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orthodoxadventure · 6 months

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The next Sunday is called "Meat-Fare" because during the week following it a limited fasting -- abstention from meat -- is prescribed by the Church. This prescription is to be understood in the light of what has been said about the meaning of preparation. The church begins now to "adjust" us to the great effort which she will expect from us seven days later. She gradually takes us into that effort -- knowing our frailty, foreseeing our spiritual weakness.

On the eve of that day (Meat-Fare Saturday), the Church invites us to a universal commemoration of all those who have "fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection and life eternal." This is indeed the Church's great day of prayer for her departed members. To understand the meaning of the connection between Lent and the prayer for the dead, one must remember that Christianity is the religion of love. Christ left with his disciples not a doctrine of individual salvation but a new commandment "that they love one another," and He added: "By this shall all know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Love is thus the foundation, the very life of the Church which is, in the words of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, the "unity of faith and love." Sin is always absence of love, and therefore separation, isolation, war of all against all. The new life given by Christ and conveyed to us by the Church is, first of all, a life of reconciliation, of "gathering into oneness of those who were dispersed," the restoration of love broken by sin. But how can we even begin our return to God and our reconciliation with Him if in ourselves we do not return to the unique new commandment of love? Praying for the dead is an essential expression of the Church as love. We ask God to remember those whom we remember and we remember them because we love them. Praying for them we meet them in Christ who is Love and who, because He is Love, overcomes death which is the ultimate victory of separation and lovelessness. In Christ there is no difference between living and dead because all are alive to Him. He is the life and the Life is the light of man. Loving Christ, we love all those who are in Him; loving those who are in Him, we love Christ: this is the law of the Church and the obvious rationale for her of prayer for the dead. It is truly our love in Christ that keeps them alive because it keeps them "in Christ," and how wrong, how hopelessly wrong, are those Western Christians who either reduce prayer for the dead to a juridical doctrine of "merits" and "compensations" or simply reject it as useless. The great Vigil for the Dead of Meatfare Saturday serves as a pattern for all other commemorations of the departed and it is repeated on the second, third, and fourth Saturdays of Lent.

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It is love again that constitutes the theme of "Meat-Fare Sunday." The Gospel lesson for the day is Christ's parable of the Last Judgement (Matt. 25:31-46). When Christ comes to judge us, what will be the criterion of His judgement? The parable answers: love -- not a mere humanitarian concern for abstract justice and the anonymous "poor," but concrete and personal love for the human person, any human person, that God makes me encounter in my life. This distinction is important because today more and more Christians tend to identify Christian love with political, economic, and social concerns; in other words, they shift from the unique person and its unique personal destiny, to anonymous entities such as "class," "race," etc. Not that these concerns are wrong. It is obvious that in their respective walks of life, in their responsibilities as citizens, professional men, etc., Christians are called to care, to the best of their possibilities and understanding, for a just, equal, and in general more humane society. All this, to be sure, stems from Christianity and may be inspired by Christian love. But Christian love as such is something different, and this difference is to be understood and maintained if the Church is to preserve her unique mission and not become a mere "social agency," which definitely she is not.

Christian love is the "possible impossibility" to see Christ in another man, whoever he is, and whom God, in His eternal and mysterious plan, has decided to introduce into my life, be it only for a few moments, not as an occasion for a "good deed" or an exercise in philanthropy, but as the beginning of an eternal companionship in God Himself. For, indeed, what is love if not that mysterious power which transcends the accidental and the external in the "other" -- his physical appearance, social rank, ethnic origin, intellectual capacity -- and reaches the soul, the unique and uniquely personal "root" of a human being, truly the part of God in him? If God loves every man it is because He alone knows the priceless and absolutely unique treasure, the "soul" or "person" He gave every man. Christian love then is the participation in that divine knowledge and the gift of that divine love. There is no "impersonal" love because love is the wonderful discovery of the "person" in "man," of the personal and unique in the common and general. It is the discovery in each man of that which is "lovable" in him, of that which is from God.

In that respect, Christian love is sometimes the opposite of "social activism" which one so often identifies Christianity today. o a "social activist" the object of love is not "person" but man, an abstract unit of a not less abstract "humanity." But for Christianity, man is "lovable" because he is person. There person is reduced to man; here man is seen only as person. The "social activist" has no interest for the personal, and easily sacrifices it to the "common interest." Christianity may seem to be, and in some ways actually is, rather sceptical about that abstract "humanity," but it commits a mortal sin against itself each time it gives up its concern and love for the person. Social activism is always "futuristic" in its approach; it always acts in the name of justice, order, happiness to come, to be achieved. Christianity cares little about that problematic future but puts the whole emphasis on the now -- the only decisive time for love. The two attitudes are not mutually exclusive, but they must not be confused. Christians, to be sure, have responsibilities towards "this world" and they must fulfil them. This is the area of "social activism" which belongs entirely to "this world." Christian love, however, aims beyond "this world." It is itself a ray, a manifestation of the Kingdom of God; it transcends and overcomes all limitations, all "conditions" of this world because its motivation as well as its goals and consummation is in God. And we know that even in this world, which "lies in evil," the only lasting and transforming victories are those of love. To remind man of this personal love and vocation, to fill the sinful world with this love -- this is the true mission of the Church.

The parable of the Last Judgement is about Christian love. Not all of us are called to work for "humanity," yet each one of us has received the gift and the grace of Christ's love. We know that all men ultimately need this personal love -- the recognition in them of their unique soul in which the beauty of the whole creation is reflected in a unique way. We also know that men are in prison and are sick and thirsty and hungry because that personal love has been denied them. And, finally, we know that however narrow and limited the framework of our personal existence, each one of us has been made responsible for a tiny part of the Kingdom of God, made responsible by that very gift of Christ's love. Thus, on whether or not we have accepted this responsibility, on whether we have loved or refused to love, shall we be judged. For "inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me. . ."

--Rev Dr. Alexander Schmemann: Great Lent - Journey to Pascha

#Alexander Schmemann #Christianity #Orthodox Christianity #The Last Judgement #Lent

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tinyshe · 7 months

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Living Lent

Make the most of your Lenten journey with these daily devotions. Each devotion includes a scripture reading, prayer, meditations, and a small act that will reinforce your faith.

Commit to your faith and choose to 'live' Lent. Join our 40-day challenge to authentically live the Lenten season. Get inspired, explore the Bible, reflect on prayers and take action exclusively with Catholic Online. Don't just observe Lent, live it!

Living Lent: Ash Wednesday - Day 1 Living Lent: Thursday after Ash Wednesday - Day 2 Living Lent: Friday after Ash Wednesday - Day 3 Living Lent: Saturday after Ash Wednesday - Day 4 Living Lent: First Sunday of Lent - Day 5 Living Lent: Monday of the First Week of Lent - Day 6 Living Lent: Tuesday of the First Week of Lent - Day 7 Living Lent: Wednesday of the First Week of Lent - Day 8 Living Lent: Thursday of the First Week of Lent - Day 9 Living Lent: Friday of the First Week of Lent - Day 10 Living Lent: Saturday of the First Week of Lent - Day 11 Living Lent: Sunday of the Second Week of Lent - Day 12 Living Lent: Monday of the Second Week of Lent - Day 13 Living Lent: Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent - Day 14 Living Lent: Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent - Day 15 Living Lent: Thursday of the Second Week of Lent - Day 16 Living Lent: Friday of the Second Week of Lent - Day 17 Living Lent: Saturday of the Second Week of Lent - Day 18 Living Lent: Sunday of the Third Week of Lent - Day 19 Living Lent: Monday of the Third Week of Lent - Day 20 Living Lent: Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent - Day 21 Living Lent: Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent - Day 22 Living Lent: Thursday of the Third Week of Lent - Day 23 Living Lent: Friday of the Third Week of Lent - Day 24 Living Lent: Saturday of the Third Week of Lent - Day 25 Living Lent: Sunday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 26 Living Lent: Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 27 Living Lent: Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 28 Living Lent: Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 29 Living Lent: Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 30 Living Lent: Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 31 Living Lent: Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 32 Living Lent: Sunday of the Fifth Week of Lent - Day 33 Living Lent: Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent - Day 34 Living Lent: Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent - Day 35 Living Lent: Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent - Day 36 Living Lent: Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent - Day 37 Living Lent: Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent - Day 38 Living Lent: Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent - Day 39 Living Lent: Palm Sunday of Holy Week Living Lent: Monday of Holy Week Living Lent: Tuesday of Holy Week Living Lent: Wednesday of Holy Week Living Lent: Holy Thursday Living Lent: Good Friday Living Lent: Holy Saturday Living Lent: EASTER SUNDAY - HE IS RISEN!

#catholic #living lent #lent

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pagan-stitches · 2 years

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2023 February/March/April Devotional Schedule

Saturday, January 21st: New Moon

Thursday, February 2nd: Hromnice (Candlemas) Often considered the first day of Spring. Thunder candles (hromničky) are made and decorated. Spring cleaning, knocking on trees with a spoon to awake Perun, weather divination.

