Christian Counseling Service -- Devotions

The history of Lent

Wednesday, February 13, 2002

Joel 2:12-15
"Even now," declares the Lord,
"Return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.
Rend your heart and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity...
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
Declare a holy fast,
Call a sacred assembly."

Some interesting thoughts about the season, derived from a dozen or so websites...

In many countries, the last day before Lent (called Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Carnival, or Fasching) has become a last fling before the solemnity of Lent. For centuries, it was customary to fast by abstaining from meat during Lent, which is why some people call the festival Carnival, which is Latin for farewell to meat.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon (Old English) Lenctentid (pronounced LENG-ten-teed), which means the time of lengthening. The entire Anglo spring season was called Lenctentid.

Distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance. On Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms from the previous year.

Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms (Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143), the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins-- just as Adam, the first man, was turned out of Paradise because of his disobedience. The penitents did not enter the church again until Maundy Thursday after having won reconciliation by the toil of forty days' penance and sacramental absolution.

The Lenten Season is observed for 40 days, beginning on Ash Wednesday and extending to midnight on the day before Easter, omitting Sundays. Search the scriptures diligently, from Old Testament to New, and you will find no mention of Jews or Christians observing an annual period of 40 days of fasting and abstinence preceding the festival of the Passover. A period of 40 days is rather common in scripture, however:

It rained 40 days and nights: Gen 7:4, 12.
Forty days after sighting the tops of the mountains, Noah set forth a raven and a dove: Gen 8:6-7.
Joseph mourned the death of his father Jacob for a period of 40 days: Gen 49:33 - Gen 50:3.
Moses on Sinai for 40 days: Exo 24:18, 34:28, Deu 9:9-11.
Moses pleads for Israel 40 days on Sinai: Deu 9:18-25, 10:10.
Canaan spied on for 40 days: Num 13:25, 14:34.
Goliath taunted Israel for 40 days: 1 Sam 17:16.
Elijah fasted and journeyed to Horeb for 40 days: 1 Kings 19:8.
Ezekiel bore the iniquity of Judah for 40 days: Eze 4:6.
Jonah warned Nineveh of judgment in 40 days: Jonah 3:4.
Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days: Matt 4:2, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:2.
Jesus was seen for 40 days after His crucifixion: Acts 1:3.

In 604 A.D. Pope Gregory I ordained the 40 day fast called Lent, calling it "our spiritual tithing of the year." From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

"540 ... 'For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning' [Heb 4:15]. By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert."

How exactly the churches counted those 40 days varied depending on location. In the East, one only fasted on weekdays. The western church's Lent was one week shorter, but included Saturdays. But in both places, the observance was both strict and serious.

Like the Muslim holiday Ramadan, Lent was observed with fasting that lasted each day till evening. Only one meal was taken a day, and there was to be no meat, fish, or animal products eaten.

Pope Gregory writing to St. Augustine of England laid down the rule, "We abstain from flesh meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese, and eggs."

This general prohibition of eggs and milk during Lent is perpetuated in the popular custom of blessing or making gifts of eggs at Easter (the end of Lent), and in the English usage of eating pancakes (to use up the last of the butter) on Shrove Tuesday (or Fat Tuesday, or Butter Tuesday).

Although the rules have been relaxed over the last fourteen centuries, Lent is still all about fasting, spiritual essence replacing the physical, as we unite with Jesus fasting in the desert, turning away from Satan and turning toward God.

In my hunger, Lord, in my thirst, fill me with Your food and drink, prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies, and let me dwell in your house forever.

Devotions Archive

The history of Lent

Wednesday, February 13, 2002