Wielki Post drogą do Paschy Chrystusa i Kościoła

Abstract

The Lent has a close historical relation with the annual Christ’s Pasch. The first stage of formation of the Lent was the introduction of Triduum Sacrum. On Good Friday and Holy Saturday fast was observed, and it was defined as Paschal fast, which was next extended to the whole week. In Rome, at the break of the 3rd Century, the time of preparation for the celebration of Pascha was extended to three weeks, and in the middle of the 4th Century – after the example of the East – to as much as 40 days. At the beginning of the 6th Century in the East fast-days were counted omitting Saturdays and Sundays, which resulted in the beginning of the Lent falling on Wednesday, and with time, in establishing Ash Wednesday. The evangelical pericope of the Ist Sunday of the Lent shows temptation of Jesus in the desert. Reminding Jesus’ struggle against evil in the last weeks before Passion is the crowning of Jesus’ whole fife and public activities. The meaning of these events is also enriched by the symbolism of the Old Testament connected with tempting the first man by Satan. From the very beginning the Lent, independent of the various penitcntial practices, was connected with Christ’s Paschal Mystery, that is made manifest especially by sanctifying Sunday that is first of all a sign of Christ’s Resurrection. Besides stressing the Paschal character of Sunday the Church pays attention to the meaning of the Mystery of Pasch in a Christian’s whole fife. It does so, among others, by referring to the sacrament of baptism during the Lent. Since the apostolic times people prepared to receiving baptism during the Lent. The connection between the Lent and the sacrament of baptism was always present in the Church’s awareness, whose expression was a three-day fast, still practiced in Poland in the Middle Ages. Experiencing the Lent was connected with penance. In the 7th Century Ash Wednesday was the day when public penance was imposed. It was also in that period that analogy was seen between the practice of turning public sinners out of the church and turning the first people out of Paradise. The difference was that the practice concerning sinners was connected with blessing and putting hands. A special sign beginning the Lent is connected with the Lent penance, and that is the rite of putting ash on people’s heads. The rite has been practiced since the 10th Century. In the symbolism of this rite also the Paschal accent can be seen. The ash comes from the burned palms of Palm Sunday, declaring that Paschal events are approaching. Also consecration of palms belongs to Paschal accents in celebrating the Lent. The rite acquires a special meaning just before the celebration of Pasch, announcing Christ’s triumph in Résurrection. In the tradition of the Polish Lent stress has been put on the elements of Christ’s Passion and on penance. The faithful gather at evening Sunday services to sing the Lenten psalms that are similar in their inner structure to other Lenten songs. The Way of the Cross celebrated during the week has a similar meaning. Cohesion of the mystery of the Lent and the Paschal Triduum can be noticed, as well as the unity of Christ’s Passion and the Church. The Lent acquires its meaning in the light of Jesus Christ’s Paschal Mystery, in which the whole Church wholly participâtes. The faithful take part in this union of experiencing the mysteries of Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. The Lenten practices allow the faithful to follow the Christian, evangelical way of the Church towards the Paschal events that are realized in the Church’s liturgy.