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| '''Lent''', in some ], is the forty-day-long ] of ] and ] before ].<ref name="The Anglican Catholic Church">{{cite web|url = http://www.anglicancatholic.org/dmas/litdescp.html| |
'''Lent''', in some ], is the forty-day-long ] of ] and ] before ].<ref name="The Anglican Catholic Church">{{cite web|url = http://www.anglicancatholic.org/dmas/litdescp.html| titl | ||
| The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through ], ], ] and ]—for the annual commemoration during ] of the ], which recalls the events linked to the ] and culminates in ], the celebration of the ]. | |||
| In ] (with the exception of the ] which follows the ]), Lent begins on ] and concludes on ].<ref> | |||
| {{Citation | |||
| | last =Thurston | |||
| | first =Herbert | |||
| | contribution =Lent | |||
| | year =1910 | |||
| | title =] | |||
| | volume =IX | |||
| | place =New York | |||
| | publisher =Robert Appleton Company | |||
| | url = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm | |||
| | accessdate = ]}}</ref> <ref name="The Anglican Catholic Church" /> The six Sundays in Lent are not counted among the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-]", a celebration of Jesus' victory over ] and ].<ref name="UMC - Lent">{{cite web|url = http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=2870| title = What is Lent and why does it last forty days?|publisher = The United Methodist Church|accessdate = 2007-08-24}}</ref> | |||
| In those churches which follow the ] (e.g. ] and ]), the forty days of Lent are calculated differently: the fast begins on ], Sundays are included in the count, and it ends on the Friday before ]. The days of ], ] and ] are considered a distinct period of fasting. For more detailed information about the ] practice of Lent, see the article ]. | |||
| ==Origins== | |||
| The number forty has many Biblical references: the forty days ] spent on ] with ] ({{bibleverse||Exodus|24:18|HE}}); the forty days and nights ] spent walking to ] ({{bibleverse|1|Kings|19:8|HE}}); God made it rain for forty days and forty nights in the days of ] ({{bibleverse||Genesis|7:4|HE}}); the Hebrew people wandered forty years traveling to the ] ({{bibleverse||Numbers|14:33|HE}}); ] in his prophecy of ] gave the city of ] forty days in which to repent ({{bibleverse||Jonah|3:4|HE}}). | |||
| Jesus retreated into the desert, where he fasted for forty days, and was tempted by the ] ({{bibleverse||Matthew|4:1-2|KJV}}, {{bibleverse||Mark|1:12-13|KJV}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|4:1-2|KJV}}). Jesus overcame all three of Satan's ]s by citing scripture to the devil, at which point the devil left him, angels ministered to Jesus, and he began his ]. Jesus further said that his disciples should fast "when the bridegroom shall be taken from them" ({{bibleverse||Matthew|9:15|KJV}}), a reference to his Passion. Since, presumably, the Apostles fasted as they mourned the death of Jesus, Christians have traditionally fasted during the annual commemoration of his burial. | |||
| It is the traditional belief that Jesus lay for forty hours in the tomb<ref> See paragraph: Duration of the Fast</ref> which led to the forty hours of total fast that preceded the Easter celebration in the ]<ref></ref> (the biblical reference to 'three days in the tomb' is understood as ''spanning'' three days, from Friday afternoon to early Sunday morning, rather than three 24 hour periods of time). One of the most important ceremonies at Easter was the ] of the initiates on ]. The fast was initially undertaken by the ]s to prepare them for the reception of this ]. Later, the period of fasting from ] until ] was extended to six days, to correspond with the six weeks of training, necessary to give the final instruction to those ] who were to be baptized. | |||
| Converts to Christianity followed a strict ] or period of instruction and discipline prior to baptism. In ] near the close of the fourth century, classes were held throughout Lent for three hours each day. With the legalization of ] (by the ]) and its later imposition as the ] of the ], its character was endangered by the great influx of new members. In response, the Lenten fast and practices of ] were required annually of all Christians, both to show solidarity with the catechumens, and for their own spiritual benefit. The less zealous converts were thus brought more securely into the Christian fold. | |||
| Traditionally, on Easter Sunday, Roman Catholics may cease their fasting and start again whatever they gave up for lent, after they attend Mass on Easter Sunday. Other Western ] have also followed this general principle to a greater or lesser degree, although some do not practice Lent and see it as an obscure tradition that the ] practices without ] merit.<ref></ref> | |||
| ==Name== | |||
| In the English language, Lent was formerly referred to by the ] term '']'' (translation of the original ] ''tessarakoste'', the "fortieth day" before Easter). This nomenclature is preserved in ], ] and ] (for example, ] ''cuaresma'', ] ''quaresma'', ] ''carême'', ] ''quaresima'', ] ''korizma'', ] ''Carghas'', and ] ''C(a)rawys''). | |||
| In the late ], as ] began to be given in the ] instead of Latin, the ] word ''lent'' was adopted. This word initially simply meant ''spring'' and derives from the ] root for ''long'' because in the spring the days visibly lengthen. | |||
| ==Customs during the time of Lent== | |||
