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THE GREAT
LENT - A Week by Week
Meaning
Rev. George Mastrantonis
THE INSTITUTE OF LENT
Here are institutes and symbols adopted
by nations, churches or groups of men which represent certain
ideals accumulated in the past. These institutes, that is
precepts recognized as authoritative, and symbols represent the
thoughts and feelings of those who created or adopted them and
put in them all the experience of the past, often through
struggle and sacrifice. A few feet of ribbon for instance, red,
blue and white in color, have little value as is. But if one
puts them in a certain pattern of stripes and stars, they become
the flag of the United States and represent the ideals and unity
of the people of America. The flag reminds us of the people's
struggle for liberty. It represents the national unity which
attained for them their rights as a people. The same could be
said for the institutes of a nation, army or any group of
people. These institutes are created by the people and are used
by them in certain ways for certain aims. Some of these
institutes are the means for achieving certain values and
ideals. In the life of the Church of Christ there are many
institutes created and maintained to meet the needs of the
people - the Ecclesia. Among these is the Great Lent
which falls within the year-cycle of the life of the Church
before Pascha-Easter. Lent is the period of time for
self-examination by the believer; of putting on the spiritual
armor of the Militant Church; of applying the riches of prayers
and almsgiving; of adopting deeply the meaning of repentance; of
atonement and reconciliation with God Almighty.
This great period of Lent before Easter
is called by the Orthodox Church, Tessaracoste (Quadragesimal),
which comes from the word forty (the 40 days of "fasting"). This
Institute of the 40. days of Lent precedes the Resurrection of
Christ. The celebration of the Resurrection of Christ does not
fall on the same date each year, but according to the
determination of the position of the moon and spring equinox,
which is based on the original setting during the last Events of
the life of Christ on earth. This 40-day period of Lent is a
period of "abstinence" from foods, but primarily from personal
iniquities. Abstinence from foods (fasting) alone is a means of
attaining virtue; it is not an end in itself. During the period
of fasting one makes a special attempt to evaluate his calling
as a Christian; to listen to the voice of the Gospel and heed
its commandments; to accept the constant invitation to enter
Christ's Kingdom. It is an open invitation to everyone willing
to enter; who believes in Christ and repents his iniquities; who
makes an "about face" directly to Christ. To accomplish this -
Which is a year-round concern - the Christian Church, dating
back many years, out of experience and according to the nature
of man instituted certain days of prayer and fasting as steps in
a ladder to help those who need guidance to reach this spiritual
plateau. All of these steps must have genuine personal meaning
to avoid becoming merely a habit and routine. Fasting
encompasses the entire pious life of the Christian, as Christ
proclaimed, that symbolizes a deep acceptance of His admonition
to "repent". This can be achieved not so much in terms of time,
but in deeds in love of God and one's fellow man.
During the period of the Great Lent the
awakening of the spirit of man comes about through inspiration
from the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ. It is a time of
self-examination and preparation, and of taking an inventory of
one's inner life. He and Christ know his exact condition. At
this time one sees himself in the mirror of the Gospel - how he
looks. One finds the means and ways to correct and improve
himself. Lent is a period of time when one delves into himself
with the light of the Holy Spirit in order to rid himself of the
impediments which hold him back. It is a period when one
strengthens his faith by more prayer and devotional life.
Let us then examine the meaning of
fasting, which became an Institute of the Church. Fasting means
the total abstinence from foods, as the original Greek word in
the Bible, nesteia, literally means. The word fasting today is
used for selection of foods and a limiting of their quantity.
Fasting also can mean eating once a day bread, salt and water,
after sunset. Although the period of Lent appeals to the
function of man as a whole in repentance, self-examination,
almsgiving, relationship with people with whom one is at odds,
attitudes toward life, the abstinence from foods plays a vital
role in the life of the Christian. The quantity and kinds of
foods selected for this period of Lent help control carnal
desires and develop discipline and a pious life. Fasting from
foods is not a virtuous activity in itself, but a means for its
achievement. But it has a distinct place in the life of the
Christian, especially during the Great Lent.
