Jason Kaspar – Page 3 – What Does This Mean?

Last Things #8: Pennies From Heaven?

[Fourteenth in a series of posts on Last Things] Encore Post: “Pennies from heaven,” “a cardinal on my fence line,” and “someone looking down on me” are a few examples of seemingly innocuous things even faithful Christians will say regarding the dead. We’ll hear folks speak of the dead as if they are still interacting with us here on Earth. I don’t believe for a second that most folks realize what they’re saying or intend to promote heresy in any way. However, it’s incorrect and needs to be addressed.

The first concern here is that our loved ones at rest in Christ are sending love notes to us from their rest in Christ in heaven. As I’ve discussed before, our deceased loved ones are finally free from the taint of sin. Dwelling only in blessedness and righteousness, they have a dim view of the world, still corrupted by sin and our part in it.

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.” (Revelation 6:9-11)

I thank the Lord that their awareness of us is probably hidden.

In Luke 16, we have the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. In torment in Hell, the nameless Rich Man is allowed to see Abraham and Lazarus. He speaks with Abraham. There is no interaction between him and Lazarus. The rich man sees nothing else of Heaven or Earth. And Abraham defines their positions thusly, “…between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.” (Luke 16:26)

Now, the second concern here is the attribution of godlike powers to those who have been taken on to glory in the heavens. In this case, Aunt Hildegard is “smiling down on me.” We’ll hear of her sending a rainbow, of a cool breeze in the summer heat, a rainstorm in a drought, sunshine to break up a monsoon, a pristine snowfall on a winter’s night, or some other weather anomaly.

We’ve made blessed Aunt Hildegard into nothing more than a pagan weather goddess. By applying god-like power to her, we diminish the Lord of the heavens and the earth. And we seek to pull her out of salvation in heaven with Jesus. Instead, we’d see her moved into a pagan pantheon and a lesser god status there, too.

The real error: finding peace and comfort in this life, not the promise of the resurrection. There’s no promise our loved ones will hear us now. But we will see them again at the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom. That’s a little sad, and a whole lot OK.

Real Christian comfort comes in knowing that our loved ones have received salvation bought for them by the death of Jesus. That’s the same salvation promised to us in our own baptism. It will be delivered in full on the day of our death. The day when we too inherit the crown of salvation bought by Jesus’s blood and righteousness.

In our grief, let the Lord be the King of Salvation.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

Last Things #5: What About the Disposition of Our Bodies?

Encore Post: Gnostics, pagans, agnostics, and atheists all tell us that the body is meaningless. The atheists will say that there is nothing beyond death. The Gnostics and pagans will say that the soul is the true nature of a person. Now freed from this mortal coil, the dead are on to a permanent spiritual existence.

This is not so, dear Christians!

The unnatural, violent separation of body and soul in death is a temporary state. In the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the life everlasting that follows thereafter, we will be reunited with our bodies in perfected glory.

“Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:23-27 – KNJV)

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21 – ESV)

So, what do we do between now and then?

In Christianity, we have maintained a high view of the bodies of those who die in faith in Christ. Our treatment of the dead flows out of our understanding of the resurrection. We confess that our Lord is not done with this body. He will restore life and vigor to our bodies and our souls. We also confess the resurrection in the way we treat the bodies of the blessed dead.

We practice rites and rituals at the time of death. These include: the commendation of the dying, comforting of the bereaved, the funeral service, and the committal at the graveside. It’s erroneous to say these things are only for the living. We practice these rights for the living and the dead. Now, there should be no confusion here. The disposition of the dead is determined entirely by the forgiveness of sins by the atoning work of Jesus and faith in that same promise. But God is not done with the remains. So, we take great care to place the bodies of our loved ones into a safe resting place until the day of resurrection.

The scriptures have some indications of the practices we mimic. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob are all buried in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron the Hittite in Mamre. (Genesis ch. 23, 35, 49, & 50) The Cave of the Patriarchs is a religious pilgrimage site to this day. It is visited by Jews, Christians, and Islamists. The Islamist side of the Herodian building has a wall separating it from the other side. All visitors still visit the same site.

The committal at the graveside is a significant part of these collected rites. Your pastor blesses the body in its casket/coffin for the last time. He blesses the grave itself. In many cases, the pastor will remain with the body from its entrance into the church, through the funeral and interment, and leave only when the grave is being filled. He does this to serve as a visual representation of Jesus, in whose stead and by whose command he speaks. In burial, we place our deceased loved ones to rest in a bed in the earth. There their bodies rest securely under a blanket of earth until the Lord’s return.

It is best for us to bury a body in a casket/coffin. Our Christian burial practices are different from the pagans. We confess the resurrection of all flesh. The pagans confess the end of the flesh. In their confession, burning the remains, scattering the remains, or exposing the dead for scavenging are all “natural” treatments of an empty vessel. Since they do not believe in a resurrection, they treat the body like refuse. Christians have only recently embraced cremation as an acceptable practice. It is not the best option.

