Church
Worship / Liturgy
How did Lent begin?
From the earliest days of the Church, there were references to a time of fasting as part of the preparation for Easter. The Apostolic Constitutions, which traces its roots to apostolic times, refers to a fast before Easter, but this fast, however, seems to last for only a couple of days.
The first mention of a forty-day fast can be found in the fifth canon of the Council of Nicaea (AD 325), though it is not clear if it is referring to Lent or to just a forty-day fast. By the end of that century, however, a forty-day fast before Easter was clearly being celebrating in the East and in the West.
What does the word Lent mean?
Lent comes from the Old English word for spring, lencten, and refers to the lengthening of daylight. This definition is unique to English. In almost all other languages, its name is a derivative of the Latin term Quadragesima, or “the forty days.”
Why does Lent last forty days?
Forty days is a traditional number representing discipline, devotion, and preparation in the Bible. Moses fasted on Mount Sinai for forty days before receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:18 and 34:28). The spies were in the land for forty days (Numbers 13:25). Elijah traveled for forty days before he reached the cave where he had his vision of God in the gentle breeze (1 Kings 19:8). The people Nineveh were given forty days to repent (Jonah 3:4). Most importantly, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness praying and fasting prior to beginning his ministry (Matthew 4:2).
Since Lent is a period of prayer and fasting, it is fitting for Christians to imitate Jesus with a forty-day period. Christ used a forty-day period of prayer and fasting to prepare for his ministry, which ended with his death and Resurrection. Christians imitate him with a forty-day period of prayer and fasting to prepare for the celebration of Good Friday (the day of the Crucifixion) and Easter Sunday (the day of the Resurrection).
Are Sundays part of Lent?
Sundays are part of Lent. The most important rituals of Lent take place on Sundays. Sundays, however, are not part of the forty days of fasting. That is why the Western Church begins the Lenten time of fasting on Ash Wednesday, four days and six weeks before Easter.
How is the date of Easter determined each year?
In the earliest days of the Church, Easter was celebrated every Sunday. When Christians decided to have an annual celebration to commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus, their first thought was to link it to the Jewish Passover, which was celebrated on the fourteenth day of the Jewish month of Nisan. For some, the Easter fast ended on that day and Easter was celebrated the next day. But others thought that Easter should be celebrated on a Sunday, so they waited until the Sunday after the fourteenth of Nisan.
As the Church grew into a mainly Gentile institution, its desire to distinguish itself from the Jewish practice also grew. The Council of Nicaea decided that Easter should be celebrated on the same Sunday throughout the Church. But no method of determining the date was decided.
Eventually, the celebration of Easter was tied to the first day of spring rather than to the fourteenth of Nisan. It was still tied to the fourteenth day of the month (according to the lunar calendar) since this is always a full moon, but it became the full moon that falls on or right after the spring equinox. Simply put, the Western Church celebrates Easter on the Sunday after the first full moon of spring.
Easter is celebrated on different days in the Eastern and Western Churches because the Eastern Churches still use the Julian Calendar, where March 21 falls on a different day than on the Gregorian Calendar, and because Easter may not be celebrated before Passover.
Why do we put ashes on our forehead on Ash Wednesday?
Roman Catholics begin the season of Lent by receiving ashes on their foreheads to remind them of their mortality and their call to repentance. In the early Church members who had been cut off from the Church by their sins would begin their public penance by sitting outside the church with ashes on their heads.
The ashes are usually made by burning the palms from last year’s Palm Sunday service. After the priest blesses the ashes and sprinkles them with holy water, we come forward to receive them. The minister dips his thumb in the ashes and, making the Sign of the Cross on each person’s forehead, says, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust thou will return” or “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”
What are important Lenten practices?
The traditional Lenten practices, also called disciplines, are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Though we strive to pray at all times, Lent is a good time to develop or strengthen or the discipline of daily prayer. A good goal for Lent would be to begin the practice of saying Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, part of the Liturgy of the Hours. At St. Charles we pray Morning Prayer each weekday morning following the 6:15 Mass and prior to the 8:30 Mass. Evening Prayer is said on Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent at 6:45 pm.
Fasting is a way of focusing one’s thoughts and clearing away distractions that can interfere with serious preparation for an important event or to experience God more completely.
Lent is traditionally a time of helping those who are poor and doing acts of charity and mercy. While this is a year-round calling for Christians, Lent is a good time to examine the ways we do acts of charity and to consider how we can improve the ways we help the poor.
What are the rules for fasting?
