Show abou r LENT A period of forty days day before easter commencing with ash wednesday is known in the roman church as an to is virtually the same part of the year in the greek and oriental churches as lent the word Is ie of anglo saxon derivation and means at ar the german ax lem but it is used as an a substitute for the ecclesiastical terms lessor ajoste or from greek and latin words respectively meaning forty during the entire period the members member of the churches abu robes mentioned are supposed to feat fast that i ip they are to abstain from eating flesh and limit the quantity of food to a MiDi minimum MUm they are to attend public worship daily with frequent partaking of the sacrament and particularly on saturdays and dun sundays days increased diligence in almsgiving alma giving and deeds of charity is one feature of it while pub lie amusements particularly stage plays bli taday celebrations and marriages are considered untimely of course the strictness with which the last fast to Is observed to is very much relaxed from what it was anciently and varies with the pitty piety and aind religious consciousness ness of different individuals but these are the principles recognized in theory at least by the orthodox of the western and eastern churches in some of the protestant churches the lent is retained on the ecclesiastical calendar and special prayers and texts text lor for sermons 8 are provi provided aed the clergy for the edification of their heir audience but bui as to tasting lasting or abstaining from certain kinds of food that is left to each individual the anxiety of the reformers to obliterate every trace of romanism in the protestant omu countries tries led them to abolish many ancient customs custom and lasting among others in this conne connection aLlon it is interesting to note the tenacity with which traditions handed down from the post past live in the ranks of the poodle people lo in some lutheran countries it to la botill customary during the lent to ta add coi tsin kinds of food to the bill of iare fare on a particular monday for instance broad bread and milk is eaten and pancakes is the liae proper thing on a certain day in the season just as agn the symbol of the resurrection are faster loud lood and fish the symbol ot of the savior is considered appropriate at christmas brist mas because the letters in the greek word lor for qua ich thys are alethe the initials in the ori giua iusi language lan guane of the new testament of the be words jesus christ son SOD savior thus traditions and custons ous alter after centuries still linger among the people even long after the original meaning is forgotten protestantism still re taine much of Buman rm while this latter has perpetuated ancient paganism and judaism too to a considerably gr greater gregait egit extent than it generally supposed As to the origin of lant it can be traced traded to the very early days day of the he christian church at first it appears only as an almost universally nihed custom of setting betting apart sometime some tim before the anniversary of the death of our lord for devotional exercises and contemplation of his for ann kindro the devout disciple it was waa impton impose sible bible to combine such meditation with feasting and gaiety the importance to the individual christian of ceelina the power of the atonement in hit hia heart as well as understanding th the doctrine was waa no doubt the foundation for the practice at nat forty lava day were fixed as the proper length of timie time to in commemoration of the forty daya fast of our lord and that of the two treat men of the old dispensation tion bof sets and elijah it was waa also alao 19 found aund that forty days day excluding four bun days would be a tenth part ol of the year which it was wai argued was waa due to tb the lord as aa tishea of everything were by the mosaic law the of keeping lent Is ia certainly a ver very ancient one although at present 1 little attly 0 more than the name of it ex exist that a few observe I 1 it I 1 in D the A right spirl spirit t to ig no doubt it to ie also that auala are benefited accordingly |