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Show THE LENTEN LENTIN : SEASON SIASON : . , . The observance of Lent , , the greatfast great great1ast greafast ; ; 1ast fast pieceding pleceding Eistcr E'lster Elster Easter ' , Is a custom customwl customwhich ciistonwhich wl which ch originated orlgmated . with v.ltl1 vltl1 tlie the earlychurch early earl ; chuich ChUlCh church , , probably In the latter p-u-t p u t p'll"t pllt pert ' - " - of ofthe othe ' the second cent centyry centilry rry , , but the number of ofdays ofdays o : days included Incluaed Induced in m the Lenten season scason hasvaried has hasvaried ha ; ; varied . widely v.idely videly at different dlfferent timesIn timesIn times timesIn In the beginning bcgmning , , It appears from fromthe fromthe frorrthe the writings of Irenaeus and other otherearly otherearly othciearly early fathers of the church , only one oneor oneor oneor or two days of fasting were observed observedBy observedBy observedBy oneI I By the fourth century periods pcrlOds of three threesix " , , SIX and e\ e even een \ en seven weeks wel weie were e ob- ob ob - served scned in various countries countrles , , with 'w1th w1th ' - WIdeIly ly different customs with respect WIde-I WIde I to tothe tothe t tthe < the continuity contimuty contintuty of the fastAs fast fastAs i iAs As afc at ' present observed , Lent is a aI afast afast ifast I fast of forty days , , not including Sun Sun- Sundays Sundays Sundays - days , , beginning with Ash Wednesdaythis Wednesdaythis Wednesday Wednesdaythis -this this - this year on March l-and l and 1-and 1 1 - - and WednesdayI ending endingthe endingthe endingthe I the Saturday before Easter . . During Durmg Lent it 1t is 15 considered desir desir- desirI desirable desir- desir desirable desirable - - I able by tlie the churches observing observmg it 1t that thattheIr thattheir thattheir thatI I theIr members abstain abstam from food eachfasting each eachfastmg eachfasting fastmg fasting day until untll evening evenrng , , also that the season be marked by at- at attendance - tendance at v . worship orship and increaseddlllgence increaseddiligence increasediligence dlllgence diligence in m works of charity . Various Variousdegrees Varioudegrees degrees of strictness in these observances obser- obser observances obscrvances - vances have prevailed prevroled from time to tobme totime ttime bme time , and exceptions are made in ac- ac accordance accordance accordance - cordance with the physical Phslcal pnysical ) needs of ofcertain ofcertain ocertain certain individuals mdividua1s mdividuais Indulgence in inworldly inworldly liworldly worldly amusements Is 1s considered un- un unsuitable unsuitable un unsuitable - suitable to the the'Lenten theLenten ' Lenten seasonLent seasonLent season seasonLent I Lent is observed by the Roman RomanCatholic RomanCatholic RomanCatholic I Catholic , , Anglican and Lutheranchurches Lutheran Lutheranchurches Lutheranchurches churches LutheranI I |