The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-02-23
ASH WEDNESDAY, IS
BEGINNING LEATEN
SEASON OF CHURCH
FORTY DAYS COMMUNICATING
FAST OF SAVIOR COMMENCES
NOW.
MEANING OF THE FESTIVAL
Protestants Believe That the Custom
OF Observing Lent Was Not inaugu-
rated Until the Third Century.
Formerly Thirty-Six Days.

/. Totay is Ash Wednesday. the be
ginning of the Lenten Season. The
season recognized by the Roman
Catholic church and the Episcopal or
Anglican church as season of fast
ing Preparation for the great feast
Or Easter Festival, or Resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the grave.
Lent is Teutonic word, and in
German is Pronounced LEM (the
spring.. There have been many dert-
vations Of the word proposed but An
delung thinks that it was probably
Connected with the German verb lien
en Ito thawl. In English Lent means
the quadrigesimal fast in spring,
which in Italian is called Quaresima;
il French, rareme from the Latin
qIadragesima.
f The season is observed by the Ro-
nan church as a season OF fasting
nd preparation for Christians for
the Easter Festival Protestants gen
orally consider Lent not to have been
established before the second or third
century; but the Catholic church
maintain, with st. Jerome, st. Leo,
So. Augustine and the majority OF the
fathers of the church Of the fourth
and fifth centuries. that it is of apos-
lolic origin. They reason thus: That
which we fnd universally establish
ed in the church, and of which we
cannot. nevertheless find the institu-
ton ny the council, must have Teen
established b. the apostles: and the
seth apostolical canon, the council of
Mica, in 325, that Of Laodicea in Sos.
ln1 the father Of the second and third
centuries, speak of Lent as a Usage
generally observed by the church.
In the Latin church Lent former.
/ y lasted by SO days; in the fifth CEN
TRY four days were added, in infta-
tion Of the forty days fast of the Sa-
vior, and this usage became general
in the Western church, except in the
church OF Milan.
The Greeks begin Lent one week
sooner than the Roman Catholics. but
thy do not fast on Sundays, EXCEPT in
passion week, though their fasts,
generally speaking, are much more
strict than those of the Roman Cath
olics. The Latin Monks had former
| " three fasts, Of 40 days each: and
the Greeks observed four besides
Lent, but they have reduced them to
seven days each.
Some Oriental sects had still eth
| ar fasts. The eighth council OF Tole-
10, in 653, orders that those who
break the fast, without necessity,
snail eat no meat during the whole
al, anu SAdh lOt pdlLd VI luS
Lords Supper at Easter The bish-
op must give the sick and aged per
mission to eat animal food during
Lent. Such permissions are, howev.
er, pat in the hands Of physicians.
Until the year 1,2OO, but one meal
day was eaten during Lent.
The English church has retained
Lent, and many other fasts, but yves
NJ directions respecting abstinence
from food"
The following paragraph is taken
from Toulouse Theologie, page 554.
sol. if the rich would add aims
10 the fast, az the church prescribes.
tne poor would live better, and more
comfortably, during Lent, than in any
other season of the year, and would
bless God for this salutary institu-
ticn.' This paragraph has reference
TO the Roman church and not to the
ANGLICAN church, however, 1t could
be applied to all alike.
The modern churchmen look upon
Lent in far different way from that
OF the ancients. 1t is generally &C
cepted by all denominations of this
age as looking forward to the time of
the resurrection of the Savior, and is
generally observed throughou the |
United States by the Episcopal
church and many of the Methodist
and Presbyterians as such. 1t is
season Of denial and reverence, with |
an end in view OF much rejoicing,
wnen on Easter morn the churches OF |
zoe nation are thronged by the devout
members Of the church to hear the
glad Hosannahs sung to the Lord for |,
rne Christ that has conquered the
grave and lives again in eternal life.