Sunday, February 5th: Svata Hata (Saint Agatha’s Feast Day): water and bread were consecrated in churches. Holy water sprinkled around the house and a piece of bread placed behind a beam in the ceiling to protect from lighting.

Full Moon

Thursday, February 16th: Fat Thursday (Height of Masopust [Carnival]: Pigs were slaughtered, donuts and crackers were fried.

Monday, February 20th: New moon

Tuesday, February 21st: Shrove Tuesday: Last day of Masopust (Carnival)

Wednesday, February 22nd: Ash Wednesday: Lent begins

Thursday, February 23rd: My birthday

Tuesday, March 7th: Full Moon

Sunday, March 19th: Fourth Sunday of Lent, alternate date for drowning Smrtka/Morana

Monday, March 20th: Vernal Equinox/Drowning Smrtka/Morana (Death/Winter)

Tuesday, March 21st: New Moon

Sunday April 2nd: Palm Sunday: Girls brought a decorated tree to the village.

Wednesday April 5th: Clean Up Wednesday, Houses were scrubbed.

Thursday April 6th: Maundy Thursday: boys paraded Easter rattles through the villages. Traditionally the beginning of eating green foods. Washing in running water.

Full Moon

Friday April 7th: Good Friday, strictest fasting, stream water is brought home.

Saturday, April 8th: White Saturday, there was a festive procession around the village.

Sunday, April 9th: Easter Sunday, biggest Christian holiday of the whole year. Food was consecrated. Most often salt for everyday consumption, which was generally given the greatest importance, and then eggs and buns.

Monday, April 10th: Easter (Red) Monday, In a Moravian village, Easter Monday is the main day of spring caroling, ceremonial whipping and gift giving. Its folk name “red” is derived from the red egg, a traditional Easter gift.

Sunday, April 16th: White Sunday, Provody, associated with the cult of the dead. Spring version of dusicky.

Thursday, April 20th: New Moon

#devotional calendar #devotional schedule #czech calendar customs

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orthodoxydaily · 6 months

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Saints&Reading: Sunday, March 31, 2024

march 18_march 31

SAINT GREGORY PALAMAS, ARCHBISHOP OF THESSALONIKA (1359)

(movable holiday on the 2nd Sunday of the Great Lent).

Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, was born in the year 1296 in Constantinople. Saint Gregory’s father became a prominent dignitary at the court of Andronicus II Paleologos (1282-1328), but he soon died, and Andronicus himself took part in the raising and education of the fatherless boy. Endowed with fine abilities and great diligence, Gregory mastered all the subjects which then comprised the full course of medieval higher education. The emperor hoped that the youth would devote himself to government work. But Gregory, barely twenty years old, withdrew to Mount Athos in the year 1316 (other sources say 1318) and became a novice in the Vatopedi monastery under the guidance of the monastic Elder Saint Νikόdēmos of Vatopedi (July 11). There he was tonsured and began on the path of asceticism. A year later, the holy Evangelist John the Theologian appeared to him in a vision and promised him his spiritual protection. Gregory’s mother and sisters also became monastics.

After the demise of the Elder Νikόdēmos, Saint Gregory spent eight years of spiritual struggle under the guidance of the Elder Nikēphóros, and after the latter’s death, Gregory transferred to the Lavra of Saint Athanasius (July 5). Here he served in the trapeza, and then became a church singer. But after three years, he resettled in the small skete of Glossia, striving for a greater degree of spiritual perfection. The head of this monastery began to teach the young man the method of unceasing prayer and mental activity, which had been cultivated by monastics, beginning with the great desert ascetics of the fourth century: Evagrius Pontikos and Saint Macarius of Egypt (January 19).

Later on, in the eleventh century, Saint Simeon the New Theologian (March 12) had provided detailed instruction in mental activity for those praying in an outward manner, and the ascetics of Athos put it into practice. The experienced use of mental prayer (or prayer of the heart), requiring solitude and quiet, is called “Hesychasm” (from the Greek “hesychia” meaning calm, silence), and those practicing it were called “hesychasts.”

During his stay at Glossia the future hierarch Gregory became fully imbued with the spirit of hesychasm and adopted it as an essential part of his life. In the year 1326, because of the threat of Turkish invasions, he and the brethren retreated to Thessalonica, where he was then ordained to the holy priesthood.

Saint Gregory combined his priestly duties with the life of a hermit. Five days of the week he spent in silence and prayer, and only on Saturday and Sunday did he come out to his people. He celebrated divine services and preached sermons. For those present in church, his teaching often evoked both tenderness and tears. Sometimes he visited theological gatherings of the city’s educated youth, headed by the future patriarch, Isidore. After he returned from a visit to Constantinople, he found a place suitable for solitary life near Thessalonica the region of Bereia. Soon he gathered here a small community of solitary monks and guided it for five years.

In 1331 the saint withdrew to Mount Athos and lived in solitude at the skete of Saint Savva, near the Lavra of Saint Athanasius. In 1333 he was appointed Igumen of the Esphigmenou monastery in the northern part of the Holy Mountain. In 1336 the saint returned to the skete of Saint Savva, where he devoted himself to theological works, continuing with this until the end of his life.

In the 1330s events took place in the life of the Eastern Church which put Saint Gregory among the most significant universal apologists of Orthodoxy, and brought him great renown as a teacher of hesychasm.

About the year 1330 the learned monk Barlaam had arrived in Constantinople from Calabria, in Italy. He was the author of treatises on logic and astronomy, a skilled and sharp-witted orator, and he received a university chair in the capital city and began to expound on the works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite (October 3), whose “apophatic” (“negative”, in contrast to “kataphatic” or “positive”) theology was acclaimed in equal measure in both the Eastern and the Western Churches. Soon Barlaam journeyed to Mt Athos, where he became acquainted with the spiritual life of the hesychasts. Saying that it was impossible to know the essence of God, he declared mental prayer a heretical error. Journeying from Mount Athos to Thessalonica, and from there to Constantinople, and later again to Thessalonica, Barlaam entered into disputes with the monks and attempted to demonstrate the created, material nature of the light of Tabor (i.e. at the Transfiguration). He ridiculed the teachings of the monks about the methods of prayer and about the uncreated light seen by the hesychasts.

Saint Gregory, at the request of the Athonite monks, replied with verbal admonitions at first. But seeing the futility of such efforts, he put his theological arguments in writing. Thus appeared the “Triads in Defense of the Holy Hesychasts” (1338). Towards the year 1340 the Athonite ascetics, with the assistance of the saint, compiled a general response to the attacks of Barlaam, the so-called “Hagiorite Tome.” At the Constantinople Council of 1341 in the church of Hagia Sophia Saint Gregory Palamas debated with Barlaam, focusing upon the nature of the light of Mount Tabor. On May 27, 1341 the Council accepted the position of Saint Gregory Palamas, that God, unapproachable in His Essence, reveals Himself through His energies, which are directed towards the world and are able to be perceived, like the light of Tabor, but which are neither material nor created. The teachings of Barlaam were condemned as heresy, and he himself was anathemized and fled to Calabria.

But the dispute between the Palamites and the Barlaamites was far from over. To these latter belonged Barlaam’s disciple, the Bulgarian monk Akyndinos, and also Patriarch John XIV Kalekos (1341-1347); the emperor Andronicus III Paleologos (1328-1341) was also inclined toward their opinion. Akyndinos, whose name means “one who inflicts no harm,” actually caused great harm by his heretical teaching. Akyndinos wrote a series of tracts in which he declared Saint Gregory and the Athonite monks guilty of causing church disorders. The saint, in turn, wrote a detailed refutation of Akyndinos’ errors. The patriarch supported Akyndinos and called Saint Gregory the cause of all disorders and disturbances in the Church (1344) and had him locked up in prison for four years. In 1347, when John the XIV was replaced on the patriarchal throne by Isidore (1347-1349), Saint Gregory Palamas was set free and was made Archbishop of Thessalonica.

In 1351 the Council of Blachernae solemnly upheld the Orthodoxy of his teachings. But the people of Thessalonica did not immediately accept Saint Gregory, and he was compelled to live in various places. On one of his travels to Constantinople the Byzantine ship fell into the hands of the Turks. Even in captivity, Saint Gregory preached to Christian prisoners and even to his Moslem captors. The Hagarenes were astonished by the wisdom of his words. Some of the Moslems were unable to endure this, so they beat him and would have killed him if they had not expected to obtain a large ransom for him. A year later, Saint Gregory was ransomed and returned to Thessalonica.

Saint Gregory performed many miracles in the three years before his death, healing those afflicted with illness. On the eve of his repose, Saint John Chrysostom appeared to him in a vision. With the words “To the heights! To the heights!” Saint Gregory Palamas fell asleep in the Lord on November 14, 1359. In 1368 he was canonized at a Constantinople Council under Patriarch Philotheus (1354-1355, 1364-1376), who compiled the Life and Services to the saint.

