Sundays are not part of Lent?

[Elzee]

A friend of mine said her uncle was taught in the seminary that Sundays are not technically part of Lent, and therefore whatever you ‘gave up’ for Lent doesn’t apply on Sundays.

My child was also told this at school the other day by his teacher.

I thought there was a thread on this once but can’t seem to find it.

Does anyone know anything about this? The explanation given is if you omit the Sundays from Lent that gives you 40 days. But, giving up something knowing that it’s only going to be a week before you can have it doesn’t seem like much of a sacrificee. Are there any church documents that address this?

 

[Kielbasi]

In counting the 40 days of lent, Sundays are not counted.

But as far giving up things for Lent, nothing specific is required, and you’re free to make your own rules as to whether or not you’re going to do it on Sundays or not.

Use your own judgement on this kind of matter, if you’re giving up fresh fruits and vegetables for Lent, you might want to take a break on Sunday to maintain some nutritional level.

On the other hand, if you’re giving up cigarettes, you are definitely better off to go straight through to Easter without firing up.

 

[BillyT92679]

Sunday is part of Lent liturgically… purple vestments, no Gloria… but it is also a Solemnity (all Sundays are) and as such, is not part of Lent proper. I’ve felt a good way to always remember the Resurrection is celebrate on that day. I give up meat on Wednesdays since I already don’t eat meat on all Fridays of the year.

Also, any Solemnity that falls during Lent is not a day of Penance. The Annuciation falls on a Saturday and that is a Solemnity.

 

[puzzleannie]

Elzee:

A friend of mine said her uncle was taught in the seminary that Sundays are not technically part of Lent, and therefore whatever you ‘gave up’ for Lent doesn’t apply on Sundays.

My child was also told this at school the other day by his teacher.

I ?

that is correct for the reason see last Sunday’s gospel, we do not fast while the bridegroom is present. Every Sunday is a celebration of the Resurrection, so Sundays are not part of Lent and fast and abstinence do not apply. they are “little Easters”.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

I was also taught more according to the “Sunday’s don’t count” school, but I was interested to find that prior to the Middle Ages, even Sundays of Lent were days of abstinence - so they weren’t part of the Lentent fast but were still days with some sort of ascetic practice.

“From what has been said it will be clear that in the early Middle Ages Lent throughout the greater part of the Western Church consisted of forty weekdays, which were all fast days, and six Sundays. From the beginning to the end of that time all flesh meat, and also, for the most part, “lacticinia”, were forbidden even on Sundays, while on all the fasting days only one meal was taken, which single meal was not permitted before evening.”
newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm

 

[jimmy]

Elzee:

A friend of mine said her uncle was taught in the seminary that Sundays are not technically part of Lent, and therefore whatever you ‘gave up’ for Lent doesn’t apply on Sundays.

My child was also told this at school the other day by his teacher.

I thought there was a thread on this once but can’t seem to find it.

Does anyone know anything about this? The explanation given is if you omit the Sundays from Lent that gives you 40 days. But, giving up something knowing that it’s only going to be a week before you can have it doesn’t seem like much of a sacrificee. Are there any church documents that address this?

Sundays are not counted in fasting because it is a day of celebration. You are not meant to fast on this day because it is the day of the ressurection. All other days of the week are fast days.

If you are an eastern Catholic this is not the case though. They fast on Sunday just like on other days.

 

[Chatter163]

As for Sundays, it is true that being the Lord’s Day, there is properly no fasting, ever. However, “giving up” is not fasting (which is not eating as a whole), and while Sundays are indeed the feast day of the Lord, I have found that still partaking of the item each Sunday in Lent tends to diminish the sacrifice involved. http://www.paulding.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif I may reallllllly want that chocolate cake, but if I know I can have some within a few days, it is not the same as waiting until Easter! The spirit of the Lenten season, to me, seems to lie in waiting until the Easter joy comes. It is like the “A-word,” which we do not utter from Ash Wedensday until Easter, at which time we use it frequently. It sounds even more joyful then. http://www.paulding.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif

 

[BillyT92679]

Chatter163:

As for Sundays, it is true that being the Lord’s Day, there is properly no fasting, ever. However, “giving up” is not fasting (which is not eating as a whole), and while Sundays are indeed the feast day of the Lord, I have found that still partaking of the item each Sunday in Lent tends to diminish the sacrifice involved. http://www.paulding.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif I may reallllllly want that chocolate cake, but if I know I can have some within a few days, it is not the same as waiting until Easter! The spirit of the Lenten season, to me, seems to lie in waiting until the Easter joy comes. It is like the “A-word,” which we do not utter from Ash Wedensday until Easter, at which time we use it frequently. It sounds even more joyful then. http://www.paulding.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif

I understand where you’re coming from, and it is fine for you, but I tend to think of the significance of the Lord’s Day in terms of a day to remember the great gifts that Our Lord bestowed on us, so any kind of sacrifice then seems inappropriate for me. But a true feast should be held off until Easter, the Alleluia and the Gloria are representative of those Sunday feasts.