It may have been different for you, but as a child Lent was never explained to me in a way that made sense … and I had lots of questions:
- What is a Liturgical year??? (I grew up in a Protestant church so this was never really explained)
- Why 40 days? (except it’s really 46?)
- Why do we call it Lent?
- Why “give up” something? (And why is chocolate always on the list?)
The Liturgical Year
Like the seasons,the structure of Christian (and most other religious) worship follows the solar year. Not surprisingly, the Christian calendar has its origin in the Jewish calendar, which revolves around the Sabbath (the origin of our week) and Passover (once a year in the spring, which set the annual cycle of a year).
From before the time of Christ, the GraecoRoman world kept Saturn’s day (on what we now call Saturday) as the first day of the week. Since no other origin can be traced for the seven-day cycle, it would appear that they adopted the week from the Jewish system. The Romans did not, however, name the other days of the week definitively until the third century of the Christian era.” (The Liturgical Year – It’s Story, 2000)
Prior to the 4th century, there was no “liturgical year” as we know it now… there was only Easter (which like Passover, has a date decided by the lunar calendar). The very early church (the first 200 years) fasted to prepare for Easter, which is the practice that led to subsequent Lenten practices.
Shared by Deacon Art Bass on Facebook
The origins of “Lent”
In 313 CE Constantine, the emperor of Rome, announced that no longer would Christians in Rome be persecuted. In fact, having seen a vision of a cross on a shield in battle, he converted to Christianity and made it the official state religion of Rome. (And, as we say… the rest is history)
Prior to that time, it was not easy to be a follower of Christ. In 217, Hippolytus described what it took to become a Christian. “After being carefully screened, candidates were admitted to a three-year period as “hearers of the word.” As well as attending their own sessions of instruction, they were permitted to be present at the liturgy of the word, but not for the prayer of the faithful or for the eucharist (II, 16-19), participation in which is the privilege of the baptized members of the community.” (The Liturgical Year, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2017)
It was only after three years of intense study and discipline that new Christians could be baptized – which always took place during the celebration of Easter. This was not a trivial decision. Those who chose to follow Christ during the first 3 centuries risked persecution, torture, and even death.
From Three Years to Forty days
It’s not surprising that after 313, when persecution of Christians was no longer permitted, that more people sought to join this new religion. It’s also not surprising that a) baptisms still took place on Easter and b) you still had to commit to study and discipline before you could be baptized.
After the time of Constantine, however, the Church found itself in a world that was less openly hostile. Converts flocked in. Gradually the strict discipline of the catechumenate, which had been a three year process, was abbreviated to be totally encompassed in the six weeks of Lent. (The Origins of the LIturgical Year, Talley, 1991)
Why 40 days? When the Council of Nicea met in 325 CE they decided to formalize the preparation to match the recorded 40 day fasts of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.
Why Sundays are not included.
Sundays are considered a celebration of Christ’s resurrection, so they aren’t considered part of the 40 days of Lent (which is why it is actually 46 days)
Why do we call it “Lent”?
Easter and Passover both occur during a window of dates that fall in the late spring (because they are based on the lunar calendar). The word “Lent” means spring: From Merriam-Webster dictionary. The origins of “Lent” are from the “Middle English lente springtime…from Old English lencten; akin to Old High German lenzin spring”
If you are Christian (and especially if you have a Lenten practice) I hope this helps you understand why this isn’t about giving up chocolate. (Seriously). For those who follow other paths, I hope this will shed some light on some of the practices of those around you, practices that we don’t usually talk about.
p.s. About the ashes… Ash Wednesday is always 46 days before Easter. It’s a practice that was established during the 9th-11th century so there would be a clear beginning for Lent. It’s based on many Biblical texts about ashes being a sign of repentance.
p.p.s. I’m not an expert… so if you are, please let me know what I’ve omitted (or misrepresented).
