Easter Sunday is one of the most recognized and celebrated holidays the world over. Today many children are eager to receive their Easter baskets to see what the Easter Bunny has brought, and left behind. Most likely it will be filled with plastic (so called) “grass“, chocolate, eggs, marshmallow Peeps, and maybe even a stuffed … Continue reading Easter Sunday: The Feast of the Resurrection
Today is Holy Saturday, the day that Jesus’ body lay in the tomb, awaiting his glorious resurrection. This then begs the question: where was Jesus’s spirit on Holy Saturday? There are a myriad of beliefs about what Jesus did during this period of time. A helpful place to start is a truth that we confess … Continue reading Holy Saturday: Did Jesus Really Go To Hell?
Good Friday is an essential day in Holy Week. On this day, Christians throughout the world remember the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. You may wonder, why do we call this day Good Friday when the crucifixion does not sound good? Other names for this day are Great and Holy Friday (as the … Continue reading Why Do We Call It Good Friday?
Maundy Thursday. I drifted lazily on my Southern Baptist roots well into adulthood having never heard the phrase. My childhood neighbors were mostly of the same ilk, giving great reverence to Easter Sunday but skipping right past all other Passion Week observances. To this day I don’t even recall Maundy Thursday being mentioned in casual … Continue reading A Baptist’s Reflections on Maundy Thursday
Palm Sunday is one of the rare days in the Church Calendar when most churches, regardless of the denomination, manage to get in the spirit of things (at least in my limited Catholic-Presbyterian-Anglican experience). Who doesn’t love a good parade of children waving palm fronds at the beginning of a service? Even Baptists can get … Continue reading Palm Sunday: The Return of the King
Lent is a sober season within the Christian calendar. As we progress through Lent, we inch closer to celebrating Easter. However, celebrations don’t have to wait until Easter, as there are feasts and occasions we can honor in the meantime. One such occasion is the Feast of the Annunciation, which we typically celebrate every year … Continue reading The Feast Day of the Annunciation
Today is the Feat Day of Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus our Lord. In Saint Joseph we have an impeccable model of biblical manhood, and a man worthy of more of our admiration and attention. Joseph was a man who listened to the voice of God above all else and … Continue reading The Feast Day of St. Joseph
Saint Patrick’s Day has been impressed in the public consciousness as a day that evokes the imagery of leprechauns, rainbows with pots of gold at the end, and the shamrock. It is also known for traditions such as dressing in green, parades, and drinking a pint of Guinness. Yet with the commercialization of this holiday, … Continue reading The Feast Day of St. Patrick
February 24 marks the feast day of Saint Matthias the Apostle for Anglicans (his feast day is celebrated on May 14 in Roman Catholicism and on August 9 in Eastern Orthodoxy). Saint Matthias is unique in church history in that he is the first apostle admitted to the College of Apostles by election (casting lots) … Continue reading The Feast Day of St. Matthias the Apostle
The church calendar and secular society acknowledge February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day. Much of its historical origins are patchy. There are a few saints named Saint Valentine who lived in the Roman Empire during the third century A.D. and became martyrs. One Saint Valentine was imprisoned and martyred by Emperor Claudius II for rebelling … Continue reading The Feast Day of St. Valentine
Today is the Feast Day of the Confession of St. Peter the Apostle. Saint Peter was one of the first disciples Jesus Christ called to follow him (Matt. 4:18-20; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11; John 1:40-42). He worked as a fisherman in the Sea of Galilee with his brother Andrew. Jesus called him to follow him … Continue reading The Feast Day of the Confession of St. Peter the Apostle
Growing up in a non-liturgical context, I had never heard of the Feast of the Holy Innocents. Even though there is a small reference to the event in the Gospels, the day serves as a reminder to us of God’s love and justice. The Feast Day of the Holy Innocents, commemorated on December 28th, honors the … Continue reading The Feast Day of The Holy Innocents
