FASTS

temporary abstentions from food, especially on religious grounds. Abstinence from food, accompanied by signs of humiliation and repentance or grief, is to be found more or le in almost all religions. Among the Jews fasts were numerous, and we find many instances of eecasional fasting in the Old Testament. Hero dot us says that the Egyptians prepared themselves by fasting for the celebration of the great festival of Isis. So in the Thesmoaphoria at Athens, and in the rites ef Ceres at Rome, it was practised. ‘Vhe Church of Rome distinguishes between days of fasting and of abstinence. The former are: (1) the forty days of Lent; (2) the Ember days, being the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of the first week in Lent, of Whitsun week, of the third week in September, and of the third week in Advent; (3) the Wednesdays and Thursdays of the four weeks in Advent (4) the vigils or eves of Whit sun tide, of the feasts of St. Peter and St. Paul, of the A umption of the Virgin, of All Saints, and of Christmas Day. When any fasting day falls upon Sunday, it is observed on the Saturday before. The Greek Church observes four principal fasts: that of Lent, ene beginning in the week after. Whit sun tide, one for a fortnight before the A umption, one forty days before Christmas. In the East, however, the striet idea of a fast is more preserved than in the West. The Church of England appoints the following fixed days for fasting and abstinence, between which no difference is made: (1) the forty days of Lent; (2) the Ember days at the four seasons; (3) the three Rogation days before Holy Thursday; (4) every Friday except Christmas Day. ‘The Chureh, however, gives no direetions concerning fasting.-—BIBLIOGRAPHY: L. Duchesne, Christian Worship: J. Dowden, Fhe Church Year and Kalendar; article fasting in Hastings’ Hncyclopadia of Hthics and Religion.