Category: Spirituality

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Mothering Sunday

The fourth Sunday in Lent in the Western tradition is  known by several names: “The Sunday of the Five Loaves” from the Gospel passage for the day (John 6:1-14). “Rose Sunday” because the clerical and Altar vestments may change color from violet to rose. But why the change in color in the first place? Another name for this Sunday gives us a clue: “Laetare Sunday” (Laetare meaning: Rejoice).

The Introit chant for this Sunday begins in Latin: Laetare Jerusalem, et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam. (Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her). This chant is taken from Isaiah 66:10. The call to rejoice here in the middle of this season of repentance is meant as an encouragement to us, a comforting reminder of the tenderness, the nurturing, even the motherliness of God. As an outward symbol of this, the liturgical vestments here in the West lighten on Laetare Sunday from a somber violet to a soft, maternal rose color. And that maternal-ness gives this Sunday yet another popular name: Mothering Sunday. The theme of mothering features prominently in the Propers of this day. Continue reading “Mothering Sunday”

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An Eastern Apostle to the West

In the first century, only a few years after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, a certain man who had been living in Palestine began traveling around the Mediterranean preaching about Jesus Christ to the pagan Gentiles. I’m not talking about St. Paul, although he did travel with St. Paul. He also traveled with and assisted St. Andrew on his journeys, and is even numbered among the 70 (72) disciples sent out by Jesus in Luke 10. He knew St. Paul probably through the apostle Barnabas, his brother. And it was while traveling with Paul and Barnabas that the apostle Paul ordained him as a bishop and sent him further West than Paul could then go. This man, a brown skinned, Jewish Cypriot, hailing from Palestine, traveled more than 2,000 miles Westward toward Spain, and then northward into Britannia. Continue reading “An Eastern Apostle to the West”

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How the East and West Begin Lent

In accordance with my stated theme for this blog, I want to very briefly compare the beginnings of Lent in the Eastern and Western traditions, focusing especially on their similarities. There’s enough that superficially appears different about the way the two traditions begin the Lenten journey that to the casual observer, they may appear to have different spirits. But in comparing the Eastern Forgiveness Sunday and Clean Monday with the Western Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, there’s actually much commonality to find. Continue reading “How the East and West Begin Lent”

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Pilgrims of History

What’s the difference in a pilgrimage and a vacation? This past November I made trip to the British Isles that was maybe a little of both. Among the places I visited were the shrine of St. Alban (the first martyr of Britain), the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (one of the most venerated Marian apparition sites in medieval Europe), and the shared burial site of Sts. Patrick, Columba, and Brigit of Ireland. Though I prayed at each of these sites, I often couldn’t help feeling like I was a tourist more than a pilgrim, especially after hearing of the devotions that Christians of the past would keep at these holy places, like walking the last ‘holy mile’ to the Shrine at Walsingham barefoot.

Continue reading “Pilgrims of History”