rise from some circum-
stance in the life of our Blessed
Lord, some event in Scripture his
tory, or desire to keep in remem-
brance the virtue and piety of the
saints w h adorned the early
Church. But the origin of the sea-
son of Lent is not so obvious, al
though it is usually supposed that
Lent is observed in commemoration
of the Savior's temptation and fast
ing forty days in the wilderness.
1t is most probable that the Lent
now kept by the Christian Church
originated from regard to those
words of the Redeemer, The days
will come when the Bridegroom will
be.taken away from them, then shall
they fast in those days" We learn
from the history of the Church, that
the primitive Christians considered
that in this passage Christ has al
luded to the institution of particu-
lar season of fasting and prayer in
His Church. Accordingly, they, in
the first instance, began this solemn
period on the afternoon of the day
on which they concentrated the
Crucifixion, and continued it until
the morning of that of the resurrec-
ton. The whole interval would
thus be about forty hours. but
by degrees this institution suffered
a considerable change, different at
different times and in different pla-
ces. From the forty hours, or the
two days originally observed, it was
extended to other additional days,
but with a great variety in their
number, according to the judgment
of h e various Churches. Some
tasted three days in the week before
Easter, some four, and others six.
A little after, some extended the
fast to three weeks, and others to
six, aud other Churches appointed
certain portions of seven weeks in
succession. The result of all this
was the eventual fixing of the time
at forty days, commencing on the
Wednesday in the seventh week be-
fore Easter, and excluding the inter-
mediate Sundays.
1t is not however to be supposed
that the Church remained long in
uncertainty on this point, for it ap-
pears that the Lent of forty days
can be traced to period very near
that of the Apostles. That its term
of forty days was settled at very
early period, is evident from the
writings of the Bishops of those
times, who refer us, in vindication
of it, to the example of Moses, Eli
iah and our Blessed Lord, all of
whom tasted forty days. From all
this then, we arrive at the conclu-
sion that though fasting is frequent
ly alluded to in the scriptures as a
Christian duty (disallowed now by
many, yet the set times for it are
to be referred solely to the author
e a
remarked that the name we apply to
this holy season, is derived from
the time of the year when it occurs.
The term, Lent, in the Saxon Ian
guage signifies Spring; and as we
use it, indicates merely the Spring
fast, preparatory to the rising of
Christ from the grave.
The Lenten fast does not embrace
all the days included between Ash
Wednesday and Easter; for the Sun
days are so many days above the
number of forty. They are exclud-
ed, because the Lords Day is al
ways held as a festival, and never
as fast. These six Sundays are,
therefore, called Sundays in Lent,
not Sundays of Lent. They are in
the midst of it, but do not form a
part of it. On them we still contin-
ne, without interruption, to cele-
brate the Saviour's resurrection,
though the penitential character OF
the services is maintained through
out, and violet, the color of fasting
and repentance, is used generally
for the vestments of the priest and
the hangings of the altar.
According to ancient canon laws
of the Church marriages may not be
solemnized during this season. ADV.
Lawrence College has put out this
year perhaps the most complete
catalogue it has ever issued. AS
an epitome of college life it would
prove particularly interesting to all