Lent
"The springtime of the Fast has dawned, the flower of repentance has begun to open."[1]
How many days in Lent?
"Jesus' temptation reveals the way in which the Son of God is Messiah, contrary to the way Satan proposes to him and the way men wish to attribute to him. This is why Christ vanquished the Tempter for us: '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.' By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert" (CCC, 540).
There are several different ways to count 40 days. In this table, I skip the Sundays during Lent on the theory that "every Sunday is a little Easter." The period from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (inclusive) then numbers 40 days.
| Sun | 1st Sunday | 2nd Sunday | 3rd Sunday | Laetare Sunday | 5th Sunday | Palm / Passion Sunday | Easter | |
| Mon | 5 | 11 | 17 | 23 | 29 | 35 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 | 36 | ||
| Wed | Ash Wed 1 | 7 | 13 | 19 | 25 | 31 | 37 | |
| Thu | 2 | 8 | 14 | 20 | 26 | 32 | Holy Thursday 38 | |
| Fri | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 27 | 33 | Good Friday 39 | |
| Sat | 4 | 10 | 16 | 22 | 28 | 34 | Holy Saturday 40 |
| Sun | 1st Sunday | 2nd Sunday | 3rd Sunday | Laetare Sunday | 5th Sunday | Palm / Passion Sunday | Easter | |
| Mon | Clean Monday 1 | 7 | 13 | 19 | 25 | 31 | 37 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 2 | 8 | 14 | 20 | 26 | 32 | 38 | |
| Wed | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 27 | 33 | 39 | |
| Thu | 4 | 10 | 16 | 22 | 28 | 34 | Holy Thursday 40 | |
| Fri | 5 | 11 | 17 | 23 | 29 | 35 | Good Friday | |
| Sat | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 | 36 | Holy Saturday |
References
- ↑ Aposticha, Vespers on Wednesday of Cheesefare Week. The Lenten Triodion:Supplementary Texts. Tr. Mother Mary and Archimandrite Kallistos Ware (Monastery of the Veil, Bussy-en-Othe, France, 1979), p. 25.
Fast and abstinence
"Fasting as explained by the U.S. bishops means partaking of only one full meal. Some food (not equaling another full meal) is permitted at breakfast and around midday or in the evening—depending on when a person chooses to eat the main or full meal.
"Abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs, milk products or condiments made of animal fat.
"Abstinence does not include meat juices and liquid foods made from meat. Thus, such foods as chicken broth, consomme, soups cooked or flavored with meat, meat gravies or sauces, as well as seasonings or condiments made from animal fat are not forbidden. So it is permissible to use margarine and lard. Even bacon drippings which contain little bits of meat may be poured over lettuce as seasoning" (Catholic).