Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1912-02-10
THE sEAsoN OF LENT.

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mence on February 2lst, in the Catholic
church. Historically speaking, it means
fast of 40 days preceding Easter, kept
after the example of Moses, Elias, and
above all, of Christ Himself in order to
prepare the faithful for the Easter feast,
and also OF course on account of the gen.
! eral advantages to be derived from long
I period of penance. The Greek and Latin
names for the fast "Quadragesima" in
dicate the number of days. The Italian
Quaresima and the French "Careme"
come from the Latin. The German
Fastenzeit and the Dutch Vasten denote
the fast by pre-eminence. Our word
Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon Lent
en-, /. Q. spring.
There is no mention in Scripture of
the observance of Lent, or indeed, of
any determined time for fasting amongst
Christians. In Acts q, Verse 8, st. Paul
and his companions are said to have put
to sea at a dangerous time, viz: "when
the fast was already over" but the fast
in view was evidently the one Jewish
fast commanded in the law, that on the
Day of Atonement, the tenth of Tisri.
AT that time the autumnal equinox was
past, and, as a rule-no more voyages
were undertaken for the season.
There is, however, proof that Lent, in
the general sense OF fast preceding
Easter, has been known from, or nearly
from Apostolic times-for which Chris
tian Tradition is the beet witness.
The term Lent having now been de-
fined in its widest acceptation, a few
words in reference to the first day of
Lent, viz: Ash Wednesday.
This day according to the Catholic cal
endar inaugurates the beginning of the
Penitential Season. The office for Ash
Wednesday opens with the solemn cere-
mony which has given the day its name.
After an Introit and four collects in which
pardon and mercy are implored for the
penitent, the faithful approach, and
kneel at the altar rails, and the priest
puts ashes upon the head of each, say
ing: Remember man, that thou art
dust, and unto dust, shalt thou return"
The ashes are obtained by burning the
palms of the previous year. The ad-
ministration of the ashes was not origin
ally made to all the faithful, but only to
public penitents. These had to appear
before the church door on the first day
of Lent, in pen;tential garb and with
bare feet. Then penances is there i'm
posed upon them; then they were
brought into the church before the Bis
hop, who put ashes on their heads, say
ing, besides the above words already
quoted. Repent, or do penance, that
thou mayst have eternal life. He then
made them an address, after which he
solemnly excluded them from the
church. Out of humility and affection,
friends of the penitents, though not in
the same condition, used to join them
selves to them, expressing in their out
ward guise similar contrition and of
fering their foreheads also to be sprinkled
with ashes. The number of these per
sons gradually Increased, until at length
the administration of ashes was extend
ed to the whole congregation, and the
rite took its present form.
Within the past few years Christians
of every denomination are beginning to
realize that certain period of the year
should be set apart for public prayers
and fasts, and that the Divine Mercy
should be supplicated for sinful trans
gressions, thereby averting the Divine
anger. The Good Shepherd took upon
Himself our iniquities-interceded with
His Heavenly Father to forgive His
Creatures out of love for US. He retired
into the Desert-prayed and tasted
thereby setting us the example to atone
for sin. 1t is during this season Chris
tians are invited to mediate upon the
Passion and Suferings of the Redeemer
dying on the Cross for our Salvation.
We can never repay Christ for what He
did to us, but by our continual acts of
piety and self-denial we can show our
love for Him again. The opportunity
presents itself: May all good Christians
then enter into the season of Penance
with contrite hearts and endeavor to
satisfy Divine Justice and bring down
upon ourselves and children all spiritual
and temporal graces.
Rev. JAS. A. MOONEY,
Custer, So. Oak.