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The Christian Year The Christian year is divided up with events which remind us of the life of Jesus. It begins with the season of Advent, at the very end of November, which is a period of preparation for the coming of Christ, and then moves through the story of his life to the important focus of Holy Week and Easter. After celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, the story focuses on the founding of the Church itself, with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, before settling down for a period of teaching and consolidation of the faith during the weeks of Trinity. Some festivals, like Christmas Day, happen on the same date every year, while others move around within a range of dates. Advent Advent is a term from the Latin word 'adventus' which means 'arrival'. It is a time of waiting for the arrival of Christmas, the coming of Jesus to earth when he was born as a baby at Bethlehem about two thousand years ago. Advent is the new year of the Christian Church and the church season that leads to Christmas Day. Many churches also include an Advent Wreath (sometimes called an Advent Ring or Crown) and an Advent Candle in their Advent services. The Christian year follows the life of Jesus. It begins with Advent Sunday - which is the Christian church, is 'New Year's Day'. The most important day of the year will be Easter Sunday, the day on which Jesus came back to life - but before that festival, there will be other special days to look forward to. At the end of Advent, there will be Jesus' birthday (Christmas Day). Advent begins on the Sunday nearest to 30th November (St. Andrew's Day) and lasts until midnight on Christmas Eve. Advent Sunday is the first of the four sundays before the 25th December. During the season of Advent, Christians across the world prepare for the celebration of the arrival of the Lord into the world through the birth of his Son Jesus Christ. Advent is a time to celebrate light in the midst of darkness. It is also a time to look forward to when Jesus will come a second time. History of Advent In the 5th Century, Advent began on 11 November (St Martin's Day) and took the form of a six week fast leading to Christmas. During the 6th century, Advent was reduced to its current length and later the fasting was dropped. Christmas Christmas Day is 25 December. It marks the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus' birth, known as the nativity. According to tradition, Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem shortly before Jesus' birth. Joseph had been ordered to take part in a census in his home town of Bethlehem. All Jewish people had to be counted so the Roman Emperor could determine how much money to collect from them in tax. Those who had moved away from their family homes, like Joseph, had to return to have their names entered in the Roman records. Joseph and Mary set off on the long, arduous 90-mile journey from Nazareth along the valley of the River Jordan, past Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Mary travelled on a donkey to conserve her energy for the birth. But when they arrived in Bethlehem the local inn was already full with people returning for the census. The innkeeper let them stay in the rock cave below his house which was used as a stable for his animals. It was here, next to the noise and filth of the animals, that Mary gave birth to her son and laid him in a manger. Epiphany Epiphany is twelve days after Christmas. It is associated with the visit of the Magi (Wise Men) to the infant Jesus when God revealed himself to the world through the incarnation of Jesus. Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. It's a day of penitence to clean the soul before the Lent fast. Some other churches hold special services at which worshippers are marked with ashes as a symbol of death, and sorrow for sin. Lent Lent is the period of forty days which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent is a season of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter. By observing the forty days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus Christ's sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert where he fasted for forty days. Lent, then, is our time of fasting, prayer, temptation and repentance. Lent is not required anywhere in scriptures, but it has been a custom, which Christians have practiced for most of the last two thousand years. In many languages, the word "Lent" actually means "fast." This is where the custom of giving up something for Lent originated. Whereas Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus after his death on the cross, Lent recalls the events leading up to and including Jesus' crucifixion by Rome. Only a small number of people today fast for the whole of Lent, although some maintain the practice on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. It is more common these days for believers to surrender a particular vice such as favourite foods or smoking. Whatever the sacrifice it is a reflection of Jesus' deprivation in the wilderness and a test of self-discipline. The focus of Lent was always threefold: 1. It was a time to prepare new Christians for baptism through intensive classes and instruction. 2. It was a time for long-standing Christians to review their lives and renew their commitment to Jesus Christ. 