| There are traditionally forty days in Lent which are marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of ]. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigour during Lent are ] (] towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and ] (justice towards neighbour). Today, some people give up a vice of theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give the time or money spent doing that to ] purposes or organizations.<ref></ref> | |||
| In many ] ], ] (also called "Holy Thursday," especially by Roman Catholics), ], and ] form the ]. Lent is a season of grief that necessarily ends with a great celebration of Easter. It is known in ] circles as the season of "Bright Sadness." It is a season of sorrowful ] which is punctuated by breaks in the fast on Sundays. | |||
| The Lenten semi-fast may have originated for practical reasons: during the era of ] in the West as food stored away in the previous autumn was running out or had to be used before it went bad in store, and little or no new food-crop was expected soon (compare the period in Spring which ] gardeners call the "] gap"). | |||
| In the ], ] ], and ] ], the '']'' is not sung during the Lenten season, disappearing on Ash Wednesday and not returning until the moment of the Resurrection during the ]. On major feast days, the ''Gloria in Excelsis Deo'' is recited, but this in no way diminishes the penitential character of the season; it simply reflects the joyful character of the Mass of the day in question. It is also used on Maundy Thursday. Likewise, the '']'' is not sung during Lent; it is replaced before the ] reading by a seasonal ]. | |||
| Prior to 1970, the last two weeks of Lent were known as ], which began on Passion Sunday. All statues (and in England paintings as well) in the church were veiled in purple. This was in accordance with the Passion Sunday Gospel (John 8:46-59) in which Jesus “hid himself” from the people. The veils were removed at the singing of the ] during the ]. Following ], and in the Reformed Kalendar of 1970, Passiontide was discontinued. Passion Sunday is now the Fifth Sunday in Lent and religious images are no longer veiled. ]s and ] continue to observe Passiontide. | |||
| Traditionally, the ''Alleluia'' was omitted at Mass beginning at ], but in the Missal of Paul VI (1969) promulgated after the ] it is retained until Ash Wednesday. The older practise is retained in the Missal of John XXIII (1962) which is attended by ]. | |||
| In the Byzantine rites, the Gloria (]) continues to be used in its normal place in the Matins service, and the Alleluia appears all the more frequently, replacing "God is the Lord" at Matins. | |||
| ===Pre-Lenten festivals=== | |||
| {{main|Carnival|Mardi Gras|Fastnacht|Maslenitsa}} | |||
| ] celebration. Detail of 1559 painting "''The Battle between Carnival and Lent''" by ].]] | |||
| ] and a "witch" doll attached to it, for the traditional "Funken" ] on the First Sunday of lent in Herdwangen, ], Germany.]] | |||
| ] | |||
| Although originally of ] content, the traditional ] celebrations which precede Lent in many cultures have become associated with the season of fasting if only because they are a last opportunity for excess before Lent begins. The most famous of pre-Lenten carnivals in the ] is ] or ] (literally "Fat Tuesday"). | |||
| ===Fasting and abstinence===<!-- This section is linked from ] --> | |||
| Fasting during Lent was more severe in ancient times than today. ] reports that in some places, all animal products were strictly forbidden, while others will permit fish, others permit fish and fowl, others prohibit fruit and eggs, and still others eat only bread. In some places, believers abstained from food for an entire day; others took only one meal each day, while others abstained from all food until 3 o'clock. In most places, however, the practice was to abstain from eating until the evening, when a small meal without meat or alcohol was eaten. | |||
| During the ], meat, eggs and dairy products were generally proscribed. ] argued that "they afford greater pleasure as food , and greater nourishment to the human body, so that from their consumption there results a greater surplus available for seminal matter, which when abundant becomes a great incentive to lust."<ref></ref> | |||
| However, ]s for dairy products were given, frequently for a donation, from which several churches are popularly believed to have been built, including the "Butter Tower" of the ]. | |||
| In Spain, the bull of the Holy ] (renewed periodically after 1492) allowed the consumption of dairy products<ref name="Torres">'''', ], Universidad Complutense de Madrid. ''Millennium:Fear and Religion''. </ref> and eggs during Lent in exchange for a contribution to the conflict. | |||
| ] in his ''Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through Wales'' reports that "in ] and the ] regions," "great and religious persons," classified the tail of ]s as "fish" because of its superficial resemblance to a fish and their relative abundance. | |||
| In current Western societies the practice is considerably relaxed, though in the Eastern Orthodox, ] and ]es abstinence from the above-mentioned food products is still commonly practiced, meaning only vegetarian meals are consumed during this time in many Eastern countries. Lenten practices (as well as various other liturgical practices) are more common in ] circles than they once were. In the Roman Catholic Church it is tradition to abstain from meat from ] (meaning roughly "being ]" or "hooved animal") every Friday for the duration of Lent, although dairy products are still permitted. On Ash Wednesday it is customary to fast for the day, with no meat, eating only one full meal, and if necessary, two small meals also.<ref>Colin B. Donovan, . Accessed ].</ref> | |||
