The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1932-02-19
INTERESTING HISTORY
OF LENT OBSERVANCE

Lent, the 40 days fast proceed.
ing Easter, originally meant nc
more than the spring season. AS
early as the fifth century some
supported the view that this 40
days fast was OF apostolic institu'
ton but the best modern scholars
are rejecting this view. In the ex-
listing remains of the first three
centuries are found considerable
diversity of practice regarding the
fast before Easter and gradual pro-
cess of development in the matter
of it's duration. st. Irenaeus, in a
letter to Pope Victor about the
year 100, said some think they
ought to fast for n day, others
for two days, and others for sever
al days, while others reckon 40
hours both of day and night to
their fast"
Christians were regarding the
weekly observance of the Sunday
and the Friday which was primi-
tive but the annual Eastern fes-
tival was sometimes superimposed
by a process on natural develop
ment largely Influenced by condi-
tons existing locally in the differ
ent churches of the east and west.
In determining this period of 40
days the example of Moses, Elias
and Christ must have exercised a
predominant influence, but it is
also possible that the fact was
borne in mind that Christ lay for
40 hours in the tomb. On the 9th
er hand the Pentacost, so days,
was a period during which
Christians were joyous and prayed
standing, though they were not al
ways engaged in such prayer, sc
the Quadragesima, 40 days, was
originally a period marked by
fasting, but not necessarily a
period in which the faithful tasted
every day. This principle was
differently understood in different
localities, and great divergence of
practice resulted.
In Rome. in the fifth century,
Lent lasted six weeks, but accord
ing to the historian Socrates,
there we're only three days of ac-
tual fasting exclusive even then of
the Saturday and Sunday and
these weeks were not continuous,
but were the first, fourth and the
sixth of the series. But the num-
Der $40" having established itself,
produced other notifications. 1t
seemed necessary to many that
there should not only be fasting
40 days, but 40 actual
fasting days. In the time of
Gregory the Great (590-604) there
we're apparently at Rome six
weeks of six days each, making So
last days in all. At a later date
he wish to realize the exact num-
Der Of 40 days led to the practice
If beginning Lent upon u pres
mt Ash Wednesday, but the
Church Of Milan still adheres to
he primitive arrangement. Nor
vas there originally less diver
renee regarding the nature of the
asst. Socrates tells of the prac-
ice of the fifth century: "Some
abstain from every sort of crea-
IRE that has life, while others OF
Ill the living creatures eat of fish
,nly. Others eat birds Is we'll as
ish because they, too, sprang
rom the waters; others abstain
rom fruit covered with a hard
hell and from eggs. Some eat
Try bread only, others not that; !
sthers again when they have fast
d to the ninth hour g o'clock
,artake of various kinds Of food.
this diversity some inclined
the extreme limits of rigour.
Especially during Holy Week,
hristians were expected to pass
4 hours or more without food of
ny kind. The ordinary rule on :
asting days was to take but one
zeal a day and that only in the :
vening, while meat and, in the r
.rly centuries, wine were entire
forbidden. During Holy Week,
. at least on Good Friday, it was
ommon to enjoin a diet of dry !,
,od, bread, salt and vegetables. "
he general prohibition Of eggs
nd milk during Lent is perpetu-
ed in the popular custom OF ;.
aking gifts Of eggs at Easter, and :
the English usage of eating
ancakes on Shrove Tuesday.
At a very early period, however, .
% practice began to be tolerated '
Turn to page 2, column 5. please)