Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-02-22
LENTEN SEASON
OPENING TODAY
1T IS HOLIDAY

opening Ol JIle IeIlGen SEASON.. ASH
Wednesday, according to Websters
dictionary is $50 called from Gus
tom, observed on that day, in the
Roman Catholic church, of putting
ashes upon the heads, formerly OF
public penitents, now of all the taith-
full"
Lent is defined in Webster as the
annual season OF fasting in the
spring observed by many churches as
a preparation for the great feast OF
Easter" 1t is fixed as starting 40
weekdays prior to Easter Sunday.
The six Sundays that are included
in the period are not reckoned be-
cause of the fact that Sunday as in
all other cases is feast day.
BY reference to the calendar, it
will be found that the 40 days not
included Sundays but including to-
day, placed Easter Sunday on April
eighth.
Ash wednesday is observed by the
markets and banks of the country as
a holiday. Another business holiday
observed during Lent is Good Fri
day which is the last Friday prior to
Easter and this year will occur on
April 6. There will be no business
transacted by the banks on either day
thing it is we'll to remember eacn
year as Lent approaches.
In order to present definite pic
ture of the church view of the Lenten
period, The Dispatch requested Rev.
E. w. SimonSon, rector of st. Ste
phens Episcopal church for a state
ment of Lent as his church inter
prets it and he expressed it thus:
"The Seasons OF the natural year
are nok more definitely marked than
are the Scans into which Faith and
Devotion divide their efforts as the
ChriSt-folloWers turn to God in hu-
initiation and sacrifice and prayer.
"As Lent opens today in the radius
of Christian practice, we are reminded
of this.
IF we meet q man on the street,
what he is within himself is one thing,
the clothing he wears is another. 1T
is the same with fasting and the prac-
tice of self-humili2tion. This stands
as an entity in the garden of Chris
tian mans consciousness - the con-
sciousness Oh It's utility one-while the
clothing, or, outside robe of express
sion may be different
To-day, however, upwards of 80 per
cent of the Christian fellowship are
one both in consciousness and purpose,
and, in the form which they adopt
(for a 'Season0 for the deepening of
their consciousness of sin and for the
satisfying of themselves that they are
gladly able to make sacrifice to The
God OF all power and grace.
"We call it Lent, using an old
Saxon word which means 'Springtime';
and no better word could have been
chosen as an advertisement of the
church's hope in her children when
once illuminated to an understanding
of the essentially of an estate of ac-
tual righteousness for the full possess
sion of Gods gifts of grace.
"When work is undertaken so
boldly, and with such open profession,
as this which is liturgically set today
in all churches whose worship IS
modelled after apostolic custom, the
members of these churches should
know that the communities in Whl'
they live will expect them to manifest
the spirit of fidelity. 1t is challenge
to them to prove the virility of their
religion. They may think that the
world is indifferent; it is not. 1t is a
common principle accepted everywhere
among those who are civilized, that,
laws are for observance, and that IL
deity is one of the most beautiful
flowers that springs in the high sum-
mer of experience. We cannot but be-
lieve that there will be an expression
of fond respect on the part Of every
serious minded person in our commun-
ity towards those, who, as devoted
Christians, turn at this time to the
| industry OF deepening their spirituality
by special practices of humiliation and
of worship, and by retirement from
the world, and, the use of the time
which this retirement accords fol
study and communion.
I'm Douglas the pastors of the
/ Church OF the Immaculate Concep-
ton and ST. Stephen's,' beneath 6
truthfulness of OFFICE and outhold-
ing before their congregations and be.
fore the community a beautiful op-
portunity for worship, and are supply