Evening journal., 1923-02-14
WHY CHURCH
OBSERVES LENT
First Mention Is Found in
Canon of Council of
Nicea, 325
ASH WEDNESDAY
is PENITENCE DAY

Ash Wednesday. which falls today
and marks the beginning Of the Len
ten season, carries the reminder
that the best and worst OF winter
are behind us. and springtime ap-
proaches. ReligiOusly considered.
Ash Wednesday takes its name from
the ceremonial use OF ashes as a
symbol Of penitence. which IS
traced back TO the penance OF
sackcloth and ashes spoken OF by
the Old Testament prophets
Prior to the Reformation, all
Christian believers conformed to
this ancient ceremonial. It's use has
been abandoned in later days by the
reformed churches. and is now re-
tained by the communicates OF the
Church OF Rome alone; in whose
places OF worship ashes obtained
from the burning OF palms blest on
Palm Sunday OF the year previous.
are thrice sprinkled with holy water
and censed. Thereafter the ofici-
ating priests make the sign OF the
cross upon the forehead OF commu-
nicants with the thumb dipped In
consecrated ashes, intoning the
words, Remember. man, that thou
art dust, and unto dust thou shalt
return" This custom dates back at
least to the early days OF the Eighth
century.
Among the reformed churches
the Church OF England marks the
day by a Commination service. parts
OF which are taken from the Bene-
dictus Cinerum. in the old Sarum
Manual and a distinctive element of
which Is the reading Of Gods con-
demnation of impenitent sinners
from the Book of Deuteronomy. The
Prayer Book Of the Episcopal
Church provides a special penitential
office for Ash Wednesday, which in
cludes the more ancient part OF the
Commination service. It is an i'm
pressive service OF penitent confess
sion and supplication, and is said
kneeling.
In the Anglican and Lutheran /
communions. as well as in the I
Roman Catholic, however. the Len [
ten feast is still maintained: and /
though through the year the period /
of fasting has frequently varied. by
common acceptance among all I
Christian communions. the forty /
day period is now observed, and not |
without reason. since forty" is a I
Scriptural number. For forty years .
for illustration. the children of /
Israel were under discipline in the .
wilderness. Moses tasted forty days /
in the mount. Elijah was forty days
iL the wilderness. For forty days.
Christ tasted before entering upon
his public ministry. Beginning with .
Ash Wednesday. the Lenten season /
really covers a period Of forty-s.X
days, but as Sunday has always
been regarded as Feast. these six
Sundays are not counted as belong
ing TO the Fast.
The word Lent is derived from the
old Anglo-Saxon word Lencten,
meaning spring. and as the fast
falls in the early part of the year
3y common usage. Lent is now gem
orally associated with the beginning
OF spring, which comes TO full flower
with the Easter Festival of the
and the reawakening
OF life. The first mention OF Lent is
found in a Canon OF the Council of
Nicea. 325 A. ID. and in the Chris
tian Church is known as the period
OF fasting. preparatory TO this
Easter Festival.
As with all these ancient festivals
many quaint and curious customs
attaching to Lent have been handed
down through the ages. In mediae-
val times. meat. eggs and milk were
forbidden in Lent not only by &C.
but by statute law. Il is
from this prohibition of the eating
OF eggs. that the Easter egg custom
Of modern times grew. The chief
Lenten food from the earliest days
was fish and in England OF Edward
III. herring pies were so great
delicacy that charters granted to
seaports often stipulated that the
town should send so many herr.ngs
Or other fish 10 the King during The
Lenten season. The strictest alb
.