| Current fasting practice in the Roman Catholic Church binds persons over the age of eighteen and younger than fifty-nine (] 1252). Pursuant to Canon 1253, days of fasting and ] are set by the national ]. On days of fasting, one eats only one full meal, but may eat two smaller meals as necessary to keep up one's strength. The two small meals together must sum to less than the one full meal. Parallel to the fasting laws are the laws of abstinence. These bind those over the age of fourteen. On days of abstinence, the person must not eat meat or poultry. According to ], all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday and several other days are days of abstinence, though in most countries, the strict requirements of abstinence have been limited by the ] (in accordance with Canon 1253) to the Fridays of Lent and Ash Wednesday. On other abstinence days, the faithful are invited to perform some other act of penance. | |||
| Many modern ] consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation. They may decide to give up a ] food or drink (e.g. chocolate, alcohol) or activity (e.g., going to the movies, playing video games, etc.) for Lent, or they may instead take on a Lenten discipline such as ], ] for ] work, and so on. Roman Catholics may also observe Lent in this way in addition to the dietary restrictions outlined above, though observation is no longer mandatory under the threat of ]. Many Christians who choose not to follow the dietary restrictions cite ] 4:1-5 which warns of doctrines that "forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth." | |||
| {{Liturgical year}} | |||
| When observing fasting or abstinence during Lent, regard must be paid to the fact that Sundays are Feast Days, so the fast or abstinence may be broken. If one counts the days from ] to the day before Easter Sunday, excluding the Sundays, one will see that there are forty of them, corresponding to the number of days Christ spent in the wilderness. | |||
| ==Holy Days== | |||
| There are several holy days within the season of Lent. | |||
| *] is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity. | |||
| *] (or "Ash Monday") is the first day in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. | |||
| *The fourth Lenten Sunday, which marks the halfway point between Ash Wednesday and Easter, is sometimes referred to as ], particularly by Roman Catholics, and ], which has become synonymous with ] in the United Kingdom. However, its origin is a sixteenth century celebration of the ]. | |||
| *The fifth Lenten Sunday, also known as ] (however, that term is also applied to ]) marks the beginning of ]. | |||
| *The sixth Lenten Sunday, commonly called ], marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent immediately preceding Easter. | |||
| *Wednesday of Holy Week is known as ] to commemorate the days on which ] spied on Jesus in the garden of ] before betraying him. | |||
| *Thursday is known as ], or Holy Thursday, and is a day Christians commemorate the ] shared by Christ with his ]s. | |||
| *] follows the next day, on which Christians remember His ] and ]. | |||
| :In the Roman Catholic Church, ] is a three day event called the ] that begins with the opening song of the Holy Thursday celebration. After the Holy Thursday celebration, the communion bread and wine is taken from the altar with no formal closing. Instead, the parish is invited to worship the ]. The next day is the official commemoration of The Passion of Jesus Christ and is usually celebrated at 3 PM local time though some parishes usually change the time due to work schedules. This commemoration is part of the Triduum Mass which the opening is just a prayer followed by the day's readings. The service usually ends with a shortened communion involving only the Body of Christ and a post communion prayer before the service ends without dismissal. The ] is the start of the end of the Triduum mass and usually starts with a ] before the readings which explore the history of mankind. The service also includes ] and ] services which are usually celebrated after the homily. The Easter Vigil and Triduum Mass ends in the usual way with full communion. | |||
| Holy Week and the season of Lent, depending on ] and local ], end with Easter Vigil at sundown on Holy Saturday or on the morning of Easter Sunday. It is custom for some churches to hold sunrise services which include open air celebrations in some places. | |||
| In the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and many Anglican churches, the ] linens and ] vestments are ] during the season of Lent. On the fourth Sunday in Lent, rose-coloured vestments may be worn in lieu of violet. In some Anglican churches, a type of unbleached linen or muslin known as Lenten array is used during the first three weeks of Lent, and crimson during Passiontide. On holy days, the colour proper to the day is worn. | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{Wiktionary}} | |||
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| ==External links== | |||
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| * at the Christian Resource Institute | |||
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| * — a very good source to learn the differences between Lent in the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. | |||
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Revision as of 17:39, 20 January 2009
For other uses, see Lent (disambiguation).
Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter.<ref name="The Anglican Catholic Church">{{cite web|url = http://www.anglicancatholic.org/dmas/litdescp.html%7C titl