The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-18

evidence of the last two days of Holy
Week Chose preceding Eastern. being
observed everywhere, even before the
third century. Gradually the entire
week was included and later period
of forty days was instituted.
Tertullian, Origen and other early
writers, allude to a forty days fast,
and it was recognized by the Council
of Nicaea, (325). It is probable that
it was observed in Apostolic times
also by the more Jealous.
The Lent season is a movable one,
being the forty days preceding Easter,
which is the Queen Feast of the
Church year. The Sundays in this
period are in Lent. but not of Lent, as
Sunday is always a festival and never
a fast day.
Easter falls on the first Sunday af-
ter the first full moon upon or after
the 21st of March. and if this happens
to be on a Sunday, Easter Day is the
Sunday following. Therefore 1t Will
easily be seen that Lent cannot begin
before the fourth of February and
never later than the tenth of March
Origin of Preceding Days.
Ash Wednesday is preceded by Col
lop Monday and Shrove or Pancake
Tuesday. Collop Monday is so-called
from an old time custom in England
of eating collops (slices of bacon) and
eggs on this day. Pancake Tuesday
derives it's name from the eating OF
pancakes. a former custom common
thruout England, now falling into DIS
use. The name Shrove Tuesday comes
from the Saxon word Shrive or Shift,
which means confessing, and this sea-
son was anciently set aside by the
Church of Rome for the striving or
confessing of sins. But TINS custom
was laid aside at the Reformation.
A pre-Lenten custom in our country
~. hn1 n
since it's introduction in 1857. The ar
ranEements for this festival are under
the control of societies composed OF
the chief professional and business
men of the city. The carnival is ia
nous for its wonderful street pageant
and masked ball of magnificence and
pomp. THE Mardi Gras is the fare
we'll to flesh" and is similar in many
features to like festivities held at TINS
season in Rome and other italian
cities. especially Venice. Paris also
INDUCES in a like festival when the
gayest revels are enjoyed
Ash Wednesday is so called from the
ancient custom of blessing ashes on
this day. In the Church of Rome on
Ash Wednesday, the priest makes the
sign of the cross on the forehead OF
his people, reminding them that they
are but dust and to dust shall return.
The ashes used are those made from
before.
Gregory Added Days.
According to Durandus, Lent was
| counted to begin on, that day which is
now the first Sunday in Lent, and to
| end on Easter eve. Taking out the SIX
| Sundays, which at no time have been
| counted as fast days, but thirty-six
DAYS remained. Therefore that the
| forty days of Christ's fasting might
be perfected, Pope Gregory added to
| Lent four days of the foregoing week,
Ash Wednesday and the three days
| following.
of the year when it is observed. Lent
meaning spring in the Saxon language.
| The -Lenten fast always begins so that
| it may end at Easter to remind US OF
! our Saviour's suffering which ended
/ at his resurrection
The ancient discipline of sack cloth
and ashes on Ash Wednesday is at
present supplied in the English church
| by reading publicly on this day the
! curses denounced against impenitent
sinners, when the people are directed
| to repeat N Amen at the END OF eacn
malediction.
| The fourth Sunday in Lent is called
mid-Lent Sunday and also Refresh
ment Sunday, as the gospel for the
day treats of the SaviOur's miracu-
lousy feeding the five thousand. 1t
is also called Mothering Sunday IN
| England from the old custom that
| permitted apprentices to go home al
that time to spend the day with their
mothers.
The fifth Sunday in Lent is Passion
Sunday, the beginning of Passion
| Week and commentaries the Passion
| of Our Lord.
Sacred Palm Professions.
! Palm Sunday is the sixth and last
/ Sunday in Lent. so called from the
| custom, in olden times, of carrying
palm branches in the sacred process
| sions in imitation of those which the
| Jews strewed in the way of Christ on
| his entry into Jerusalem. Palms are
/ used on the affairs of the churches on
/ this day and these are blessed and
| given to the faithful to be preserved by
| them turnout the year.
| Palm Sunday is the beginning OF
Holy Week. Thursday in Holy Week
| is the Thursday before Easter and is
| called Holy Thursday. Maundy Thurs
| day or Shreve Thursday and derives
it's name from various sources, accord
ing to different authorities. One holds
that the name comes from mandatum
| command, from Christ's words on the
Thursday evening preceding his death
when he told his disciples, "A new
commandment give unto you, thai
/ you love one another"
Good Friday in Holy Week, is the
| Friday before Easter and commem-
crates the crucifixion of Christ. 1t is
a day of strict fasting and prayer. A
service of modern origin, becoming
i generally observed in Roman Catholic
and Anglican churches. is the Three
Hours Devotion. consisting of ad-
dresses from the seven last words OF
Christ, prayers and hymns, occupying
the hours from IL until 3. when ouI
Lord hung upon the cross.
The Lenten fast ends with the even
ing of Holy Saturday.
ST. MARY'S BEATS NORMALS.