SAINT CYRIL, ARCHBISHOP OF JERUSALEM (386)

Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem, was born in Jerusalem in 315 and raised in strict Christian piety. Upon reaching maturity, he became a monk, and in 346, he became a presbyter. In 350, upon the death of Archbishop Maximus, he succeeded him on the episcopal throne of Jerusalem.

As Patriarch of Jerusalem, Saint Cyril zealously fought against the heresies of Arius and Macedonius. In so doing, he aroused the animosity of the Arian bishops, who sought to have him deposed and banished from Jerusalem.

There was a miraculous portent in 351 at Jerusalem: at the third hour of the day on the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Cross appeared in the heavens, shining with a radiant light. It stretched from Golgotha above the Mount of Olives. Saint Cyril reported this portent to the Arian emperor Constantius (351-363), hoping to convert him to Orthodoxy.

The heretic Acacius, deposed by the Council of Sardica, was formerly the Metropolitan of Caesarea, and he collaborated with the emperor to have Saint Cyril removed. An intense famine struck Jerusalem, and Saint Cyril expended all his wealth in charity. But since the famine did not abate, the saint pawned church utensils, and used the money to buy wheat for the starving. The saint’s enemies spread a scandalous rumor that they had seen a woman in the city dancing around in clerical garb. Taking advantage of this rumor, the heretics forcibly expelled the saint.

The saint found shelter with Bishop Silvanus in Tarsus. After this, a local Council was held at Seleucia, at which there were about 150 bishops, and among them Saint Cyril. The heretical Metropolitan Acacius did not want to allow him to take a seat, but the Council would not consent to this. Acacius stormed out of the Council, and before the emperor and the Arian patriarch Eudoxius, he denounced both the Council and Saint Cyril. The emperor had the saint imprisoned.

When the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) ascended the throne he repealed all the anti-Orthodox decrees of Constantius, seemingly out of piety. Saint Cyril returned to his own flock. But after a certain while, when Julian had become secure upon the throne, he openly apostasized and renounced Christ. He permitted the Jews to start rebuilding the Temple of Jerusalem that had been destroyed by the Romans, and he even provided them part of the funds for the building from the state treasury.

Saint Cyril predicted that the words of the Savior about the destruction of the Temple down to its very stones (Luke. 21:6) would undoubtedly transpire, and the blasphemous intent of Julian would come to naught. Soon there was such a powerful earthquake, that even the solidly set foundation of the ancient Temple of Solomon shifted in its place, and what had been rebuilt fell down and shattered into dust. When the Jews resumed construction, a fire came down from the heavens and destroyed the tools of the workmen. Great terror seized everyone. On the following night, the Sign of the Cross appeared on the clothing of the Jews, which they could not remove by any means.

After this heavenly confirmation of Saint Cyril’s prediction, they banished him again, and the bishop’s throne was occupied by Saint Cyriacus. But Saint Cyriacus soon suffered a martyr’s death (October 28).

After the emperor Julian perished in 363, Saint Cyril returned to his See, but during the reign of the emperor Valens (364-378) he was exiled for a third time. It was only under the holy emperor Saint Theodosius the Great (379-395) that he finally returned to his archpastoral activity. In 381 Saint Cyril participated in the Second Ecumenical Council, which condemned the heresy of Macedonius and affirmed the Nicea-Constantinople Symbol of Faith (Creed).

Saint Cyril’s works include twenty-three Instructions (Eighteen are Catechetical, intended for those preparing for Baptism, and five are for the newly-baptized) and two discourses on Gospel themes: “On the Paralytic,” and “Concerning the Transformation of Water into Wine at Cana.”

At the heart of the Catechetical Instructions is a detailed explanation of the Symbol of Faith. The saint suggests that a Christian should inscribe the Symbol of Faith upon “the tablets of the heart.”

“The articles of the Faith,” Saint Cyril teaches, “were not written through human cleverness, but they contain everything that is most important in all the Scriptures, in a single teaching of faith. Just as the mustard seed contains all its plethora of branches within its small kernel, so also does the Faith in its several declarations combine all the pious teachings of the Old and the New Testaments.”

Saint Cyril, a great ascetic and a champion of Orthodoxy, died in the year 386.

HEBREWS 1:10-2:3

10 And:"You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 11 They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; 12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail." 13 But to which of the angels has He ever said:"Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,

JOHN 21:1-14

1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No." 6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have just caught." 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?"-knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. 14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #easternorthodoxchurch #originofchristianity #spirituality #holyscriptures #gospel #bible #wisdom #saints

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veale2006-blog · 6 months

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March 31,2024 Passover vs Easter Long but worth the read! Passover, the first feast (appointed time) of the year, was first enacted near the end of Israel’s slavery in Egypt, in the month of April, in the year 1598 BC. It is then, that Yehovah began to institute the seven feasts, beginning with Passover. With the renewed Moon appearing maybe on the evening of April 10, 1598 BC, a new calendar, the first day of the first month (Aviv), was given to Israel.

The KJV mistakenly spells it “Abib.” But it is AVIV. Nine days later, on Saturday, on the tenth day of Aviv (the morning of April 19), the chosen lambs were examined for a period of four days. They would be later sacrificed after completion of four days of examination on the fourteenth day of Aviv, which would be the afternoon of Wednesday, April 23. On that day, the lambs were killed, and their blood was smeared upon the door posts of the dwellings of Israel.

On this first occurrence of Passover—the actual “passing over” of Yehovah, occurred after the enactment of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread began, which was on Wednesday at sundown, because Yehovah came at midnight, which followed the start of the fifteenth of Aviv. All Hebrew days start in the evening after sundown (evening and the morning). During the afternoon of the fourteenth of Aviv, Israel was to roast the lambs and have the “Passover (Seder) meal.” After sundown on Wednesday, they began the seven day feast of unleavened bread. The actual death of the firstborn occurred on the fifteenth day of Aviv around midnight of April 24, the dark hours of Thursday morning.

Later that day, Pharaoh sent for Moses and said the people could now go free, and that they could obtain donations from the people of Egypt.

Exodus 12:35–36 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:

And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

They began their departure from Egypt on Friday morning, April 25, still eating the unleavened bread made in haste, through Tuesday evening, April 29, which ended the seven day feast. One week later, the two day crossing of the Red Sea began.

Israel left Egypt on Friday morning, on their way to pick up the body of Joseph, in the town of Succoth. Sunday morning, they opened the tomb and obtained the mummy of Joseph. This served as the initial First Fruits Offering.

Now, once the Hebrews dwelt in the land of Israel, on the tenth day of Aviv, the high priest would leave the temple, go to Bethlehem, which was five miles away, and choose the most perfect male lamb he could find. He would then journey back to Jerusalem with the lamb, pass through the east gate of the city, and make his way to the temple platform with the lamb. It was a yearly rehearsal for the appearance of the Messiah. The premier lamb would be tied to a post so that any and every one could examine the lamb to try to find any flaws. At the end of the fourth day of examination, if no blemish was found with the premier lamb, the high priest would loudly proclaim, “I find no fault in him.” Thousands of lambs would be killed and roasted in the ovens at the temple on Passover, starting about 9:00 AM (the third hour). However, the premier male lamb would always be the last one to be killed, usually at about 3:00 PM, after which, the high priest would shout, “It is finished.”

Let’s back track a little. On Wednesday, September 24, AD 27, was when Yeshua fed the four thousand men (plus women and children) with seven loaves and a “few small fish.” You can read about this in Matthew 15:32–38. Six days later, on September 30, which was the tenth day of the month of Tishri, the day of Atonement, Yeshua had just turned thirty years of age. On that day, He was ordained as the Cohen Gadol, the divine High Priest, at His transfiguration in the presence of Peter, James, and John. It was the 227th day of His 491-day ministry (seventy weeks).

This enabled Yeshua to fulfill the feast of Passover as the High Priest of God, after the order of Melchezedik, and as the Passover Lamb of God. On Saturday, April 24, AD 28, the tenth day of Aviv, Yeshua rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, maybe six minutes ahead of Caiaphas, the high priest, who was returning from Bethlehem with the premier lamb he had chosen, on that Sabbath day. That’s why the multitude was there with their palms. There was no such thing as Palm Sunday.

The gathering in the streets leading to the temple was supposed to be for Caiaphas, who served as high priest at the time. It was the end of the sixty-second week (434 days) of Yeshua’s 490 day ministry. The second level of Archangel Gabriel’s prophecy given to Daniel was about to be fulfilled.

Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself.

Three and a half days later, after sundown on Tuesday evening, April 27, which began the fourteenth day of Aviv, Yeshua was arrested and taken to a mock trial. After being paraded around to different authorities during the night, take note on what Pilate, the governor, said on Wednesday morning, in John 19:4:

John 19:4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.