3. It was a time for those away from God to be restored to the faith. However, just to confuse things, Lent is actually 46 days rather than 40 days. Why? Because the 40 days of Lent are supposed to be days of fasting, which means days of discipline and self-restraint. But Sunday, the Lord's Day, should never be a day of fasting, but a day of celebration! So each Sunday we suspend our Lenten disciplines and celebrate. Lent is 40 "fasting" days spread out over a total of 46 days. Palm Sunday Palm Sunday commemorates Christ's triumphant arrival in Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd. The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!" John 12:12-13 Later in that week many of the people in that cheering crowd would be among those shouting that Jesus should be executed. In churches, members of the congregation hold small crosses made of palm leaf, both to remember the palm leaves which the people of Jerusalem waved when Jesus arrived, and to remember the cross on which he died. Holy Week Holy week is the week leading up to Easter. It is the most solemn week of the Christian year, and is the week during which Christians particularly remember the last week of Jesus's life. Holy week begins on Palm Sunday. Maundy Thursday This is the Thursday before Easter. Christians remember it as the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and established the ceremony known as the Eucharist. The night of Maundy Thursday is the night on which Jesus was betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane. The word maundy comes from the command given by Christ at the Last Supper, that we should love one another. Good Friday The most important events in Christianity are the death and later resurrection of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God, and whose life and teachings are the foundation of Christianity. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter. It commemorates the execution of Jesus by crucifixion. Good Friday is a day of mourning in church. During special Good Friday services Christians meditate on Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, and what this means for their faith. Easter Sunday Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important Christian festival, and the one celebrated with the greatest joy. The date of Easter changes each year, and several other Christian festivals fix their dates by reference to Easter. The Easter story is at the heart of Christianity. On Good Friday, Jesus Christ was executed by crucifixion. His body was taken down from the cross, and buried in a cave. The tomb was guarded and an enormous stone was put over the entrance, so that no-one could steal the body. On the following Sunday, some women visited the grave and found that the stone had been moved, and that the tomb was empty. Jesus himself was seen that day, and for days afterwards by many people. His followers realised that God had raised Jesus from the dead. Ascension Day Ascension Day celebrates Jesus's ascension to heaven after he was resurrected on Easter Day. Mark 16:9-20 tells the story. He appeared first to Mary of Magdala. She went and carried the news to his mourning and sorrowful followers, but when she told them that he was alive they did not believe her. Later he appeared to two of the disciples as they were walking into the countryside. They also went and took the news to the others, but again they did not believe that the Lord was alive. Then, when the eleven disciples were at the table. He appeared to them and reproached them because they had not believed those who had seen him after he was raised from the dead. Then he said to them: 'Go forth to every part of the world, and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. Those who believe it and receive baptism will find salvation; those who do not believe will be condemned, Faith will bring with it these miracles: believers will cast out devils in my name and speak in strange tongues; if they handle snakes or drink any deadly poison, they will come to no harm; and the sick on whom they lay their hands will recover.' So after talking with them the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven, and he took his seat at the right hand of God. Whitsun (Pentecost) Pentecost is also known as Whitsunday and is a major festival in the Christian church. It is celebrated on the Sunday which falls on the 50th day after the Easter festival. The name Pentecost comes from a Greek word which means 'fiftieth'. Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of flames to the followers of Jesus, as recorded in the New Testament. Jesus had told them to wait until the Spirit came to them. Ten days after Ascension, 50 days after the resurrection, the Spirit came. The festival is often called Pentecost because when the disciples received the Holy Spirit and began to go out and preach about Jesus it was the Jewish festival of Pentecost. Pentecost is recognised as the birth of the Church. The Apostle Peter preached a sermon which resulted in 3,000 people becoming believers. Whit Sunday is a favourite day for baptism. It is thought that because people are often baptised dressed in white, Whit Sunday was probably originally known as 'White Sunday'. Whisuntide is the week following with Whitsunday, which is always the seventh Sunday after Easter Sunday. Trinity Sunday The first Sunday after Pentecost is the Festival of the Holy Trinity. On this day, the church rejoices in the impenetrable mystery that God is triune (three-in-one) -Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How the Lord can be one God in three distinct persons is a fundamental article of the Christian faith. The part of the church calendar between Trinity and the first Sunday of Advent is traditionally called the Trinity Season. |