Traditional Books of Common Prayer preserve the long-standing custom of a pre-Lenten season. From the sixth century until the 1960's, calendars in the Western Church called the third Sunday before Lent "Septuagesima," the Latin for "seventy." Although other possible interpretations have been offered, the names of this Sunday and the following two seem to be based on a rough approximation of the number of days before Easter. Septuagesima is actually 63 days before Easter, Sexagesima (Latin "sixty") is 56 days before Easter and Quinquagesima (Latin "fifty") is 49 days before Easter.
Two factors may have been involved in establishing the pre-Lenten season: 1) the need for special supplications during Lombard invasions of Italy and natural disasters of the sixth century, and 2) the fact that the Eastern Orthodox had a longer season of Lent. In any case, we might call these Sundays "semi-penitential." They are not quite like Lent, but traditionally they have used somber-colored vestments and have omitted certain joyful praises such as the GLORIA IN EXCELSIS. In such ways, worshippers are reminded of a shift in emphasis, of a transition from the glorious celebrations of Christmas and Epiphany to serious reflections during Lent.
Fr Dennis,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanation of these names. I had noticed them in the historical prayerbooks, but lacking in the newer. We're stuck in Greensboro at the moment due to snow and ice. I'm sure you guys have some down there! We'll see you sometime in the near future!