Yeshua was led out and crucified about 9:00 AM Wednesday morning on April 28, AD 28. This was the 14th of Aviv. Being made the High Priest at His transfiguration, after the order of Melchizedek, on the Day of Atonement, seven months earlier, Yeshua said the following about 3:00 PM, found in John 19:30:

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished", and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

It was about the time the premier lamb was put in the oven. It now was the middle of the 63rd week of Yeshua’s 70 week (490 days) ministry, when his blood was shed and flowed down the cross into a crack in the rock, caused by an earthquake. The blood dripped upon the west end of the Ark of the Covenant, which was positioned about thirty feet below the cross of Yeshua. It had been hidden there by Jeremiah and other priests in 587 BC, before Babylon entered Jerusalem and destroyed the temple.

Yeshua is “the bread of life.” Leaven (yeast) is symbolic of sin. Yeshua was born, lived His life, and died without sin. As you would put unleavened bread in the oven, Yeshua was put in the tomb about 5:30 PM. The Feast of Unleavened Bread began that Wednesday evening at sundown, April 28, AD 28, and Yeshua remained in the tomb for seventy-two hours.

The first evening of Unleavened Bread is a high Sabbath. It is called the day of preparation, because the priests would go and prepare for the feast of First Fruits. On the afternoon of Passover, the priests would go to the Kidron Valley after all the lambs had been roasted, and begin to tie together 24 stacks of the barley crop. The priests would bind together the stacks so that when they later returned on the following Saturday evening at sundown, when the Sabbath was over, they would cut the barley with a cycle at ground level, and take the barley to the temple.

After binding the barley, the high priest had to stay in seclusion until he offered the First Fruits Offering on Sunday morning. After the crucifixion, Caiaphas stayed in seclusion for three days, from Wednesday evening until Sunday Morning, during such time that he could not be touched by another person.

On that Friday, two Roman seals were put on the tomb. A Roman seal was the drilling of a hole through the rolling stone into the sides of the tomb wall at a downward angle. Then hot lead would be poured into the hole, and an iron rod was inserted.

The chief priests and Pharisees had gone to Pilate, the governor, to make that request. The left iron rod can still be seen at the Garden Tomb outside Jerusalem. The high priest and his entourage went outside the walls of Jerusalem and entered the Kidron Valley near sundown on Passover, after Yeshua had been put in the tomb. An earthquake had occurred while Yeshua was on the cross and disturbed twenty-four graves (boxes of bones) in the cemetery of the Mount of Olives. Those graves were being “marked.”, just like the stacks of barley. Three days later (after seventy-two hours) after being put in the tomb, about 5:30 PM on Saturday, May 1 AD 28, the Lord of the Sabbath, rose from the dead on the Sabbath, vanishing from the tomb and reappearing somewhere else. For the next twelve hours, the Roman soldiers would be guarding an empty tomb. Yeshua had thus fulfilled the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

On Sunday, the morning after His resurrection, Mary Magdalene wanted to embrace Yeshua, but He told her not to touch Him “because I have not yet ascended to my Father.” What He was saying was that the twenty-four “elders” that He had resurrected after He left the tomb, were still in the city, and He had to take them to Heaven to present them to Yehovah in order to fulfill “the Feast of First Fruits” offering, as the High Priest.

Those are the events that surround Passover each year. It starts with the examination of the barley crop at the end of the 12th month, called Adar, to see if it will be ready for the first fruits offering. If it is not ripe enough, a 2nd 12th month is declared, named Adar bet. At the end of the 2nd 12th month, the first month of the year is declared, called Aviv, when the first sliver of the renewed Moon is seen, or 30 days after the start of the 2nd 12th month. When there is cloud cover and the renewed Moon can’t be seen, a 30th day is declared by default, and the next evening starts the new month.

Now, I will talk about the evils of Easter.

Semiramis, the widow of Nimrod, died. The “handlers” (or priests) of sun god worship, started the belief that she was received up in Heaven, and was sent back to Earth in a giant egg. It supposedly landed in the Euphrates River, and she emerged as Ishtar, the goddess of sex and fertility, and she turned a bird into an egg laying rabbit, in order to demonstrate her divinity. Later, Ishtar was renamed “Easter”. You’ll find the term “Easter” in the Bible, Acts 12:4.

In the land of Shinar, and spreading to Canaan, they had designated places called “caves of Tammuz”. Priests at these places would impregnate virgins on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox, calling it Easter Sunday. It was hoped that the children would be born near December 25, for “Child-mas”, to be sacrificed to a fiery god. Those that weren’t born “at Child-mas” were killed at Easter, and eggs supposedly laid by the rabbits were dipped in the blood of the killed three month old babies. Then another round of virgins were impregnated in the caves of Tammuz, to keep the cycle going.

The Catholic Church evolved in Rome, in the third and fourth centuries. It combined pagan sun god worship with fragments of what was thought to be Christianity. Child-mas was changed to Christmas, with Christ being born on December 25, the birth day of pagan sun gods. The forty days of “weeping for Tammuz” was moved to start on what was called “Ash Wednesday”, saying that it was to commemorate the forty days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness. It was moved in order to end, on the day after “Good Friday”, and just before Easter Sunday. Sundays during that stretch of time were not included.

Easter was celebrated with the dyeing and searching for eggs laid by fictional rabbits, and eating ham to commemorate the boar the killed Tammuz on his 40th birthday. The day of the crucifixion was changed to Good Friday, in honor of Dagon the fish god, when fish is to be eaten, and recognition of the resurrection was changed to Easter Sunday, a week after what was called “Palm Sunday”, when Yeshua was thought to have ridden into Jerusalem. However, Yeshua rode into Jerusalem as the Messiah on Saturday, crucified on Wednesday, was still in the tomb on Friday, and rose from the dead on Saturday the Sabbath. He did not resurrect on Sunday.

The End

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youshi56 · 6 months

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Good Morning:

For those who are familiar with Lent although I came across this material in the middle of Lent or the fourth week I believe we can practice and honour Lenten practices through out the year strengthening our commitment and relationship with Christ. A young mother introduced me or mentioned the Restore Lenten Journal I have since purchased it, as well as Return Lenten Journal and as well as Advent Journal.

What is Lent? When does Lent start? What to do during Lent?

Lent is the six week period leading up to Easter. It’s one of the most important times of year for many Christians around the world, particularly those within the Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox traditions, held at a similar level of importance to Advent – the build up to Christmas.

While Advent is a celebration and a time of great anticipation, Lent is more frequently seen as a time of solemn observance and preparation for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. From its start on Ash Wednesday until its conclusion on Easter Sunday, Lent has been a traditional time for fasting or giving something up or abstinence. Just as we carefully prepare for events in our personal lives, as a wedding, or birthday; a commencement Lent invites us to make our minds and hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ life, death and body resurrection.

When does Lent start?

Because Lent follows the liturgical calendar, the exact date that Lent falls each year changes. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is always held 46 days (40 fasting days and 6 Sundays) before Easter Sunday.

Ash Wednesday is the day after Shrove Tuesday, which in the UK is more commonly known as Pancake Day. Elsewhere in the world Shrove Tuesday is known as Mardi Gras (meaning ‘Fat Tuesday’ in French).

What do Christians do during Lent?

These days, Christians around the world observe Lent in many ways. Many from more orthodox and traditional denominations will still observe the fast strictly, beginning with the wearing of ashes on Ash Wednesday and abstinence of meat, fish, eggs and fats until Easter Sunday.

Others will choose to give up just one item for Lent, more commonly a ‘luxury’ such as chocolate, meat or alcohol. It is also becoming increasingly common for people to give up other things in order to refocus their faith during this time; such as watching TV, going to the gym, even social media.

Many Christians also use Lent to study their Bibles and pray more intensively, making use of the many devotional books and courses now available to.

And, of course, more and more Christians are turning to the 40acts challenge as a way of doing Lent differently; using simple daily reflections and acts of generosity as a way of putting others first during preparations for Easter.

Sundays during Lent are very important to Christians around the world. Where the Monday to Saturday of each of the six weeks are concerned with fasting and abstinence, the Sunday is a celebration symbolic of Christ’s resurrection. Instead of fasting, Christians hold feasts in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice. The fourth and sixth Sundays are particularly important in the UK – the fourth because it is Mothering Sunday (Mother’s Day) and the sixth because it’s Palm Sunday.

The links are in regards to each specific journal.

http://www.avemariapress.com/adore

https://youtu.be/eqN7Q5EnpJs

https://www.avemariapress.com/return

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roman-catholic-mass-readings · 7 months

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16th March >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Saturday, Fourth Week of Lent - Proper Readings

(see also The Man Born Blind on previous Sunday)

(Liturgical Colour: Violet: B (2))

First Reading Jeremiah 11:18-20 'Let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may be quickly forgotten'.

The Lord revealed it to me; I was warned. O Lord, that was when you opened my eyes to their scheming. I for my part was like a trustful lamb being led to the slaughter-house, not knowing the schemes they were plotting against me, ‘Let us destroy the tree in its strength, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may be quickly forgotten!’