THE ORIGIN OF FASTING
One may ask how the Institute of fasting
originated. Was it a tradition handed down by the Apostles? Was
it determined as such by the early Church? Was the duration of
fasting established from the beginning? These and similar
questions require an answer.
Fasting before Easter was not determined
by the early Church as such either in specific days or for
certain foods. In the New Testament the word for fasting,
nesteia, means abstinence from food entirely, and was originally
a Jewish custom reluctantly practiced by the Jews, although it
was not an official requirement. Bishop Irenaios of Lyon (192)
wrote a letter to the Bishop of Rome that there is a great
difference about the duration of fasting before Easter. Some
people, he wrote, fast one day, others two, still others more
days. Some of them fast 40 hours continuously, day and night,
from all foods (Eusebuis, Ecclesiastical History, 524,12).
Tertuuian, an ecclesiastical writer of the 3rd century, refers
to abstinence from foods as being two days, Friday and Saturday.
Some of the early Christians abstained from foods the whole day
and ate only in the evenings, while others ate not at all, day
or night, as did those who were fasting for 40 hours. Other
Christians extended the period of fasting beyond the two days to
one week (during the mid-third century),'but everyone was
allowed to extend the duration of fasting as long as he wanted.
Thus, these Christians added hours and days of fasting at their
own will, beyond the customary duration of time (Dionysios,
Bishop of Alexandria, P. G. Migne 10, 1278).
THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF FASTING
Over the years, the days of fasting
increased to seven before Easter. These Christians ate in the
evenings, and then only bread, salt and water, as recorded by
Epiphanios in 403. The difference in counting the hours of
fasting resulted from the different calculations of the time of
the Resurrection of Christ in the Gospels (Matthew 28:1, before
midnight; John 20:1, after midnight; Mark 16:2, at sunrise). The
period of fasting before Easter was extended to 40 days without
substantial evidence of any authoritative determination. The
fact is that the 40 days of fasting was known to the Fathers of
the First Ecumenical Synod (325). St. Augustine during the fifth
century attributes the lengthy period of 40 days to the
persecutions, 306-323. Others refer to the example of Christ
fasting 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2); or to Moses
(Exodus 34:28), or to Prophet Elias (1 Kings 19:8 - III Vasilion
LXX) Probably the 40-day fasting period among the people was
started during the persecutions, because the people took refuge
in monasteries and followed the order of abstinence of the
monks, which was very strict. Also hermits and other pious
people of sobriety kept a fasting period of 40 days during the
mid-third century, and this was handed down to the people. In
reality, the 40-day practice for fasting before Easter was not a
simultaneous practice in all the Christian lands, but a gradual
process. Fasting as such was practiced by the people at the,
very beginning for only two or three days per week, Wednesday
and Friday and in some places Saturday (in the West).
In the course of time, a gradual increase
in the number of weeks also took place. However, between East
and West the number of weeks of Lent differed, with seven weeks
being established in the East and six in the West by the
mid-sixth century. The reason for the difference in the number
of weeks between East and West was because in the West Saturday
was a fast day along with Wednesday and Friday, while in the
East Saturday was not a fast day except the Saturday of Holy
Week, according to the Canons of the Church (Canon 66, Apostolic
Fathers; Canon 55A Sixth Ecumenical Synod in 692 - Canon 18,
Gangra Synod in 340-370). The adding of Saturday by the Church
in the West as a fast day was related to the thought that the
Body of Christ was in the tomb on this day. This innovation of
fasting on Saturday was fought by Tertullian, Hippolytos
(Ecclesiastical writer) and Bishop Jerome.
However, Bishop Inocentios of Rome
(401-417) ratified the Saturday fast, and gradually this day
became a fixed day in the West. In rebuke of this practice in
the West, Bishop Ignatios of Antioch in a letter denounced this
Saturday fast (ch. 13). During the seventh century, Bishop
Gregory I of Rome added four days before the beginning of the
six weeks of Lent, starting with Wednesday, known as Ash
Wednesday. The Church in the East, on the other hand, added an
additional week before the seven weeks, known as Cheese Week, to
complete the 40 days of fasting in Lent before Easter, excluding
the seven Saturdays and eight Sundays, which are non-fast days.