Under current canon law, Catholics who are between eighteen and fifty-nine years old are required to keep a limited fast. In the United States, the person fasting may eat a single, meatless meal and have two snacks, so long as these snacks do not add up to a second meal. Drinking coffee, tea, or juice, between meals is permitted on fast days. Those with medical conditions that require greater or more regular food intake can be dispensed from the fasting requirement by their pastors.
The minimum the Catholic Church expects is for us to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. But the entire forty-day season of Lent is a good time to practice a limited form of fasting. Other forms of self-denial, within reason, can also be spiritually beneficial at any time.
What is abstinence?
Abstinence is refraining from eating meat from warm-blooded animals for the entire day. Everyone from the age of fourteen and older is required to abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent. Under the current discipline in America, fish, eggs, milk products, and condiments or foods made using animal fat are permitted in the Western Rite of the Church, though not in the Eastern Rite. Again, people with special dietary needs can receive a dispensation from their pastors.
Do I have to give up something during Lent?
No, but it is a worthwhile practice, however. We can choose to give up something for this penitential period and use its absence from our life as a reminder to put more effort into our spiritual development and growth. It is also a good way to keep our priorities straight. Periodically denying ourselves things of lesser priority shows us that they are not necessary and helps us focus our attention on what is necessary.
Why don’t we sing Alleluia during Lent?
The association of the Alleluia with Easter led to the custom of intentionally omitting it from the liturgy during Lent. It is a kind of verbal fast that has the effect of creating a sense of anticipation and great joy when the familiar word of praise returns. When the Alleluia does return, sung before the Gospel at the Easter Vigil, it is sung with an exceptionally elaborate melody. The dramatic effect is heightened considerably by the fact that no Alleluias have been heard since Lent began.
When does Lent end?
Lent ends with the Triduum, the three days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
Is Lent supposed to be a somber time?
As a time for reflection and penance, the liturgies of Lent may be quieter than those of other times of the year. The use of musical instruments is usually curtailed. We may spend more time each day in quiet reflection and prayer in anticipation of the celebration of the Resurrection. But it need not be a somber time.
Why is purple the color for Lent?
Purple is the symbolic color used throughout Lent. Purple is used for two reasons. First, it is associated with mourning and therefore anticipates the pain and suffering of the Crucifixion. Second, purple is also associated with royalty and therefore symbolized Christ’s victory over death at the Resurrection.
Should I make a special effort to go to confession during Lent?
Since Lent is the season where we spend extra time reflecting on our sins and how we can change to more faithfully follow Jesus, it is an especially good time to confess our sins in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Our parish reconciliation service is March 14 at 1:30 pm. The South Dayton Pastoral Regions, of which St. Charles is a part, have reconciliation services at 7:00 pm on March 11 at Incarnation and at 7:00 pm on March 24 at St. Francis.
Why do we receive palms on the Sunday before Easter?
As all four Gospels tell us, on the Sunday of the week he was to suffer and die, Jesus entered Jerusalem to shouts of praise from the people of the city. They took palm branches and, as was the custom for honoring important people, threw them on the path on which he was entering. We process with palm branches, singing words of praise to remind us that we are beginning a week to commemorate Jesus’ death and Resurrection.
What are Stations of the Cross?
In Jerusalem, people are able to follow the path Jesus may have walked from the place he was condemned to death by Pilate to Calvary where he died. When pilgrims to the Holy Land returned home, they wanted to remember in a prayerful way that path Jesus walked for our salvation. They developed a devotion that consists of walking to fourteen specific stations that indicate events that happened on Jesus’ walk to Calvary. Many of the events are based on the Gospels, but some come from traditions and stories that developed in Jerusalem. Besides the devotion, which can be practiced in a number of different ways, Stations of the Cross can also refer to the paintings or sculptures that depict these events. At St. Charles we pray the Stations every Friday of Lent at 7:00 pm. February 26th is a special event when the Jubilee Singers will come to lead the Stations. Normally the devotion takes about 30 minutes. When Jubilee comes, plan for 90 minutes of sacred music and prayer.
Who are the elect?
When Easter was established as a yearly feast, it became the primary day to initiate new Christians. The forty days of fasting that precede Easter came to be seen as the special time of preparation for the catechumens who would be baptized at Easter. The elect are the catechumens who have been found ready to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil. For the elect, Lent is a time of reflective preparation.
What are the Scrutinies?
The Scrutinies are three rituals celebrated by the elect on the third, fourth and fifth Sundays of Lent in which they are called on to scrutinize, or examine, their lives in light of the Gospel. The Scrutinies use of the Gospels of Cycle A—the stories about the woman at the well, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus—to call the elect to evaluate their readiness to celebrate the sacraments at the Easter Vigil.