What is the basis of Lent?

[ladiesbballcoach]

I need educated.

 

What is the basis of Lent? Is it Scripture? A edict from the Pope? A tradition?

[spindoc]

That stuff ends up in the wierdest places. How does it get in your belly button anyway, much less what is it's basis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

J/K my Catholic friends. My guess is it's papal. But what do us Baptists know?

[rockmom]

From Catholic.com

 

What is Lent?

 

According to the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, "Lent is a preparation for the celebration of Easter. For the Lenten liturgy disposes both catechumens and the faithful to celebrate the paschal mystery: catechumens, through the several stages of Christian initiation; the faithful through reminders of their own baptism and through penitential practices" (General Norms 27).

 

 

Is Lent actually forty days long?

 

Technically, no. According to the General Norms, "Lent runs from Ash Wednesday until the Mass of the Lord's Supper, exclusive" (General Norms 28). This means Lent ends at the beginning of the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. Count it as you will, that's more than forty days. Therefore, the number forty in traditional hymns such as "Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days" is only an approximation.

 

 

Are Sundays excluded from Lent?

 

No. The definition of what days are included in Lent is given above, in General Norms 28. No exception is made for Sundays. Indeed, the General Norms go on to specifically name the Sundays of the period as belonging to the season: "The Sundays of this season are called the First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent. The Sixth Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week, is called Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday)" (General Norms 30).

 

Some people customarily allow themselves on Sunday to have things they have voluntarily given up for Lent, but since these forms of self-denial were voluntarily assumed anyway, a person is not under an obligation to practice them on Sunday (or any other specific day of the week).

 

 

Why is the season called Lent?

 

Lent is the Old English word for spring. In almost all other languages, Lent's name is a derivative of the Latin term quadragesima or "the forty days."

 

 

Why is Lent approximately forty days long?

 

In the Bible, forty days is a traditional number of discipline, devotion, and preparation. Moses stayed on the mountain of God forty days (Ex. 24:18, 34:28). The spies were in the land forty days (Num. 13:25). Elijah traveled forty days before he reached the cave where he had his vision (1 Kgs. 19:8). Nineveh was given forty days to repent (Jonah 3:4). And, most significantly for our Lenten observance, Jesus spent forty days in wilderness praying and fasting prior to undertaking his ministry (Matt. 4:2). Thus it is fitting for Christians to imitate him with a forty-day period of prayer and fasting to prepare to celebrate the climax of Christ's ministry, Good Friday (the day of the crucifixion) and Easter Sunday (the day of the Resurrection).

 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "'For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning' [Heb. 4:15]. By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert" (CCC 540).

 

What authority does the Church have to establish days of fast and abstinence?

 

The authority of Jesus Christ. Jesus told the leaders of his Church, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matt.16:19, 18:18). The language of binding and loosing was (in part) a rabinnic way of referring to the ability to establish binding halakah or rules of conduct for the faith community. (See the Jewish Encyclopedia: "Binding and loosing (Hebrew, asar ve-hittir) . . . Rabinnical term for 'forbidding and permitting.'")It is especially appropriate that the references to binding and loosing occur in Matthew, the "Jewish Gospel."

 

The Jewish Encyclopedia continues: "The power of binding and loosing was always claimed by the Pharisees. Under Queen Alexandra, the Pharisees, says Josephus (Wars of the Jews 1:5:2), 'became the administrators of all public affairs so as to be empowered to banish and readmit whom they pleased, as well as to loose and to bind.' . . . The various schools had the power 'to bind and to loose'; that is, to forbid and to permit (Talmud: Chagigah 3b); and they could also bind any day by declaring it a fast day (Talmud: Ta'anit 12a). . . . This power and authority, vested in the rabbinical body of each age of the Sanhedrin, received its ratification and final sanction from the celestial court of justice (Sifra, Emor, 9; Talmud: Makkot 23b).

 

"In this sense Jesus, when appointing his disciples to be his successors, used the familiar formula (Matt. 16:19, 8:18). By these words he virtually invested them with the same authority as that which he found belonging to the scribes and Pharisees who 'bind heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but will not move them with one of their fingers'; that is 'loose them,' as they have the power to do (Matt. 23:2-4). In the same sense, [in] the second epistle of Clement to James II (Clementine Homilies, Introduction [A.D. 221]) Peter is represented as having appointed Clement as his successor, saying: 'I communicate to him the power of binding and loosing so that, with respect to everything which he shall ordain in the earth, it shall be decreed in the heavens; for he shall bind what ought to be bound and loose what ought to be loosed as knowing the rule of the Church'" (Jewish Encyclopedia 3:215).

 

Thus Jesus invested the leaders of this Church with the power of making halakah for the Christian community. This includes the setting of fast days (like Ash Wednesday).

