Notes on the Calendar

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 30, Issue 12, 1 February 1940, Page 2

Notes on the Calendar

The Purification, also called the Presentation of Christ m the Temple, is our yearly remembrance of the visit of the baby Christ to the Temple, narrated m St. Luke chapter 11. An old name for the day is Candlemas Day. It is an ancient custom to decorate the Church with candles on that day, to commemorate the Light to lighten the Gentiles. Saturday, 24th, is kept m memory of St. Matthias, who took the place of the traitor m the ranks of the Apostles. But the most important date m this month's calendar is the beginning of

Lent on Ash Wednesday. This has a very long history, and, it is to be feared, is very seldom observed as the Prayer Book directs, with forty days of fastings. By the way, the six Sundays m Lent are not days of fasting. That makes forty-six days from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The observance seems to have begun m the very earliest times with a very strict fast from the beginning of Good Friday up to the hours of the Resurrection. To that was added a period of fortydays m fuller preparation for the Easter Festival. These forty dayshave naturally called to mind our Lord's fast of forty days m the wilderness. See the Collect and Gospel for the first Sunday m Lent. In these days of slackness and general neglect of the obligations of religion, what is good practical advice about the observance of Lent? There is no space here to give a full answer to that question, but a few very simple suggestions: (1) Do without something you really like, and spend the money so saved m a more unselfish way; (2) take the trouble (it will need pains) to improve your own prayers both m quality and m quantity; (3) try to understand your religion better. Very few people do understand the ways and teachings of their Church. Your Vicar will be delighted to lend or recommend you books.