Lent

The Forty Days of Lent

Article by: © Linda Campbell 2012

Until the 4th century B.C., the only festivals observed by the Christian Church were Easter and Pentecost. (held 49 days after Easter). Easter Sunday was formally recognised by the Council of Nicene in 325 A.D. Other dates were gradually added to the remembrance.

Lent, a period of fasting, penance and prayer in preparation for Easter, was fixed at 40 days in the 8th century A.D. However, in the Catholic faith, Sundays are excluded from the calculation. This means that Lent always begins on the 7th Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) before Easter. In Orthodox churches, both Saturdays and Sundays are excluded and Lent therefore starts on Clean Monday, the 8th Monday before Easter.

Christians were expected to make a confession of their sins in the week before Lent. The old word "shrive" meaning "hear confessions" gave us the name "Shrove Tuesday" for the day before Lent. Fasting during Lent does not mean going without food but abstaining from certain items, e.g. meat and fats. Shrove Tuesday was the day when pantries were emptied of butter, eggs and other provisions. Pancakes were cooked to use up the eggs and butter and this has led to our tradition.

Lent begins at midnight on Shrove Tuesday. The first day of Lent is known as "Ash Wednesday". On this day the Bishop would bless the hair shirts which penitents were to wear during Lent. He would also sprinkle the shirts with ashes made from the palms of the previous Easter. The penitents were not allowed to enter a church again until the Thursday before Easter.

In later times, the whole congregation would receive ashes and this is now symbolised by a mark of ashes on the forehead.

Lent lasts for 40 days because the Old Testament prophets purified themselves by fasting for 40days and Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert.

The sufferings of Jesus at the crucifixion are called the Passions of Jesus Christ and the period from the 1st Sunday of Lent until Palm Sunday is known as Passiontide. This is followed by Holy Week, where each day recalls an event from Jesus' stay in Jerusalem.

Holy Week began to develop as a time of remembrance while the Apostles of Jesus were still living. By the end of the 4th century A.D., special services were being held in Jerusalem and possibly elsewhere. At this time, the Saturday before Palm Sunday was called "Lazarus Saturday" in commemoration of the raising of Lazarus, but this custom has now died out.

Palm Sunday remembers Jesus' entry into Jerusalem when the people spread palm leaves at His feet. From that day until the crucifixion, the Gospels give a full account of Jesus' actions. Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday (once known as Spy Wednesday) each recall (in order) the turning out of the sinners from the Synagogue, Jesus' sermon on the Mount of Olives when he described the destruction of Jerusalem and Judas' decision to betray Jesus.

Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper and Jesus' arrest. The name derives from a hymn, "Mandatum novum do vobis" (a new commandment I give to you) which is sung at services on that day. During the evening liturgy, the ceremony of the washing of the feet is held. The priest or celebrant washes the feet of 12 people in memory of Jesus' washing the feet of his disciples. In Britain, the reigning monarch, instead of washing feet, hands out money at a different church each year. In Germany, Maundy Thursday is called Green Thursday because penitents used to be given a branch on this day to signify the completion of their penance. It is also called Sheer ('clean') Thursday because of the practice of washing the altars in preparation for Easter.

This article first appeared on suite101.com.

Lent Dates, Location and Further Information

Lent always begins on the 7th Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) before Easter. In Orthodox churches, both Saturdays and Sundays are excluded and Lent therefore starts on Clean Monday, the 8th Monday before Easter.

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