The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-02-12
THE MEANING OF LENT.
Apostolic Origin.


That the institution of Lent dates
from the Apostolic times we know on
the authority of several of the great
Fathers of the Church. st. Jerome, St.
Leo the Great, st. Cyril of Alexandria
and st. Isidore of Seville mention it
in their works. It's duration of forty
days is not only dictated by the ex.
ample of our Lord Himself, but has
the authority in numberless instances
given us in the Old Law. God in His
anger for the sins of men chastised
them for forty days and nights with
forty years God, in punishment of the
ingratitude of the children of Israel,
| allowed them to wander in the desert.
For forty days, Moses (who typifies
| the law and Elias (who is the figure
| Of the prophets) were made to fast be-
| fore they we're allowed to enter into
the presence of God, the first on Sinai,
and the second on Mount Horeb. All
these were types, as the Apostle tells
us, written for our instruction.
Fasting.
The evidence in favor of fasting in
the sacred Scriptures is so overwhelm-
ing that 1t is incredible that any Chris
tian can seek to evade it. Not only
did our Lord give us Himself the ex.
Iample of it, but, He began His public
preaching with the words, do pen
ance for the Kingdom of Heaven is at
hand; and again when condemning
the hypocrisy of the Jews who dis.
/ figured their faces, SO as to be seen
by mem; He tells His disciples the
manner in which they should fast in
order to merit an eternal reward. The
words of our Lord are absolute and
final: Unless We shall do penance, We
shall all likewise perish"
That the primitive Church under
stood the teaching Of our Lord in this
light is clear, not only from the con
tinual illusions made to this practice
of fasting and penance in the Acts ant
Epistles, but from the example of the
early saints and anchorites if the
desert; in short, from the unbroker
record of discipline of the Church from
Apostolic times down to our own day
But if we contrast the fasts of thu
, primitive Christians, or even those O
J the medieval Church, with our own
what light is thrown on the indiffer
: ence of the days in which we live
/ Fasting in the time of st. Cyril o
Jerusalem, st. Basil and st. Johl
Chrysostom, included abstaining from
wine 1t also meant as late as tn,
ninth and twelfth centuries a tota
abstinence from flesh meat from thu
first Sunday in Lent till Easter Sun
Iday. Again the early Christians fol
llowed the custom of the Jews in tn
Old Law, who on the days of fast too
but one meal, and that after sunset
tToward the middle of the twelfth an
thirteenth centuries the custom grey
. of taking a collation., or slight mea
latter the hour of Nones; that is, tire
Io'clock in the afternoon. The voice Q
the Sovereign Pontiff has more tina
once made itself heard, lamenting a
the occasions arose for fresh disper
lsations, the degeneracy of the time
(which rendered them necessary. Be1
ledict XIV, in letter to the bishop!
= tells them that 1.-THE observance c
ILent is the very badge of the Christia
warfare BY it we prove that we ar
mot enemies of the Cross of Christ
. by it we avert the scourge of the d
tvine Justice, and gain strength agains
HI - L.. 3 VI
Recreation in Lent.
Again the Scriptures tell us tha
fssJesus was led by the Spirit into til
desert. This also contains a gres
4 ilesson for us, which the church el
q forces by discouraging her childre
from frequenting balls, theaters an
Iother places of amusement in Lent.
To hear the voice of God, ito becom
converted to Him." as the PSALMS
says, with our whole heart, we mus
b j seek solitude. Therefore behold
will allure her, saith the Lord, an
e-Iwill lead her into the wilderness; an
s. 1 will speak to her heart. (Osee, III
ell The time of Lent had two othe
Especial meanings in the early ages {
d the Church. 1t was the time whe
h public penitents, having done PENANG
If for their sins on Ash Wednesday, wer
d lseparated from the communion of til
e Faithful for forty days; and then
e their repentance was of a nature
n satisfy the bishop and the presbyte1
y, THAT they were deserving of reconcil
Ii alton, they were solemnly re-admitte
Le Ito the church on Maundy Thursda
v Likewise Lent was given over to Il
instruction Of the catechumens or sue
lie as were being initiated into the sacrs
ct mysteries, with a view to their recei
W ing Baptism at the feast of Esthe
q, fThe liturgy retains in it's sublime 1e
ut Isons much that was intended primo
- 4 - 49,.