Lenten supper

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Lenten suppers often consist of a vegetarian soup, bread and water in order to maintain the season's focus on abstinence, sacrifice and simplicity.

A Lenten supper is a meal that takes place in the evenings to break the day's fast during the Christian liturgical season of Lent, which is widely observed by members of the Catholic, Lutheran, Moravian, Anglican, Methodist, Reformed and United Protestant traditions.[1][2] Lenten suppers occur daily from Mondays through Saturdays at sunset during the Lenten season in the context of Christian family life (if that family is observing all forty days of Lent through fasting); in a communal context, they are often held on Wednesdays (though they can be held any day[s] on Monday through Saturday) on which Christians of various denominations often attend a service of worship and then break that day's Lenten fast together through a community Lenten supper (the traditional Black Fast of Lent is kept by not eating during the day and then breaking the fast after sunset).[A][1][4][5] Lenten suppers are often held in the church's parish hall in the public setting and in the context of a family meal in the home setting.[6] A Mealtime Prayer is always offered before Christians partake in the Lenten supper. When they are held on Fridays, often following the Stations of the Cross devotion, they often take the form of a fish fry given that many Christians (especially Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists and Anglicans) practice abstinence from meat on Fridays.[7][8] Given the Lenten focus on sacrifice, abstinence and plainness, Lenten suppers are simple, having foods like vegetarian soup (such as carrot soup), bread and water, with no desserts (as many people practice vegetarianism and teetotalism as a Lenten sacrifice).[1] A basket for alms is often kept in the parish hall and Christians who are participating in the Lenten supper contribute to it; these alms are then given to the poor, as almsgiving is one of the three pillars of Lent.[1] In some communities, Lenten suppers are an expression of Christian ecumenism, with Wednesday Lenten services and Lenten suppers being held at a different denomination's local church each week of Lent (e.g. Catholic, Moravian, Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist and Reformed).[1] Christians have also invited non-Christians to Lenten suppers to allow them to learn more about Christianity and to build bridges with other faith communities.[2]

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Notes[]

  1. ^ Christians do not fast on the first day of the week, the Lord's Day (Sunday), because this day honours the resurrection of Jesus.[3]

Citations[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Falardeau, Ernest R. (2000). That All May be One: Catholic Reflections on Christian Unity. Paulist Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-8091-3925-5.
  2. ^ a b "Muslims and Christians share evening meal to break the Christian Lenten fast: Muslim leaders welcome Christian delegation to Pakistan's most important Mosque". Agenzia Fides. 16 March 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  3. ^ Kosloski, Philip (25 February 2017). "In Lent, do we fast or feast on Sundays?". Aleteia. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  4. ^ "The Lighthouse" (PDF). Christ the Savior Orthodox Church. 2018. p. 3.
  5. ^ Guéranger, Prosper; Fromage, Lucien (1912). The Liturgical Year: Lent. Burns, Oates & Washbourne. p. 8. St. Benedict's rule prescribed a great many fasts, over and above the ecclesiastical fast of Lent; but it made this great distinction between the two: that whilst Lent obliged the monks, as well as the rest of the faithful, to abstain from food till sunset, these monastic fasts allowed the repast to be taken at the hour of None.
  6. ^ "Stations of the Cross & Lenten Supper". Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Hope Lutheran to host fish fries every Friday during Lent". Winona Post. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Parishes to host Lenten missions, fish fries, Living Stations". Arkansas Catholic. 25 February 2006. Retrieved 17 February 2021. Stations of the Cross followed by Lenten supper Fridays during Lent at 6 p.m.
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