Lent ends when?

[cjsmith]

Roman Catholic Lent, let's say, to simplify the question a bit. I have heard that it is supposed to be "forty days not counting the Sundays", which could mean skipping the Sundays and making the rest total forty or skipping the Sundays within a grand total of forty.

- Several sources claim Lent ends with the evening prayers on Maundy Thursday. (This year, the 13th April.) I've seen this a few places.
- I found one claiming it ends on Good Friday. (This year, the 14th April.)
- Some claim it ends on midnight the day before Easter. (This year, the 15th April.)
- Somewhere I thought I read it ended on the 8th this year, which is pretty clearly too short. You can't get forty out of that.
- Skipping the Sundays within a grand total of forty would have it end on the 10th, which I have seen nowhere.
- "Skipping the Sundays and making the rest total forty" would agree with an ending of April 15, unless the Triduum also doesn't count in which case it'd be the 13th but then NOTHING gives a total of forty. And forty seemed to be pretty majorly symbolic.

My confusion is almost certainly due to the variations in Lent in the various denominations. Web sites don't often say whom they represent; they say only "This Is The One True Answer".

So, LJ-friends, help? Roman Catholic Lent.

Comments

[ericainohio.livejournal.com]

Well, the Catholic convert will give it a shot.

The 40 days can be counted in one of two ways:

1.) It counts all the days *except the Sundays* before Easter. You count Ash Wednesday as the first day, and then count all the way to Holy Saturday, omitting the Sundays.

The Sundays during Lent are omitted because that is the day that Christ was resurrected. Thus, it was considered improper to continue with the Lenten fasting and penance and mourning and all that on Sunday. Sundays are celebratory. If you've given up something for Lent, it used to be tradition that you're 'allowed' to have it on Sundays in Lent.

2.) Count from the first Sunday in Lent through to Holy Thursday. The days between Ash Wednesday and the first Sunday in Lent are considered 'preparatory' days and are not counted in the 40. The Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the Triduum are a separate season and not counted.

#2 is probably closer to what was intended with Vatican II. I believe this is what the Church is teaching now.

I was taught, 4 years ago when I went through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, that the Triduum is a *separate season*, the shortest season on the liturgical calendar. So the #2 explanation is apparently the modern interpretation, made that way by Vatican II.

Make any sense?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

At least part of #2 is what I have seen also, the Triduum being separated off. The reference I found also linked this to Vatican II. The preparatory days weren't mentioned though...

Wow, I'm confused! :-)

[ericainohio.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I would say that a lot of Catholics are too. Heh. I think part of the problem is that there was a set of traditions in the Church, dating back hundreds and hundreds of years in some cases. Vatican II abolished some of those traditions and sought to bring the Church back to a lot of the "original" teachings.

But people don't give up their traditions easily, and there are still plenty of Catholics who don't know any of what I outlined in the #2 explanation.

I only know this stuff because I had to learn it just 4 years ago. Now, ask me in 20 years, and I won't have any clue.

Oh, and the 'preparatory days' are sometimes designated in missals and such as 'Thursday After Ash Wednesday, Friday After Ash Wednesday, etc.' That way it's worded so that people know it's not regarded as part of Lent. Or at least that's what's supposed to happen. LOL!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

No wonder there's confusion even about the Roman Catholic version. There's been more than one!

After something gets changed like that, who gets the word out to all the practicing Catholics? Does it go down the chain of command in a linear fashion until the priests make sure the congregation knows?