Those observing the Christian calendar will be entering into the season of Lent. The word lent comes from the German verbiage, lenctentid which means the time of lengthening, flowering, or Spring.
During this holy observance, as with many Christian dogmas and natural laws, we see the power of the Wisdom of Three at work. Christians are asked to follow the Three Lenten Principles
- Prayer
- Fasting
- Almsgiving
In today’s fast paced, self-focused, modern society, people find it harder than it used to be to tie all three of these together but that is exactly what we are called to do and after reading this you might find it a bit easier.
In years past, when people fasted, the uneaten food was given to the poor as almsgiving. In addition, to being the right thing to do, it made perfect sense considering there were very limited ways in which food could be preserved for long periods of time. With all the modern conveniences we do not have to worry as much about food going to waste. Yet, for many, it is not a popular consideration to distribute our leftovers to those less fortunate.
Always eager to learn something new, I uncovered what I believe to be a very interesting fact that I would like to share with you. Many years ago, German monks made their own special Lenten food which allowed them to follow fully the Three Lenten Principles. Thanks to these creative holy men, we now enjoy these treats year-round, and thanks to the Wisdom of Three we can share in their practice and apply the lessons they signify.
In the early church, during the Lenten season, people refrained from meat, eggs, milk, butter, and cheese as a way of giving those foods to the poor who struggled to even taste those staples more than once a year. In the early 600s, these faithful monks, adhering to a strict fast; created soft bread out of flour, water and salt and shaped it into crossed arms resembling a prayerful stance. These small snack sized breads were called bracellae, a Latin word meaning “little arms”. The German villagers translated this to what we know today as a pretzel.
So now whenever you see a pretzel, you will be mindful of the Three Lenten Principles, taught to you by long forgotten Solutionary monks:
The crossed arms of prayer provided through this meager snack, formed for fasting, allows us to give our more indulgent foods as alms to those in need.
Anthony “Tony” Boquet, Author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”.
www.modernsolutionary.com