A New Year again - Rector's Rambling for December 2, 2018

Every year on January 1, we go over our list of New Year’s Resolutions – all those things that we are planning on doing for the coming year to improve our health and live a better life.  An example of this is how full the local gym is that first week or two of the new year.  However, by the third or fourth week of the year, the wait for your favorite calorie burning machine has shortened considerably.

Today the Liturgical New Year starts.  The four Sundays before the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity (Christmas) are the weeks when the Church prepares for the great Feast with a time of penitence and fasting, although not to the same extent as in Lent.  The new year starts today as we begin the year long cycle of the life of the Church and more importantly the life of our Lord.

For four weeks we will be in purple (the color of penitence –- a state of sorrow for sin) and will concentrate on preparing for the promise of the birth of the Saviour, as well as his return again to judge the world.

December 25 (actually at sundown on the 24th) we start the celebration of the 12 days of Christmas, and then on January 6 we celebrate the Magi (the wise men) visiting Jesus and begin the season of the Epiphany – the manifestation of Jesus as Saviour to the gentiles as well as the Jews.

This year Easter falls on April 21 which is based on a lunar calendar, so February 17 is the beginning of the pre-Lenten season called the Gesima Season for the names of the three Sundays before Lent.  This is a time of transition.  Then Ash Wednesday this year is March 6.  This is the time of deeper fasting and penitence in preparation for Holy Week and then the Resurrection.

Eastertide is also a season!  We spend 40 days in Lent and we also get 40 days of celebration in Easter, with 10 more between Jesus’ Ascension and the gift of the Holy Ghost (Pentecost or Whitsunday).  Then we take two Sundays to celebrate the Trinity and the Blessed Sacrament before starting Trinity Season all over again.

Of course, we preface looking forward by saying, “God willing”!