Lent started today.
It may have been addressed on other boards, but I've always found the tradition of lent to be interesting...particularly as it pertains to the fact that the LDS church doesn't practice it. I did some sleuthing on a very reliable site (Wikipedia) and here are some of the more interesting facts I found:
So, one thing jumped out at me that I didn't know. The first was that the 6 Sundays leading up to Easter are mini Easters. Now, I'm not sure if that means that whatever people are giving up for Lent is allowed or not, it doesn't make that clear, but I thought that was interesting nonetheless.
I'm interested to hear some of our historians on the board discuss a little about why it is that the LDS church does not practice Lent. I know that some of the same methods or motivations are a part of our fast-Sunday practices, but certainly not all. I would really prefer this not to be an "air your grievances" thread. I'm genuinely interested in how this has evolved over the years outside of the LDS church, and why it was never included as part of our practices.
TIA!
It may have been addressed on other boards, but I've always found the tradition of lent to be interesting...particularly as it pertains to the fact that the LDS church doesn't practice it. I did some sleuthing on a very reliable site (Wikipedia) and here are some of the more interesting facts I found:
Lent in the Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. Lent is a time of sacrifice for Jesus. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Conventionally, it is described as being forty days long, though different denominations calculate the forty days differently. The forty days represent the time that, according to the Bible, Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan.
Conventionally, it is described as being forty days long, though different denominations calculate the forty days differently. The forty days represent the time that, according to the Bible, Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan.
Most followers of Western Christianity observe Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding on Holy Saturday. The six Sundays in this period are not counted because each one represents a "mini-Easter," a celebration of Jesus' victory over sin and death. One notable exception is the Archdiocese of Milan which follows the Ambrosian Rite and observes Lent starting on the Sunday, 6 weeks before Easter.
There are traditionally forty days in Lent which are marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigor during Lent are prayer (justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and almsgiving (justice towards neighbor). Today, some people give up a vice of theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give the time or money spent doing that to charitable purposes or organizations.
Traditionally, on Easter Sunday, Roman Catholics may cease their fasting and start again whatever they gave up for Lent, after they attend Mass on Easter Sunday. Orthodox Christians break their fast after the Paschal Vigil (a service which starts around 11:00 pm on Holy Saturday), which includes the Paschal celebration of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. At the end of the service, the priest will bless eggs, cheese, flesh meats and other items that the faithful have been abstaining from for the duration of Great Lent.
Lenten practices (as well as various other liturgical practices) are more common in Protestant circles than they once were. Many modern Protestants consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation. They may decide to give up a favorite food or drink (e.g. chocolate, alcohol) or activity (e.g., going to the movies, playing video games, etc.) for Lent, or they may instead take on a Lenten discipline such as devotions, volunteering for charity work, and so on.
Lenten practices (as well as various other liturgical practices) are more common in Protestant circles than they once were. Many modern Protestants consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation. They may decide to give up a favorite food or drink (e.g. chocolate, alcohol) or activity (e.g., going to the movies, playing video games, etc.) for Lent, or they may instead take on a Lenten discipline such as devotions, volunteering for charity work, and so on.
So, one thing jumped out at me that I didn't know. The first was that the 6 Sundays leading up to Easter are mini Easters. Now, I'm not sure if that means that whatever people are giving up for Lent is allowed or not, it doesn't make that clear, but I thought that was interesting nonetheless.
I'm interested to hear some of our historians on the board discuss a little about why it is that the LDS church does not practice Lent. I know that some of the same methods or motivations are a part of our fast-Sunday practices, but certainly not all. I would really prefer this not to be an "air your grievances" thread. I'm genuinely interested in how this has evolved over the years outside of the LDS church, and why it was never included as part of our practices.
TIA!
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