Thursday, April 8, 2010

EASTER

I know have different audiences, some come here for the food. Some come for the spirituality. Some come for both. AND I know some come for neither, they just like to be here. Some are churchman, some are not. Be that as it may I just want to say a linear temporal sense, for Christians it is still Easter. I know Walgreens has discounted and sold all the Jelly Beans and Peeps and are now trying to sell you barbeques and lawn chairs. Walgreens usually has the Easter candy on the shelf before Ash Wednesday. Some of my more churchy friends trade candy eggs and say, “Here are your ASH WEDNESDAY EGGS!” That being said, EASTER, will continue for the great fifty days until Pentecost.

PENTECOST:
The Festival Sunday that comes fifty days after Easter in which we commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the twelve Disciples after Christ's Resurrection (Acts 2). Pentecost is traditionally seen as the birthday of the church, and is also the beginning of the longest season in the church - the season after Pentecost. The season after Pentecost runs from the day of Pentecost to the first Sunday in Advent. (In the Episcopal Church) Prior to the 1979 prayer book, the day of Pentecost was known as Whitsunday.

Easter & Pentecost are “moveable” feasts. Sometimes it is early – sometimes it is late.

Per the prayer book:

Easter Day is always the Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox on March 21, a date which is fixed in accordance with an ancient ecclesiastical computation, and which does not always correspond to the astronomical equinox. This full moon may happen on any date between March 21 and April 18 inclusive. If the full moon falls on a Sunday, Easter Day is the Sunday following. But Easter Day cannot be earlier than March 22 or later than April 25.

Next year Easter will be on April 24th, probably the latest in our lifetimes. In 2011 we will have the most weeks after Epiphany in our lifetimes. What will Walgreens do?


SOLI DEO GLORIA

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