Monday, March 20, 2006
Lent
Lent again. Makes you think of fish and spagetti w/out meatballs, or giving up something *coughsameaslastyearcough*, right? If it is, then you've probably got the wrong idea about lent.
The Teutonic word Lent, which we employ to denote the forty days' fast preceding Easter, originally meant no more than the spring season. Still it has been used from the Anglo-Saxon period to translate the more significant Latin term quadragesima (French carême, Italian quaresima, Spanish cuaresma), meaning the "forty days", or more literally the "fortieth day". This in turn imitated the Greek name for Lent, tessarakoste (fortieth), a word formed on the analogy of Pentecost (pentekoste), which last was in use for the Jewish festival before New Testament times. This etymology, as we shall see, is of some little importance in explaining the early developments of the Easter fast....
But, what more particularly regards Lent, successive indults have been granted by the Holy See allowing meat at the principal meal, first on Sundays, and then on two, three, four, and five weekdays, throughout nearly the whole of Lent. Quite recently, Maundy Thursday, upon which meat was hitherto always forbidden, has come to share in the same indulgence. In the United States, the Holy See grants faculties whereby working men and their families may use flesh meat once a day throughout the year, except Fridays, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday, and the vigil of Christmas. The only compensation imposed for all these mitigations is the prohibition during Lent against partaking of both fish and flesh at the same repast.
-- From http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm, an entry in their Catholic Encyclopedia.
Lent's 40 days originally came from the gospel story of Jesus's 40 days' fasting, and being tempted by the devil, or Satan. It used to be that you couldn't eat meat at all during Lent, but after some time it was changed to abstinance on Fridays, the Tridium, and Ash Wednesday. We give up something during this time, because Jesus was tempted to do things in the desert; It is a lot of sybolical things, and makes sense when you think about it logically. Instead of giving up chocolate or sweets this year like you probably do every year, instead, try praying the rosary every day, or reading/studying the bible for a certain amount of time. I am reading my bible, St.Joseph Baltimore Catechism (check this out, it is a wonderful guide) praying/praying the rosary, or something religous that will help me in my religous life. These sorts of things will bring you closer to God, and help you better understand him. I'm not saying you will fully understand him; this is impossible for any human, just things will be a bit easier to understand.
The Teutonic word Lent, which we employ to denote the forty days' fast preceding Easter, originally meant no more than the spring season. Still it has been used from the Anglo-Saxon period to translate the more significant Latin term quadragesima (French carême, Italian quaresima, Spanish cuaresma), meaning the "forty days", or more literally the "fortieth day". This in turn imitated the Greek name for Lent, tessarakoste (fortieth), a word formed on the analogy of Pentecost (pentekoste), which last was in use for the Jewish festival before New Testament times. This etymology, as we shall see, is of some little importance in explaining the early developments of the Easter fast....
But, what more particularly regards Lent, successive indults have been granted by the Holy See allowing meat at the principal meal, first on Sundays, and then on two, three, four, and five weekdays, throughout nearly the whole of Lent. Quite recently, Maundy Thursday, upon which meat was hitherto always forbidden, has come to share in the same indulgence. In the United States, the Holy See grants faculties whereby working men and their families may use flesh meat once a day throughout the year, except Fridays, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday, and the vigil of Christmas. The only compensation imposed for all these mitigations is the prohibition during Lent against partaking of both fish and flesh at the same repast.
-- From http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm, an entry in their Catholic Encyclopedia.
Lent's 40 days originally came from the gospel story of Jesus's 40 days' fasting, and being tempted by the devil, or Satan. It used to be that you couldn't eat meat at all during Lent, but after some time it was changed to abstinance on Fridays, the Tridium, and Ash Wednesday. We give up something during this time, because Jesus was tempted to do things in the desert; It is a lot of sybolical things, and makes sense when you think about it logically. Instead of giving up chocolate or sweets this year like you probably do every year, instead, try praying the rosary every day, or reading/studying the bible for a certain amount of time. I am reading my bible, St.Joseph Baltimore Catechism (check this out, it is a wonderful guide) praying/praying the rosary, or something religous that will help me in my religous life. These sorts of things will bring you closer to God, and help you better understand him. I'm not saying you will fully understand him; this is impossible for any human, just things will be a bit easier to understand.
# posted by Emma @ 6:05 PM 