But you, the Lord of Hosts, who pronounce a just sentence, who probe the loins and heart, let me see the vengeance you will take on them, for I have committed my cause to you.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 7:2-3,9-12

R/ Lord God, I take refuge in you.

Lord God, I take refuge in you. From my pursuer save me and rescue me, lest he tear me to pieces like a lion and drag me off with no one to rescue me.

R/ Lord God, I take refuge in you.

Give judgement for me, Lord; I am just and innocent of heart. Put an end to the evil of the wicked! Make the just stand firm, you who test mind and heart, O just God!

R/ Lord God, I take refuge in you.

God is the shield that protects me, who saves the upright of heart. God is a just judge slow to anger; but he threatens the wicked every day.

R/ Lord God, I take refuge in you.

Gospel Acclamation Ezekiel 33:11

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus! I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – but in the turning back of a wicked man who changes his ways to win life. Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Or: cf. Luke 8:15

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus! Blessed are those who, with a noble and generous heart, take the word of God to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance. Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Gospel John 7:40-52 The Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without hearing him.

Several people who had been listening to Jesus said, ‘Surely he must be the prophet’, and some said, ‘He is the Christ’, but others said, ‘Would the Christ be from Galilee? Does not scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?’ So the people could not agree about him. Some would have liked to arrest him, but no one actually laid hands on him. The police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, ‘Why haven’t you brought him?’ The police replied, ‘There has never been anybody who has spoken like him.’ ‘So’ the Pharisees answered ‘you have been led astray as well? Have any of the authorities believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This rabble knows nothing about the Law – they are damned.’ One of them, Nicodemus – the same man who had come to Jesus earlier – said to them, ‘But surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about?’ To this they answered, ‘Are you a Galilean too? Go into the matter, and see for yourself: prophets do not come out of Galilee.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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bestmessage · 7 months

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Mothering Sunday Messages and Wishes

Mothering Sunday falls on the fourth Saturday of Lent and is the best day to express your love and feelings to your dearest mother. This is a day of celebrating all the maternal bonds and sending thank you messages to mothers.

#MotheringSunday #MotheringSundayWishes #MotheringSundayMessages #MotheringSundayQuotes #MotheringSundayGreeting

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traumacatholic · 3 years

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How to pray The Glorious Mysteries: Scriptural Based Rosary

Pope Saint John Paul II suggested the recitation of the Rosary as follows: the JOYFUL mysteries Monday and Saturday, the LUMINOUS on Thursday, the SORROWFUL on Tuesday and Friday, and the GLORIOUS on Wednesday and Sunday (with this exception; Sundays of Advent and Christmas – the JOYFUL; Sundays of Lent – the SORROWFUL). Although please feel free to pray any Rosary on any day.

In recent times the Mother of God has appeared in various parts of the world and asked for the recitation of the Rosary, the prayer she gave to the world centuries ago. It is her favorite prayer, for it is essentially a meditation on the life of her Divine Son. The Rosary is a combination of vocal prayer (the Our Fathers & Hail Marys) and of mental prayer, namely, reflection on important events in the life of Christ and His Mother.

When one refers to the Rosary, it is usually understood to mean five decades, or one fourth of the entire Rosary. While many Catholics pray five decades of the Rosary each day, there is a considerable number who pray fifteen or twenty decades daily.

Some frequently asked questions are: how do I pray the Rosary and how do I deal with difficulties while praying? For more information about the Rosary and its history, some additional reading may be found in The Secret of the Rosary (part 1), by St. Louis De Montfort, Understanding The Rosary by Fr. Basil Cole, OP and Fr. Paul Duffner, OP In Defense of A Tradition.

The Rosary Confraternity is a spiritual association of the Catholic Church, the members of which strive to pray the entire Rosary during the course of one week. They form a union of hundreds of thousands of the faithful throughout the world who, along with their own intentions, include the intentions and needs of all its members.

As the Cure of Ars said: “If anyone has the happiness of being in the Confraternity of the Rosary, he has in all corners of the world brothers and sisters who pray for him.”

Or, as Pope Leo XIII stated in his apostolic constitution on the Confraternity, “whenever a person fulfills his obligation of reciting the Rosary according to the rule of the Confraternity, he includes in his intentions all its members, and they in turn render him the same service many times over” (Ubi Primum, 1).

Those who pray the Rosary regularly would do well to enroll in the Confraternity to gain additional spiritual benefits for each Rosary they pray.

Before enrolling, please read the obligations and benefits and benefits of the Confraternity. There is also a Rosary Confraternity Prayer.

You do not need an actual physical Rosary to pray the Rosary. You can use your fingers, or there are apps such as Laudate, Rushmore Interactive Rosary, Cathedral of Mary, Click to Pray eRosary and many videos on Youtube.

#Rosary #Catholic #Catholicism #Christian #Christianity

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pamphletstoinspire · 4 years

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The Season of Septuagesima Are you ready for Lent?

Definition Septuagesima and Lent are both times of penance; Septuagesima being a time of voluntary fasting in preparation for the obligatory Great Fast of Lent. The theme is the Babylonian exile, the “mortal coil” we must endure as we await the Heavenly Jerusalem. Sobriety and somberness reign liturgically; the Alleluia and Gloria are banished

“The Sundays of Septugesima are named for their distance away from Easter:

The first Sunday of Septuagesima gives its name to the entire season as it is known as “Septuagesima.” “Septuagesima” means “seventy,” and Septuagesima Sunday comes roughly seventy days before Easter. This seventy represents the seventy years of the Babylonian Captivity. It is on this Sunday that the alleluia is “put away,” not to be said again until the Vigil of Easter.

The second Sunday of Septuagesima is known as “Sexagesima, which means “sixty”. Sexagesima Sunday comes roughly sixty days before Easter.

The third Sunday of Septuagesima is known as “Quinquagesima,” which means “fifty” and which comes roughly fifty days before Easter. Quadragesima means “forty,” and this is the name of the first Sunday of Lent and the Latin name for the entire season of Lent.

Throughout this short Season and that of Lent (next Season) you will notice a deepening sense of penance and somberness, culminating in Passiontide (the last two weeks of Lent), that will suddenly and joyously end at the Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday when the alleluia returns and Christ’s Body is restored and glorified.”

From The Liturgical Year by Abbot Gueranger

The season of Septuagesima comprises the three weeks immediately preceding Lent. It forms one of the principal divisions of the liturgical year, and is itself divided into three parts, each part corresponding to a week: the first is called Septuagesima; the second, Sexagesima; the third, Quinquagesima.

All three are named from their numerical reference to Lent, which, in the language of the Church, is called Quadragesima, that is, Forty, because the great Feast of Easter is prepared for by the holy exercises of forty days. The words Quinquagesima, Sexagesima, and Septuagesima, tell us of the same great solemnity as looming in the distance, and as being the great object towards which the Church would have us now begin to turn all our thoughts, desires, and devotion.

Now, the Feast of Easter must be prepared for by forty days of recollection and penance. Those forty days are one of the principal seasons of the liturgical year, and one of the most powerful means employed by the Church for exciting in the hearts of her children the spirit of their Christian vocation. It is of the utmost importance that such a season of grace should produce its work in our souls – the renovation of the whole spiritual life. The Church, therefore, has instituted a preparation for the holy time of Lent. She gives us the three weeks of Septuagesima, during which she withdraws us, as much as may be, from the noisy distractions of the world, in order that our hearts may be more readily impressed by the solemn warning she is to give us at the commencement of Lent by marking our foreheads with ashes.

This prelude to the holy season of Lent was not known in the early ages of Christianity: its institution would seem to have originated in the Greek Church. Besides the six Sundays of Lent, on which by universal custom the faithful have never fasted, the practice of this Church prohibited fasting on the Saturdays likewise; consequently their Lent was short by twelve days of the forty spent by our Savior doing penance in the desert. To make up the deficiency, they were obliged to begin their Lent many days earlier.

The Church of Rome had no such motive for anticipating the season of those privations which belong to Lent; for, from the earliest antiquity, She kept the Saturdays of Lent as fasting days. The Gallican liturgy, it is true, had retained the Greek custom; but it was abolished by the zeal of King Pepin and St. Karl the Great.

At the close of the 6th century, St. Gregory the Great alludes, in one of his homilies, to the fast of Lent being less than forty days, owing to the Sundays which come during that holy season. It was therefore, after the pontificate of St. Gregory, that the last four days of Quinquagesima were added to Lent, in order that the number of fasting days might be exactly forty. As early as the 9th century, the custom of beginning Lent on Ash Wednesday was of obligation in the whole Latin Church. All the manuscript copies of the Gregorian Sacramentary, which bear that date, entitle this Wednesday In capite jejunii, that is to say, the beginning of the fast. But, out of respect for the form of divine service drawn up by St. Gregory, the Church does not make any important change in the Office of these four days. Up to the Vespers of Saturday, when alone She begins the Lenten Rite, She observes the rubrics prescribed for Quinquagesima week.

