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Show Lenten Season. LENT, IN LATIN AND GREEK, means forty days. In some of the ancient European languages the word "Lent" expressed the spring fast. As now understood it brings to mind the solemn fast of forty days annually held by the Catholic church before the feast of the resurrection. Its origin l dates back to the apostolic age. The most ancient records and the oldest monuments of antiquity refer to the Lenten season. St. Telesophorus the eighth pope after St. Peter, and who ! reigned from 142 to 154, commanded the Catholic world to observe the Lent en season. St. Augustine, in his writings, writ-ings, refers to Lent more than fifty times. Its antiquity is evident from the disputes between the Eastern and Western Churches as to the proper time of celebrating Easter, which followed the Lenten season. In tne year 158, the bishop of Smyrna, St. Polycarp, who was a disciple of St. John, the Evangelist, Evan-gelist, came to Rome for instructions as to the proper time of celebrating the feast of the resurrection. That Lent had its origin in the apostolic age is universally conceded. Its object is to perpetuate the law of fasting as practiced by the prophets of old, and especially to follow the example of Jesus, Jes-us, who fasted for forty days in the desert. That fasting constitued one of the chief ordinances which were to be observed is evident from the early documents doc-uments that have come to us from the first Christian tachers. St.- Augustine, who is recognized as one of the best interpreters of the primitive traditions I of the church, wrote that 'Lr" ; is a holy time throughout the whole world, it is held each year, it is the chief fast, it is observed by abstaining from wine and meat; it is held, not by superstition, supersti-tion, but by the law of God." He wrote also that "The Christians . of his time eat not meat or certain kinds of fruit or delicacies of the table;" that "Those who kept it are happy," and that "it is the way to take up the cross and crucify the body, give to the poor, forgive our enemies, keep from plays, do good to all, and that we-fast before Easter." Whilst fasting is enjoined and devotional devo-tional exercises recommended it is not the formal observance of the rules and regulations that, merits, but the good will which prompts each individual in making some sacrifice for offenses against God. To be worthy of spiritual or temporal favors like Tobias, who received his sight through fasting, persons should be animated, during Lent, with the spirit which prompted him, and which was expressed by the 'archangel, when he said to his son, "Prayer is good, with fasting and alms, more than to lay up treasures of gold." |