 

To approach the issue from another angle, every family has the authority to establish particular family devotions for its members. If the parents decide that the family will engage in a particular devotion at a particular time (say, Bible reading after supper), it is a sin for the children to disobey and skip the devotion for no good reason. In the same way, the Church as the family of God has the authority to establish its own family devotion, and it is a sin for the members of the Church to disobey and skip the devotions for no good reason. Of course, if the person has a good reason the Church dispenses him.

 

[ladiesbballcoach]

I knew I could count on RM. Have to take some time to digest the information and I will comeback with some questions probably to further my edumacation.

[rockmom]

I knew I could count on RM. Have to take some time to digest the information and I will comeback with some questions probably to further my edumacation.

 

 

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[Fastbreak]

How does anyone derive Lent from quadragesima??? :confused: :eek: :confused: :eek: :confused:

[rockmom]

Somethings, Fastbreak, you just don't question.

[Fastbreak]

Somethings, Fastbreak, you just don't question.

Now who sounds like the "fundamentalist extremist" ...hmmmm?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[HHSDad]

How does anyone derive Lent from quadragesima??? :confused: :eek: :confused: :eek: :confused:

Which would you rather say, Lent or quadragesima?

 

Quadragesima actually translates from Latin as "the fortieth", however, it has come to be used as a shortened version of quadragesima dies, or "the fortieth day", the first Sunday in Lent.

 

In answering the question, is it scriptural. I'd give a yes and no answer. Does scripture directly call for us to fast for the Lenten period? No. But I think as rockmom's post has pointed out, the tradition is deeply immeshed in scripture. The early church originally celebrated only the 40 hours before Easter. Over time, it was extended to Good Friday, then to 6 days and finally to 6 weeks.

 

While I don't personally celebrate Lent, and even though I am sometimes critical of the tradtions started in the Dark Ages by the Church, my only criticsm of Lent would be the relaxing of the tradition in the past 40 years. I find it to be one of the most blessed traditions of any church when celebrated in devotion to God.

[strike-3]

Well I had a theory that I tried out on my Mom when I was younger that didn't go over so well. I never really carred for seafood all that much. So I surmised that Lent was a scam. Think about it, most of the Apostles were fisherman prior to being recruited by Jesus. Obviously spending so much time following him around and evangilising hurt their ability to market thier fishing products. The solution, lets have lent and make it forbidden to eat any type of animal flesh except for fish and other seafood, which they just so happen to have an interest in. Kinda like Macy's having a Santa Claus guy during Christmas. Obviously my Mom was not amused.

 

My other idea was that a lot of people really like seafood, and that they would just go out and have some lobster or shrimp so they were cheating as it wasn't really a sacrafice for them. I likened it to someone forcing me to have to eat a Ribeye every Friday for 6 weeks. This one didn't go over so well either.

[ladiesbballcoach]

I know I have asked this question before but have forgotten the answer.

 

What is the Scriptural foundation for Lent? Time period? Rules regarding it? When did it start in it's present status?

[Uncle Jed]

Short and sweet answer: A time, I think 40 days before Easter. It is in recognition of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert and was tempted. Matthew 4:1-11, it is recognized by fasting and praying. I don’t know the exact historical record of Lent, but I think it has something to do with Ash Wednesday.

[Run To State]

You can find some info here and here.

[Hatz]

I know I have asked this question before but have forgotten the answer.

 

What is the Scriptural foundation for Lent? Time period? Rules regarding it? When did it start in it's present status?

 

Lent is a season of Penance and a period of reflection on a Christian's relationship with God. It is a journey. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient practice of dumping ashes on ourselves in a sign of Penance. "From Dust you can and Dust you will return." It is an activity that is concerned with humbling ourselves before God.

 

Lent is 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays. Lent often can involve self-sacrifice including fasting. Sunday is technically a "feast day" and the fasting can continue or be abstained from on that day.

 

Historic roots trace back to the 4th century I believe from pilgrimmages and from teaching the Catacumens (sp?) {converts} before baptism on Easter.

[ladiesbballcoach]

Lent is a season of Penance and a period of reflection on a Christian's relationship with God. It is a journey. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient practice of dumping ashes on ourselves in a sign of Penance. "From Dust you can and Dust you will return." It is an activity that is concerned with humbling ourselves before God.

 

Lent is 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays. Lent often can involve self-sacrifice including fasting. Sunday is technically a "feast day" and the fasting can continue or be abstained from on that day.

 

Historic roots trace back to the 4th century I believe from pilgrimmages and from teaching the Catacumens (sp?) {converts} before baptism on Easter.

 

Does Ash Wednesday have Scripture foundation?

 

I understand that for whatever reason the number 40 has great Scriptural importance.

 

Can you expand on who the Catacumens were?