Peter of Blois, who lived in the 12th century, tells us what was the practice in his days: “All religious begin the fast of Lent at Septuagesima; the Greeks, at Sexagesima; the secular clergy, at Quinquagesima; and the rest of Christians, who form the Church militant on earth, begin their Lent on the Wednesday following Quinquagesima.” The secular clergy, therefore, were bound to begin the fast two days before the laity – that is, on Monday, as we gather from the Life of St. Ulrich, Bishop of Augsburg, written in the 10th century. Quinquagesima was then called Dominica carnis privium sacerdotum, that is, priests’ carnival Sunday, when the announcement we made that the abstinence from meat was to begin on the following day.

This usage, however, soon became obsolete; and in the 15th century, the secular clergy, and even the monks themselves, began the Lenten fast, like the rest of the faithful, on Ash Wednesday.

There can be no doubt that the original motive for this anticipation was to remove from the Greeks the pretext of taking scandal at the Latins, if they did not fast fully forty days. Whilst faithful to Her ancient practice of fasting on Saturdays, the Roman Church gladly borrowed from the Greek Church the custom of preparing for Lent, by giving to the liturgy of the three preceding weeks a tone of holy mournfulness. Even as early as the beginning of the 9th century, the Alleluia and Gloria were suspended in the Septuagesima Offices. In the second half of the 11th century, Pope Alexander II enacted that this custom be everywhere observed, beginning with the 1st Vespers of Septuagesima.

Thus was the present important period of the liturgical year, after various changes, established in the cycle of the Church. It has been there for more than a thousand years. Its name, Septuagesima (seventy), expresses, as we have already remarked, a numerical relation to Quadragesima (the forty days); although in reality, there are not 70 but only 63 days from Septuagesima to Easter. This is partly to represent a profound mystery connected with the number 70. St. Augustine speaks of two times: the time before Easter, representing our sojourn on earth, and the time after Easter, representing eternity. The Church often speaks of two places corresponding to these two times, Babylon and Jerusalem. Now the Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years; and it is to express this mystery that the Church, according to all the great liturgists, uses the name Septuagesima for this season.

Again, the duration of the world itself, according to the ancient Christian tradition, is divided into seven ages. The human race must pass through seven ages before the dawning of the day of eternal life. The first age included the time from the creation of Adam to Noah; the second begins with Noah and the renovation of the earth by the deluge, and ends with the vocation of Abraham; the third opens with this first formation of God’s chosen people, and continues as far as Moses, through whom God gave the Law; the fourth consists of the period between Moses and David, in whom the house of Juda received the kingly power; the fifth is formed of the years which passed between David’s reign and the captivity of Babylon, inclusively; the sixth dates from the return of the Jews to Jerusalem, and takes us as far as the birth of our Savior. Then, finally, comes the seventh age; it starts with the rising of this merciful Redeemer, the Sun of Justice, and is to continue until the dread coming of the Judge of the living and the dead. These are the seven great divisions of time; after which, eternity.

Holy Mother Church reminds us during this season that we are sojourners upon this earth; we are exiles and captives in Babylon, that city which plots our ruin. The Church wishes us to reflect on the dangers that beset us; dangers which arise from ourselves and from creatures. During the rest of the year She loves to hear us chant the song of Heaven, the sweet Alleluia; but now, She bids us close our lips to this word of joy, because we are in Babylon.

The leading feature, then, of Septuagesima, is the total suspension of the Alleluia, which is not to be heard again upon the earth until the arrival of that happy day, when, having suffered death with our Jesus, and having been buried together with Him, we shall rise with Him to a new life. Perhaps we could not better show the sentiments, wherewith the Church would have her children to be filled at this period of Her year, than by quoting a few words from the eloquent exhortation, given to his people at the beginning of Septuagesima, by the celebrated St. Yvo of Chartres in the 11th century: ” ‘We know,’ says the Apostle, ‘that every creature groaneth, and travaileth in pain even till now: and not only it, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption of the sons of God, the redemption of our body’ (Rom. 8: 22, 23). The creature here spoken of is the soul, that has been regenerated from the corruption of sin unto the likeness of God: she groaneth within herself, at seeing herself made subject to vanity; she, like one that travaileth, is filled with pain, and is devoured by an anxious longing to be in that country, which is still so far off… During these days, therefore, we must do what we do at all seasons of the year, only we must do it more earnestly and fervently: we must sigh and weep after our country, from which we were exiled in consequence of having indulged in sinful pleasures; we must redouble our efforts in order to regain it by compunction and weeping of heart… Let us not become like those senseless invalids, who feel not their ailments and seek no remedy. We despair of a sick man who will not be persuaded that he is in danger. No, let us run to Our Lord, the Physician of eternal salvation. Let us show Him our wounds, and cry out to Him with all our earnestness: ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak’ (Ps. 6: 3). Then will He forgive us our iniquities, heal us of our infirmities and satisfy our desire with good things.”

Brian Williams, from the “Liturgy Guy blog”, says “Thankfully, as more are introduced to the Traditional Mass of the Roman Rite, the brief season of Septuagesima is being reintroduced into the life of the Church. As this means more of the faithful can better prepare for, and enter deeper into, the season of Lent, it is an objectively positive development.”

#septuagesima season

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livehorses · 4 years

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Taking a little break from my online abstinence because guess what? It's the Laetare Sunday.

It falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent and is meant to remind us that the love of God is our greatest joy and that christians should be happy before anything else. This Sunday is also a bit more indulgent with the Lent restrictions.

(Post updated in 2023) My break will continue tomorrow as the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, celebrated in March 19, is moved unto the next day because any solemnity and feast is displaced if it lands on Sunday, which has more priority. Then next friday is my Birthday, Saturday is the Solemnity of the Annunciation and my celebration weekend. Then my break will end after next Sunday.

#livehorses status #Laetare Sunday #Fourth Sunday

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orthodoxadventure · 6 months

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2nd Sunday of Great Lent: St Gregory Palamas

Commemorated on March 31

O luminary of Orthodoxy, support and teacher of the Church, ideal of monks and invincible champion of theologians, O wonderworker Gregory, boast of Thessalonika and herald of grace, always intercede for all of us that our souls may be saved.

This Sunday was originally dedicated to Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (February 23). After his glorification in 1368, a second commemoration of Saint Gregory Palamas (November 14) was appointed for the Second Sunday of Great Lent as a second “Triumph of Orthodoxy.”

Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, was born in the year 1296 in Constantinople. Saint Gregory’s father became a prominent dignitiary at the court of Andronicus II Paleologos (1282-1328), but he soon died, and Andronicus himself took part in the raising and education of the fatherless boy. Endowed with fine abilities and great diligence, Gregory mastered all the subjects which then comprised the full course of medieval higher education. The emperor hoped that the youth would devote himself to government work. But Gregory, barely twenty years old, withdrew to Mount Athos in the year 1316 (other sources say 1318) and became a novice in the Vatopedi monastery under the guidance of the monastic Elder Saint Νikόdēmos of Vatopedi (July 11). There he was tonsured and began on the path of asceticism. A year later, the holy Evangelist John the Theologian appeared to him in a vision and promised him his spiritual protection. Gregory’s mother and sisters also became monastics.

Later on, in the eleventh century Saint Simeon the New Theologian (March 12) provided detailed instruction in mental activity for those praying in an outward manner, and the ascetics of Athos put it into practice. The experienced use of mental prayer (or prayer of the heart), requiring solitude and quiet, is called “Hesychasm” (from the Greek “hesychia” meaning calm, silence), and those practicing it were called “hesychasts.”

During his stay at Glossia the future hierarch Gregory became fully embued with the spirit of hesychasm and adopted it as an essential part of his life. In the year 1326, because of the threat of Turkish invasions, he and the brethren retreated to Thessalonica, where he was then ordained to the holy priesthood.

In 1331 the saint withdrew to Mt. Athos and lived in solitude at the skete of Saint Savva, near the Lavra of Saint Athanasius. In 1333 he was appointed Igumen of the Esphigmenou monastery in the northern part of the Holy Mountain. In 1336 the saint returned to the skete of Saint Savva, where he devoted himself to theological works, continuing with this until the end of his life.

About the year 1330 the learned monk Barlaam had arrived in Constantinople from Calabria, in Italy. He was the author of treatises on logic and astronomy, a skilled and sharp-witted orator, and he received a university chair in the capital city and began to expound on the works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite (October 3), whose “apophatic” (“negative”, in contrast to “kataphatic” or “positive”) theology was acclaimed in equal measure in both the Eastern and the Western Churches. Soon Barlaam journeyed to Mt. Athos, where he became acquainted with the spiritual life of the hesychasts. Saying that it was impossible to know the essence of God, he declared mental prayer a heretical error. Journeying from Mount Athos to Thessalonica, and from there to Constantinople, and later again to Thessalonica, Barlaam entered into disputes with the monks and attempted to demonstrate the created, material nature of the light of Tabor (i.e. at the Transfiguration). He ridiculed the teachings of the monks about the methods of prayer and about the uncreated light seen by the hesychasts.