The reason for the number of 40 days of fasting during the Great
Lent is obscure. The famous canonist of the twelfth century,
Balsamon, writes, "There is but a forty day abstinence, that of
the Pascha, but if one also likes to keep the weekly fast for
other feasts ... he is not to be disgraced" (Migne PG 138,1001).
Fasting from foods is relevant to the
condition of the health of the Christian, however. Fasting is
not for the sake of fasting alone:
"Fasting was devised in order to humble the body. If,
therefore, the body is already in a state of humbleness and
illness or weakness, the person ought to partake of as much
as he or she may wish and be able to get along with food and
drink" (Canon 8 of St. Timothy of Alexandria, 381).
THE MEANING OF THE FEAST DAYS OF LENT
Great Lent is a period of time when the
people are more conscious of their spiritual character. The
passages of the Gospels and the Epistles, the hymnology and
prayers, the spirit of the Church - all endeavor to help the
Christian cleanse himself spiritually through repentance.
"Repent" is the first word Jesus Christ spoke in His
proclamation to the people, as the epitome of His Gospel.
Repentance is the main motivation of the Christian which acts to
free him from sin. One's recognition of his sin, his contrition
over it and lastly his decision to make an about-face change of
his attitude are the steps of repentance. For one can learn to
recognize iniquities from the Bible and the teachings of the
Church. During the period of Lent the Christian is called to
self-examination and self-control by the radiance of the Event
of the Resurrection of Christ. This is why the Church designated
such a period of time be observed before this great feast day.
Fasting in its religious setting is
abstinence from food, always in relation to a religious event or
feast. Fasting in itself has no meaning in the Christian Church,
but has a role the attainment of Christian virtues. It is not to
be accepted as a mere custom without a spiritual purpose.
Fasting is understood as a means of temperance and sobriety,
especially in relation to prayer, devotion and purity. It is
also understood to be related to giving alms to the poor. The
roots of fasting in the Christian Church are to be found in the
Old Testament and the Jewish religion, both for certain days and
certain foods. As a general rule, fasting precedes a religious
feast. Many verses in the Old Testament refer to this:
"Thus says the Lord of Hosts: the fast of the fourth
month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the
seventh and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of
Judah seasons of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts;
therefore, love, truth and peace", Zechariah 8:18-19.
In continuation of the practice of
fasting, the Christian Church determined the period of Lent to
depend upon the great Feast of Easter, as set forth by the First
Ecumenical Synod in 325. The Church determined the day on which
the Resurrection of Christ would be celebrated, according to the
conditions that existed at the time of this Event. Thus, the
Synod set forth that the great Feast of Easter would be
celebrated on: the first Sunday, after the full moon, after the
Spring Equinox (March 21), and always after the Jewish Passover.
Thus, this great Feast is a moveable date in the calendar.
Therefore, Great Lent, which depends upon the date of Easter,
also is moveable, each year being celebrated on a different
date, (Sunday), depending on the above conditions.
The four weeks which precede Great Lent
are considered preparatory, a forerunner to Lent. These four
weeks, along with the eight weeks of Lent, are characterized by
the Church as Triodion, meaning "thrice-hymns", a name
which has no bearing on the substance of Lent itself:
- The four weeks preceding Lent are known as:
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- Sunday of the Tax Collector and Pharisee (from the
Parable),
- Sunday of the Prodigal Son (from the Parable),
- Sunday of Meat (the Final Judgment),
- Sunday of Cheese (Adam's expulsion from Paradise);
- The eight weeks of the Great Lent are:
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- First Sunday (Sunday of Orthodoxy),
- Second Sunday (St. Gregory Palamas),
- Third Sunday (Adoration of Cross),
- Fourth Sunday (St. John of Climax),
- Fifth Sunday (St. Mary of Egypt),
- Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.
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