The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-04-08

olic Bulletin, SIS Newton Bldg, st. Paul.
lies another incentive not to be want
ing in a thorough change Of heart and
proper modification Of our evil in
clinations.
Is not every day In Lent fass-day?
How is it that on certain days the use
Of meat Ia allowed?
A fast-day consists in this, that we
eat only one full meal; in other words,
we eat only once in the day as much
as satisfies the appetite. This meal
is not to be taken before noon. Fas-
ting, strictly speaking, has reference
to the quantity of food taken rather
that to it's quality or kind. Abstinence
has reference to the quality rather
than to the quantity, and requires us
to abstain from certain kinds of food.
The religious purpose of both being
the same, it naturally followed that in
practice they were in some measure
united, and that, in the Church, fast
days were usually also days of alb
stinence For it seemed absurd that
he who on fast-day strove to mortify
his appetite by restricting himself to
a limited quantity of food, should, at
the same time, pamper it by indulging
at the single meal in the use of rich
and luscious delicacies. The whole
matter, both as to fasting and alb
stinence lies whit the authority of
the Church, and is regulated by her
discipline and allowed usages. (Use
has sanctioned the taking of cup Of
coffee or tea or thin chocolate in the
morning, with a small morsel of
bread.) All the weekdays of Lent
are days of fast and abstinence
What is meant by days of absti-
nence?
Days of abstinence are days on
which the use of meat is prohibited,
but on which there is no restriction as
to the quantity of the food we choose
to take According to general rule
of the Church, all the Fridays and
Saturdays throughout the year are
days of abstinence; but for certain
countries-among them the United
States-a dispensation has been
granted for Saturday, so that on this
day the use of meat is allowed.
Was Lent always observed as it is
at present?
In the main, yes Some of the Oldest
Fathers of the Church, among them
st. Jerome and st. Leo, speak of Lent
as of apostolic institution. Only the
manner of fasting differed in two par
ticulars. In the first place, the fast
was much more rigorous-eggs, but
ter, and cheese being prohibited in
many localities as is the case still
among the Greeks The Church. al
ways an indulgent mother, subsequent
ly permitted the use of this kind OF
food In the second place, but one
meal was allowed, and this was never
taken before evening. From the thlr--
teenth century the Church permitted
this meal to be taken at noon, and al
lowed in the evening slight refresh
ment, called a collation." and not ex-
ceeding the fourth part of full meal.
The name of collation." given to the
slight repast, is derived from the mon
asteries. In these it was customary
for the monks to assemble in, the eve
ming to listen to the reading of that
beautiful book of the Abbot Cassian
which bears the title of ''Collationes
Observation-Disclosures III the Fathers"
After the reading some fruit was
handed round for refreshment. This
was called "eating at collation." When
the Church afterward permitted, be-
sides the meal at noon, something to
be taken in the evening also, this re-
freshment received the name of "col-
lation."