[Text from OCA]

Now is the time for action! Judgment is at the doors! So let us rise and fast, offering alms with tears of compunction and crying: “Our sins are more numerous than the sands of the sea; but forgive us, O Master of All, so that we may receive the incorruptible crowns.”

Holy and divine instrument of wisdom, radiant and harmonious trumpet of theology, we praise you in song, O divinely-speaking Gregory. As a mind standing before the Primal Mind, guide our minds to Him, Father, so that we may cry aloud to you: “Rejoice, herald of grace.”

#Christianity #Orthodox Christianity #Saint Gregory Palamas #Lent #Great Lent

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citizenscreen · 4 years

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On September 8, 1930, in the midst of the Great Depression, the world was introduced to Blondie Boopadoop, a dizzy blonde flapper created by Murat Bernard ‘Chic’ Young. Blondie debuted in newspapers across the country on that day. She was Chic Young’s fourth strip featuring a young woman, but this was the one to catch fire and eventually become iconic in the world of comics and media at large. It is hard to believe that the blonde hero of blissful domesticity turns 90 and that her stories remain tops with audiences the world over.

Blondie’s early days featured the star popular in dating circles. Her courtships made for several storylines. Blondie’s main squeeze, however, was bumbling playboy Dagwood Bumstead, son of millionaire industrialist, J. Bolling Bumstead. Dagwood introduced Blondie to his ill-natured father in the very first strip announcing their plans to marry. The elder Bumstead was aghast that his son would be interested in a woman of Blondie’s lowly social status.

For the next couple of years, the Blondie comics centered on the couple’s struggles to get the Bumsteads to agree to the pairing. Blondie does everything imaginable to no avail. In the meantime, she also entertains several other admirers – although Dagwood was never far away. With readership dwindling, Chic Young and the comic’s distributer, King Features Syndicate, decided Blondie and Dagwood should finally get married and in February 1933 they did much to the chagrin of the Bumsteads who disowned their son and heir. Mr. and Mrs. Bumstead only grudgingly acknowledged the union because Dagwood went on a hunger strike that lasted over 28 days spotlighted by daily coverage and countdowns that helped circulation. Every day people tuned in to see how Dagwood was doing on the hunger strike. After all, one of his favorite pasttimes has always been eating. One of my favorite Blondie scenes is of Dagwood emerging from his bed after the hunger strike to reveal loads of dishes under the covers.

It was after the marriage of the disinherited blissfully happy Dagwood and the carefree vivacious Blondie took place that audiences truly warmed to their humorous domestic escapades. Blondie and Dagwood became a happy family whose troubles reflected those of the readers’ in many ways. The couple started their married life penniless, as were most during the Depression, which lent itself to many enjoyable scenes. First Dagwood’s need to find work made great stories and eventually so did his relationship with his boss Mister Dithers. However, the charms of Blondie the strip relied on the couple’s home life and its place in the pantheon of all things domestic comedy, which was a revolutionary one at that as Chic Young insisted that the young Bumsteads share a double bed, not the twin beds audiences saw on all other domestic stories in media. (loc.gov) In fact, the Bumsteads did not share a bed in their movie incarnations.

As the strip continued its run, Blondie and Dagwood changed as did their family. Blondie, who started as an airhead of sorts, became the Bumstead voice of reason and Dagwood became the flake to whom all things happen. Part of Dagwood’s charm is he remains a child of sorts, an innocent whose zany antics we cannot get enough of and all because he can’t seem to get things quite right. Except his sandwich, which is a masterpiece every single time.

On April 15, 1934, the couple welcomed their first child, Baby Dumpling (later Alexander) who received almost as much media attention as baby Ricardo on “I Love Lucy” two decades later. Except without the power of television.

In 1941, Blondie and Dagwood welcomed a daughter, Cookie, whose name was chosen by hundreds of thousands of submissions in a contest run by Chic Young. Blondie’s popularity soared when the Bumsteads became a family in earnest in their home in Joplin, Missouri, including Daisy (family dog and Dagwood’s best friend) and the pups. At the height of its popularity, Blondie rivaled Peanuts. No doubt, this creation by Chic Young is one of the all-time greats in the pantheon of comic strips. I would say a masterpiece people have enjoyed for its love conquers all stories and wonderful drawings. It has been one of my favorites for years.

Aside from daily strips and Sunday editions, the Bumsteads have enjoyed comic book popularity as well with seven versions spanning from 1947 to 1976.

As you probably know Blondie’s popularity jumped to screens and the airwaves as well. As far as the movies go, the story is that as the strip’s popularity grew, Columbia Pictures’ boss Harry Cohn decided that the characters had potential for a B-picture or two so he signed a deal with Chic Young. The result was a 28-picture, 12-year run between 1938 and 1950. All twenty-eight movies star Penny Singleton as Blondie and Arthur Lake as Dagwood. The first and best is Frank Strayer’s Blondie. Strayer directed more than a dozen of the Blondie pictures.

Some of the signature gags from the strip made it into the movies such as Dagwood running into the mailman every morning as he is late for work causing the mail to fly all over the place. That happened early in all of the movies welcoming devoted fans to the hijinks of their favorite family. Following Dagwood’s signature,” Blondieeeeee.” Dagwood’s legendary sandwich also made its way into every single one of the movies and into Webster’s New World Dictionary.

The first movie in the series sees the Bumsteads about to celebrate their fifth anniversary, but money troubles ensue. They have money troubles often in their history. In fact, the Bumstead budget, as Blondie mentions in one of the movies, is the pulse of the family. Dagwood asks for a raise from Mr. Dithers (Jonathan Hale), owner of the J. C. Dithers Construction Company, with whom Dagwood is always at odds just like in the strip. Blondie, on the other hand, orders new furniture (from an uncredited Charles Lane) since they just finished paying off other furniture. Her logic is impeccable, a logic inherited by an almost-too-cute Baby Dumpling (Larry Simms). Dagwood loses his job after getting into a jam at work, but makes up for it by wooing a wealthy businessman (Gene Lockhart) into investing with the Dithers Company.

Staying true to the comic strip, Blondie (1938) features several of the same characters throughout the series played by the same actors. Aside from Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake, Larry Simms plays Baby Dumpling in all of the movies. He was so popular in the role that he was credited as “Baby Dumpling” in Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) where he plays the Hopper Boy. Marjorie Ann Mutchie (as Marjorie Kent) makes her debut as Cookie Bumstead in Frank Strayer’s It’s a Great Life (1943), the thirteenth movie in the series and one of the few without “Blondie” in the title. More on that later.

Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake as Blondie and Dagwood in the first movie in the Blondie series

Rounding out the regulars that make up the Bumstead family is Daisy, the cocker Spaniel/Poodle/Terrier mix whose real name was Spooks and plays the Bumstead’s trusted pooch with flair. Spooks appeared in a good number of movies in character parts, but is best remembered as Daisy. The prolific Willie Best appears as a porter in the first movie and does what he can with the stereotypical part he is given. Best plays varied roles throughout the series and remains mostly uncredited. Fay Helm appears in several Blondie movies as Mrs. Fuddle, neighbor to the Bumsteads and Blondie’s best friend. Danny Mummert plays her son Alvin, Baby Dumpling’s nemesis.

The Blondie movies are typical B-fare. They are fun, perfect for Saturday mornings, but substance is hard to come by. There are a few hearty laughs like the one in Blondie with the talking scale in the hotel men’s bathroom. It advertises your favorite radio voice will talk to you and when it does, it tells Dagwood he’s a loser.

Probably the best part of the series, however, are the actors that appear throughout. If you are a fan of the great character players you’ll get to see the likes of Donald Meek, John Qualen, Edgar Kennedy, William Frawley, and Mary Wickes to name a few. Many future major Columbia stars also make appearances. I was quite surprised to see Rita Hayworth, for instance, play prominently in Blondie on a Budget (1940). She is an old friend of Dagwood’s who plays right into Blondie’s jealous hands. When Blondie was not trying to finagle the family budget in order to buy something, she spent her time worrying that Dagwood would leave her for another woman.

Larry Simms, Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake and Rita Hayworth in BLONDIE ON A BUDGET

The Blondie movie series ended with Edward Bernds’ Beware of Blondie (1950) where we see Dagwood in charge of the Dithers Construction Company while the boss is on vacation. You can just imagine how well that goes. Adele Jergens plays Miss Clifton, a con woman who takes advantage of Dagwood’s innocence to get to Dithers’ money. Of course, all turns out fine in the end with one important resolution to the series to close out a continuous loop. The mailman (Dick Wessel) decides to end Dagwood running into him finally by delivering the Bumstead mail on his own time at night. No more dirty uniforms. No more bruises. No more scattered mail. Unfortunately, the day he decides to do his first night delivery is tax day and guess who runs out of the house to mail his taxes at the last minute.

