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How did Ash Wednesday come about, the whole Ashes-on-the-forehead thing, and is this done in Eastern Rite Churches at all? Why is the celebration on Forgiveness Sunday (I'm not sure if that is the proper name for it) in the Eastern Rites. Which is more ancient? How did it all evolve? Any Church historians out there? Thanks for educating a Latin, wannabe Byzantine.

I won't give you the historical development, but I can give you the Scriptual understanding behind the practice of Ash Wednesday in the West and the Forgiveness Service as celebrated among the Byzantine Churches. I'm not familiar with the practices of other Eastern Christians to mark the beginning of the Great Fast/Lent.

In the Old Testament we read of ashes signifying repentance, usually accompanied by the wearing of sackcloth (Jonah 3:38). In the prophecy of Joel, the repentance of Nineveh was marked by a forty day fast and the wearing of sackcloth and ashes. Our Lord also makes reference to sackcloth and ashes as a sign of repentance in his complaint against Chorazin and Bethsaida (Matthew 11:20-21).

As to the Byzantine practice, we mark the beginning of the Great Fast by following the instruction given in the Gospel lesson for Cheesefare Sunday (Matthew 6:14-21). First, the Lord directs us to share forgivness with one another. This is followed by the directive on the outward appearance (or rather the lack thereof) of one who fasts. "But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret." During the Rite of Forgiveness, we mutually share God's forgivness, which is followed by the priest's anointing with the oil of gladness, reinforcing the Lord's directive not to look "gloomy like the hypocrites." Since we begin the Great Fast on the Monday following Cheesefare Sunday, the service of forgiveness would traditionally be celebrated immediately after Vespers on Sunday evening. Due to pastoral situations, some celebrate the service immediately following Sunday's Divine Liturgy.

The ashes and the forgiveness of one another are highly appropriate and beautiful means for the start of this season of fast. I wonder how the separation on the calendar between Wednesday and Sunday came about?

I was just rereading Fr. Schememann's The Great Lent book this week. Either within the book proper or in the footnotes there is a good short discussion concerning how the different churches came to calculate the forty days of the Great Fast. The bottom line is there was never a uniform day for the start of Lent (Latin Wednesday vs. Byzantine Monday, etc.) once forty days became the ideal. There was always a "separation."

Forgiveness Vespers starts the Great Fast but in the Byzantine Tradition every liturgical day starts with Vespers the preceding evening, not just Sundays and Solemnities as in the Latin tradition. So Sunday night is liturgically Monday, in this case Pure or Clean Monday which is the first day of the Great Fast for Byzantines.

The difference in staring on Monday vs Wednesday is due to the way the 40 days are counted. In the Latin Tradtion from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday is 46 days. Subtract 6 days for the 6 Sundays becuse Sunday is never a stirct fasting day in the Latin Church and you have 40 fastings days.

In the Byzantine Tradition there are two different explanations one goes: from Monday of Meatfare to Lazarus Saturday you have 55 days. Subtract 15 days for the Saturadys and Sundays that fall between and you have 40 days. Saturday and Sunday are not strict fasting dasy in the Byzantine tradition. While technically Meatfare and Cheesefare week are not part of the Great Fast they are fasting days. Holy Week, while a week of fasting is a special period unto itself and outside of the Great Fast proper.

The other goes: From on Pure Monday to the Lazarus Saturday (Sat before Palm Sunday) you have 41 days. Even though the fast is relaxed to allow oil and wine on Saturday and Sunday abstinence from flesh is still there so the days count. Subtract 1 day for the Annunciation on which Fish is allowed and you have 40 days.

Fr. Deacon Lance

In the Maronite tradition Great Lent starts on "Ash Monday." They mix water and ashes and actually "paint" the cross on your forehead. I had the opportunity a couple of years ago to celebrate Ash Monday with the Maronite Patriarch during a visit to our local Maronite parish.

Edward, deacon and sinner