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February 27, 2022Dear Parishioners,
This week we begin the Season of Lent. Lent can be an amazing time of year if one observes it properly. It is a time we challenge ourselves to be detached from the things of this world and cling more completely to Jesus. The three main pillars of Lent are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Of course, Lent does not have to be the only time of the year that we practice these three things because they are essential to Christian faith year round.
The word “Lent” is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words lencten, meaning “Spring,” and lenctentid, which literally means not only “Springtide” but also was the word for “March,” the month in which the majority of Lent falls. This period of time has always been seen as a season to prepare for Easter. As the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of Vatican Council II stated, “The two elements which are especially characteristic of Lent — the recalling of baptism or the preparation for it, and penance — should be given greater emphasis in the liturgy and in liturgical catechesis. It is by means of them that the Church prepares the faithful for the celebration of Easter, while they hear God’s word more frequently and devote more time to prayer” (no. 109).
The Church has always had preparation for prayer. For instance, St. Irenaeus wrote to Pope St. Victor I, commenting on the celebration of Easter and the differences between practices in the East and the West: “The dispute is not only about the day, but also about the actual character of the fast. Some think that they ought to fast for one day, some for two, others for still more; some make their ‘day’ last 40 hours on end. Such variation in the observance did not originate in our own day, but very much earlier, in the time of our forefathers.” This last expression “forefathers” indicates that Lent has existed since the time of the Apostles. Yet, the actual duration and practices of Lent were not yet homogenous throughout the Church.
Lent becomes more regularized after the legalization of Christianity in AD313. The Council of Nicaea AD325, in its disciplinary canons, noted that two provincial synods should be held each year, “one before the 40 days of Lent.” St. Athanasius in his “Festal Letters” implored his congregation to make a 40-day fast prior to the more intense fasting of Holy Week. St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his Catechetical Lectures had 18 pre-baptismal instructions given to the catechumens during Lent.
The next development concerned how much fasting was to be done. The rules of fasting varied. First, some areas of the Church abstained from all forms of meat and animal products, while others made exceptions for food like fish. For example, Pope St. Gregory (d. 604), writing to St. Augustine of Canterbury, issued the following rule: “We abstain from flesh, meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese and eggs.” Over the years, modifications have been made to the Lenten observances, making our practices not only simple but also easy. The present fasting and abstinence laws are very simple: On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, the faithful fast (having only one full meal a day and smaller snacks to keep up one’s strength) and abstain from meat; on the other Fridays of Lent, the faithful abstain from meat.
Let us pray for each other that we have a blessed and productive Lent which will prepare us for the Easter Season.
God bless,
Fr. Barrow
