Thurs. Feb. 15, 2024
Lent 101: a mini-Catechism
The Rev. Rob Stevens & The Rev. Dr. Harold T. Lewis
The following article was authored by my mentor and friend, The Rev. Dr. Harold T. Lewis, rector emeritus of Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, PA. It is one of the most clear and helpful descriptions of Lent that I have ever read. Each year I go back to it and once again I share it with you
What is Lent?
Lent is the 40 weekdays between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday, a season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter.
Where does the word “Lent” come from?
“Lent has its roots in an Old English word for “spring.” Some have suggested that it comes from the Latin word for “slow,” because we should move at a reduced pace during Lent, but this is doubtful. “Cuaresma” and “Carême,” the Spanish and French words for “Lent,” respectively, mean a forty-day period.
Only weekdays? Are Lenten Sundays not part of Lent?
Strictly speaking, no, since every Sunday is a celebration of the Resurrection, and cannot be considered a day of penitence. This is why Lenten Sundays are called Sundays in Lent, and not Sundays of Lent.
Why do we need Lent?
I like to describe Lent as a yearly spiritual stock-taking. Another way of looking at it is stepping back from the canvas of our life so that we can better understand what is needed to enhance it. The theologian Marcus Borg describes Lent in this way: “The Lenten journey, with is climax in Holy Week and Good Friday and Easter, is about participating in the death and resurrection of Jesus. This meansdying to an old identity and being born into a new identity centered in the Spirit of God. It means dying to an old way of being, and being born into a new way of being, a way of being centered once again in God.”
What is the meaning and purpose of Ash Wednesday?
The Reverend Margaret Jones put it this way: “Ash Wednesday is a wake-up call. We hear Scripture readings that are urgent and vivid. We have black ashes rubbed into our foreheads. We recite a Litany of Penitence that takes our breath away, or should. On Ash Wednesday we come to church to kneel, to pray, and to ask God’s forgiveness, surrounded by other sinners. Human sin is universal. Ash Wednesday is set aside by the church as a time to address sin and death. We do this mindful that ‘God hates nothing God has made and forgives the sins of all who are penitent.’” Being signed with the sign of the Cross on our foreheads with ashes reminds us of being “sealed with the sign of the Cross” at our baptism, as well as the fact that ashes in the form of a cross are placed on our coffins in death.
Why ashes?
Ashes are a sign of mourning and penitence. In the Bible, the putting on of sackcloth (also known as a hairshirt) and ashes was an outward and visible sign of deep contrition, e.g., Mordecai in the Book of Esther (4:1). Jesus makes mention of the practice in Luke 10:13.
Where do the ashes come from?
Ashes are made by burning palms used on the previous Palm Sunday.
Why is the day before the beginning of Lent called “Shrove Tuesday” and why do we eat pancakes on that day?
“Shrove” is a form of the verb “shrive” which means to forgive. It refers to the ancient practice of going to confession, or being “shriven,” as part of one’s spiritual preparation for Lent. There are several references to being shriven in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, e.g., Romeo’s speech to the Nurse: “Bid her get leave tomorrow morning/To come to shrift in Friar Laurence’s cell.” (The term “short shrift,” i.e., to give someone only perfunctory consideration, literally means a brief confession, referring to the practice of giving a condemned prisoner a short time to make his confession en route to the gallows.) In days when a strict Lenten fast was observed, eating anything made with flour was forbidden. For that reason, and to prevent the flour from going bad, cooks whipped up stacks of pancakes to be consumed before Ash Wednesday.
What is Holy Week?
Holy Week is the last and most solemn week of Lent, from Palm Sunday, the commemoration of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, through Holy Saturday. The end of Holy Week, including Maundy Thursday, the day on which we commemorate the institution of the Lord’s Supper; Good Friday, the Day of the Crucifixion, through Holy Saturday, is known as the Triduum Sanctum (The Three Holy Days).
What is Easter Even and why do we have baptisms on that day?
“Even” is an ancient form of the word “Eve.” Major feasts of the Church always begin on the eve of the occurrence.We have baptisms on that night, because in the ancient church, that was virtually the only time that baptisms were administered, emphasizing the fact that we are baptized into Christ’s Death so that we may share in his Resurrection. Ancient fonts were tall and intentionally tomb-like so that adults (infant baptism was rare) could be immersed in them while at the same time symbolizing their baptism into Christ’s death. Those baptized were called “candidates,” meaning “clothed in white,” recalling that a white garment was given after the baptism, which was done au naturel.
Why do we “give up” things for Lent?
Forgoing something enjoyable --- desserts, evening cocktail, even FaceBook, (one year, I gave up Whole Foods!) is a time-honored way to observe Lent. Giving up something pleasurable, however, is not meant to be self-punishing. Rather, it helps us focus on the things that really matter. I came across a rather unusual list of things we might consider giving up: complaining, replacing it with gratitude; harsh judgments, thinking kindly thoughts instead; bitterness, learning to forgive instead; gossiping, learning to control our tongue. Let me suggest that “taking on” can be just as significant, and maybe more of a sacrifice than giving up. Why not consider attending one worship service in addition to Sunday? There are five celebrations of the Holy Eucharist at Calvary during the week, and, of course, there is the Lenten Preaching Series. (While we do not have 5 weekday services at St. John’s we do have our Thursday morning Eucharist at 9:30am) Commit yourselves to daily Bible study and meditation. We’ve made it simple for you. Just read the meditations in Calvary’s Lenten booklet and the Bible lessons on which they are based. Or take on an act of mercy by mending a relationship or visiting the sick or volunteering in some community agency. By God’s grace, we hope that during these forty days and forty nights, you will embark on a Lenten pilgrimage that will be good for your soul’s health.