By the time Beware of Blondie was made the stories were stretched thin. The familiar Bumstead elements held the movies together as the family survived all sorts of domestic misadventures. According to AFI, Columbia had lost interest in the series after the first fourteen installments. They released two movies without Blondie’s name in the title and stopped producing the series in 1943. However, audiences wanted more and production resumed for another fourteen movies making this series the longest in terms of pictures to date. When the Blondie pictures ceased altogether in 1950, Columbia intended to replace it with another comic strip series, but that fell way short at the box office forcing the studio to reissue all 28 Blondie pictures.

Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms, and Marjorie Kent in the final picture in the series

America’s love affair with Blondie, Dagwood and the gang was not limited to movies, as we well know. The comic strip continued to strong readership and between 1939 and 1950, Blondie was also heard on radio. Arthur Lake played Dagwood in this version as well with Penny Singleton replaced by Alice White, Patricia Van Cleve and Ann Rutherford at various times. Blondie originally aired on CBS with Camel Cigarettes as its sponsor and later moved to NBC and Super Suds. Lake and Singleton made an appearance as Blondie and Dagwood on The Bob Hope Show following the 1938 release of the first movie, which led to their own show as a summer replacement for The Eddie Cantor Show. They originally aired on Monday evenings at 7:30 and just as the strip helped Depression-era audiences forget their troubles, the radio show helped them through World War II. Enjoy the following episodes of Blondie out of the funnies and into your homes…

From October 1939, “Dagwood Buys a New Suit”

https://ia800201.us.archive.org/13/items/OtrBlondie/Bd1939-10-30018DagwoodBuysANewSuit.mp3

From April 1940, “The Gypsy Queen”

https://ia800201.us.archive.org/13/items/OtrBlondie/Bd1940-04-22043TheGypsyQueen.mp3

From March 1944, “Abbott and Costello with Blondie and Dagwood”

https://ia800201.us.archive.org/13/items/OtrBlondie/Bd1944-03-02AbbottCostelloWBlondieDagwood.mp3

From July 1944, “Plumbin Problems”

https://ia800201.us.archive.org/13/items/OtrBlondie/Bd1944-07-21PlumbingProblems.mp3

From May 1945, “Socialite Blondie”

https://ia800201.us.archive.org/13/items/OtrBlondie/Bd1945-05-27SocialiteBlondiesocialAspirations.mp3

From July 1947, “Three Week’s Vacation”

https://ia800201.us.archive.org/13/items/OtrBlondie/Bd1947-07-27ThreeWeeksVacation.mp3

Unlike radio and the movies, attempts to bring Blondie to television proved unsuccessful. Its power were in the mediums already discussed, but it’s at least worth a mention that those in charge thought enough of the characters and their stories to give them several attempts at TV productions. The first such attempt, Blondie, premiered on January 4, 1957 on NBC and ran for one season. Pamela Britton starred as Blondie with Arthur Lake reprising his famous role once again. Stuffy Singer, Florenz Ames, Ann Barnes, and Harold Peary were also in the cast. In 1968, CBS gave Blondie a turn with The New Blondie, which also ran for one season. Patricia Harty and Will Hutchins star as Blondie and Dagwood in this version with real-life married couple Jim and Henny Backus as Mr. and Mrs. Dithers with Pamelyn Ferdin and Peter Robbins playing the Bumstead kids. As you can tell from the short run of both series, neither managed to capture the charm of the Bumsteads the other versions of their stories did.

Chicago native Chic Young drew Blondie seven days a week from 1930 until his death in 1973 producing more than 15,000 strips. His legacy, continued by his son Dean Young, is one of warmth and humor and home. No matter the decades that have passed, people still visit with the Bumsteads – 90 years after meeting them. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude for the laughter during difficult times.

Chic Young’s BLONDIE turns 90! On September 8, 1930, in the midst of the Great Depression, the world was introduced to Blondie Boopadoop, a dizzy blonde flapper created by Murat Bernard 'Chic' Young.

#Arthur Lake #Blondie movies #Chic Young&039;s Blondie #Penny Singleton

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catholicpriestmedia · 5 years

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"Why did you suffer for me, dear Jesus? For love! The nails…the crown…the cross…all for the love of me!" - #SaintGemmaGalgani . '24 Hours for the Lord' is held annually on the Friday and Saturday before the Fourth Sunday of Lent. If possible, a Church in every Diocese (Worldwide) is kept open for 24 Consecutive Hours. . During this time and if local Regulations allow it, the Church encourages us to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance (Confession/Reconciliation). . Also, let us continue praying for each other, during this Worldwide Pandemic. #CoronaVirusPandemic . 📷 Wooden Cross with Blood, Hammer, Nails, and Crown Of Thorns / © Romolo Tavani / Getty Images . . #CatholicPriestMedia #Catholic_Priest #Lent2020 #SacredArtandImages #24HoursfortheLord . . . https://www.instagram.com/p/B9_PozQDCW8/?igshid=wx9sr8hlts5k

#saintgemmagalgani #coronaviruspandemic #catholicpriestmedia #catholic_priest #lent2020 #sacredartandimages #24hoursforthelord

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orthodoxydaily · 3 years

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Saints&Reading: Sun, March, 20, 2022

March 20_March 7

SAINTED GREGORY PALAMAS, ARCHBISHOP OF THESSALONIKA (1359)

About the year 1330 the learned monk Barlaam had arrived in Constantinople from Calabria, in Italy. He was the author of treatises on logic and astronomy, a skilled and sharp-witted orator, and he received a university chair in the capital city and began to expound on the works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite (October 3), whose “apophatic” (“negative”, in contrast to “kataphatic” or “positive”) theology was acclaimed in equal measure in both the Eastern and the Western Churches. Soon Barlaam journeyed to Mt. Athos, where he became acquainted with the spiritual life of the hesychasts. Saying that it was impossible to know the essence of God, he declared mental prayer a heretical error. Journeying from Mount Athos to Thessalonica, and from there to Constantinople, and later again to Thessalonica, Barlaam entered into disputes with the monks and attempted to demonstrate the created, material nature of the light of Tabor (i.e. at the Transfiguration). He ridiculed the teachings of the monks about the methods of prayer and about the uncreated light seen by the hesychasts.

THE MONK PAUL THE SIMPLE

Saint Paul the Simple of Egypt also lived in the fourth century and was called the Simple for his simplicity of heart and gentleness. He had been married, but when he discovered his wife’s infidelity, he left her and went into the desert to Saint Anthony the Great (January 17). Paul was already 60 years old, and at first Saint Anthony would not accept Paul, saying that he was unfit for the harshness of the hermit’s life. Paul stood outside the cell of the ascetic for three days, saying that he would sooner die than go from there. Then Saint Anthony took Paul into his cell, and tested his endurance and humility by hard work, severe fasting, with nightly vigils, constant singing of Psalms and prostrations. Finally, Saint Anthony decided to settle Paul into a separate cell.

During the many years of ascetic exploits the Lord granted Saint Paul both discernment, and the power to cast out demons. When they brought a possessed youth to Saint Anthony, he guided the afflicted one to Saint Paul saying, “I cannot help the boy, for I have not received power over the Prince of the demons. Paul the Simple, however, does have this gift.” Saint Paul expelled the demon by his simplicity and humility.

After living for many years, performing numerous miracles, he departed to the Lord. He is mentioned by Saint John, the Abbot of Sinai (Ladder 24:30): “The thrice-blessed Paul the Simple was a clear example for us, for he was the rule and type of blessed simplicity....”

Saint Paul is also commemorated on October 4.

Source: Alll texts, Orthodox Church of America. OCA

MARK 2:1-12

1And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." 6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone? 8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins-He said to the paralytic, 11 I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

HEBREWS 1:10-2:3

1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #originofchristianity #easternchristianity #spirituality #holyscriptures #gospel #wisdom

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veale2006-blog · 1 year

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Passover vs Easter April 9,2023 Long but worth the read! Passover, the first feast of the year, was first enacted near the end of Israel’s slavery in Egypt, in the month of April, in the year 1598 BC. It is then, that Yehovah began to institute the seven feasts, beginning with Passover. With the renewed Moon appearing maybe on the evening of April 10, 1598 BC, a new calendar, the first day of the first month (Aviv), was given to Israel.

Later that day, Pharaoh sent for Moses and said the people could now go free, and that they could obtain donations from the people of Egypt.

Exodus 12:35–36 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:

And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself.

John 19:4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished", and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Now, I will talk about the evils of Easter.

Easter was celebrated with the dyeing and searching for eggs laid by fictional rabbits, and eating ham to commemorate the boar the killed Tammuz. The day of the crucifixion was changed to Good Friday, in honor of Dagon the fish god, when fish is to be eaten, and recognition of the resurrection was changed to Easter Sunday, a week after what was called “Palm Sunday”, when Yeshua was thought to have ridden into Jerusalem. However, Yeshua rode into Jerusalem as the Messiah on Saturday, crucified on Wednesday, was still in the tomb on Friday, and rose from the dead on Saturday the Sabbath. He did not resurrect on Sunday.

The End

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