forth by the General Convention of 1883, being a
revision of the old Lectionary which had been in use since 1789, the
time of the first {167} setting forth of the American Prayer Book.
(See LESSONS; also SCRIPTURES IN PRAYER BOOK.)

Lent, The Season of.--The word "Lent" has no special significance
save only as it designates the time of the Fast before Easter. The
word is derived from the Anglo-Saxon _lencten_, meaning the spring
season. From this we learn that the _Lenten Fast_ means simply the
Fast that comes in the spring of the year. It was appointed at this
time for the reason that our Lord's Passion and Death occurred at
this time of the year and these devotions of the faithful grouped
themselves around that sad hour on Calvary. At first, the Fast may
not have extended over the Paschal Week, but it was arranged at a
very early period to cover the forty days preceding Easter. Beginning
with Ash Wednesday the Lenten Season really covers a period of
forty-six days, but as Sunday has always been regarded as a Feast,
these six Sundays are not counted as belonging to the Fast. (See
LENT, SUNDAYS in.) There can be no great difficulty in assigning a
reason for this solemnity to be kept for forty days. For many
reasons "Forty" is a Scriptural number. _Forty_ years the children of
Israel were under discipline in their pilgrimage in the wilderness.
Moses fasted _forty_ days in the mount. Elijah was _forty_ days in
the wilderness. _Forty_ days did the Ninevites fast and repent them
of their sins to avert the judgments foretold by the prophet Jonah.
And _forty_ days did our Lord fast in the wilderness when about to
enter upon His public ministry. From these references we learn that
it is both Scriptural and helpful that this Season of Penitence
should be prolonged for us, that bearing {168} in mind these
incidents of "forty years" and "forty days" of devotion and
discipline which characterized the history of God's people, and
also our Lord's example, we may be like minded in prayer, in
discipline and in turning to God. The devotions of the Lenten Fast
are intimately connected with Easter which it precedes and are
intended to prepare the mind and heart for the devout celebration
of the "Queen of Festivals" and for the Easter Communion. Lent being
a penitential season the ecclesiastical color is purple or violet.
The _Benedicite_ takes the place of the _Te Deum_ and the Ash
Wednesday Collect is used every day throughout the Sea