“But, Pastor, can’t God put them back together?” Yes, but that’s the wrong question. What’s the best option? Burial of the body with great reverence and care confesses the resurrection in word and in deed. It does not challenge or test God. Instead, bodily burial reinforces God’s promise concerning the body.

“What about those burned in fire/destroyed in combat/buried at sea?” We will often go to extreme examples to carve out defenses for less-than-defensible positions. We do our best based on circumstances. When there’s near total loss, we bury what we can. Even the military will place limited remains into a casket for transport home to be buried.

Even burial at sea is also a deliberate, careful practice. The body is sent to rest in “the deep.” Davey Jones’ Locker, or some other euphemism, is a place. It’s not a place like a cemetery. But it is a place in its concept. All the dead buried at sea go to rest in the deep together, like those buried in a cemetery.

Mandy and I have intent for each other. For our bodies, we prefer to be buried without embalming in meager wooden boxes, preferably a coffin in style. The eight surfaces of a coffin continue to confess the eighth-day baptismal promise in which we rest. We do not wish to have a viewing of any sort or an open casket. Everyone knows what’s in that box. There’s no need to imply something else. And at last, bury us among other Christians awaiting the resurrection on the last day.

Let us confess Jesus Christ, even in death.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

Last Things #4: Do the Dead Perceive Us?

Encore Post: We have two examples of the dead interacting from where they await the resurrection of all flesh. These two share little with us. But we need to know what they do share.

In Luke 16, we have the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. In torment in Hell, the nameless Rich Man is allowed to see Abraham and Lazarus. He speaks with Abraham. There is no interaction between him and Lazarus. The Rich Man sees nothing else of Heaven or Earth. And Abraham defines their positions thusly: “…between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.” (Luke 16:26)

We are probably safe in assuming that this is an abnormal interaction. The Rich Man sees neither Heaven itself nor the chasm separating them. His address to Abraham, directing him to order Lazarus, reveals no change of mind or understanding about his own state or lack of authority. He is hardened in his wickedness.

St. John reveals the souls of the martyrs under the altar, who speak. “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out in a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.” (Revelation 6:9-11)

These saints under that altar have no love for the sin on the earth. They are purified of all sin. As a result, they see the whole earth as evil and in need of vengeance. We don’t want the souls at rest in heaven to see us. They will only see our sin. Jesus has compassion for us and is saving us. They do not and cannot save us. In part, this is also why we do not pray to the saints. They would cry out for our blood if they could hear us.

Thanks be to God that we are separated from there. We have one mediator between God and man, between Heaven and Earth. Jesus speaks for us, forgives our sin, and prepares a place for us. In faith, we await our own admission. In faith, we will rest secure. In faith, we will receive a crown of glory that we do not deserve.

Hang tight—What About the Disposition of Our Remains? Comes next.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

Last Things #2: No, Heaven Doesn’t Need Another Angel

[Second in a series of posts on Last Things] Encore Post: This is one of a host of throwaway platitudes we may say at the death of a Christian. We’ve inherited … Or, more correctly, we’ve been infected by the language of a faithless culture around us. In the absence of the faith, in the absence of the certainty of the resurrection promise of Holy Baptism, the pagan world speaks from ignorance to sloppily salve suffering in grief.

None of these words comes from an evil intent. It’s honorable and good to try to speak peace to those in grief. But we’d do better to stick to the words and themes of the Bible.

“Heaven needed another angel.”

No, we don’t become angels when we die. Heaven’s angels are fixed in number. They are created heavenly beings. (Colossians 1:16) They are the messengers of God. The angels are His army, His mighty host. (Joshua 5:14-15; 1 Samuel 17:45) The angels are fearsome in appearance. (Luke 2:9-10) And God has charged His angels to protect and defend us from the minions of the Evil One.

The Evil One, Lucifer, the Devil, was also one of God’s angels. (Luke 10:17-18) He and one-third of the angels in heaven rebelled against God. They were cast out. (Revelation 8:10-11; 9:1-3) Satan and his demons (angels) now dwell in hell apart from God and make war to separate us from the love of Jesus.

God didn’t send His Son to suffer and die to redeem the fallen angels. He did that for us. We are loved and have been redeemed and forgiven in a unique way. Saying that we will become them denigrates the angels. It diminishes God’s love for us to deny that our path to eternal salvation remains human and regains our flesh on the last day. Not angels–fully perfected human beings.

“He’s gone. She’s in a better place.”

Where’d he go?! Is she in a better place, like Antigua? He was hooked up to an awful lot of machines the last time I saw him.

The science-y view of nothingness beyond death leads to language like passing away. They are “gone” in that there’s nothing more. When we say someone has gone to a better place. We’re agreeing that we don’t know where. It’s a grief-softening move for those without hope. But we have great hope and a tremendous promise.

We Christians have more to say than that. We can speak the words of the scripture to console and correctly locate our loved ones. The blessed dead in the faith are at rest in Christ. The better place to which they’ve gone has a name. They have gone to heaven! We should leap at the chance to name the place where they are. That’s true, consoling, faithful, and beautiful.

The scriptures say that someone has died. (see all of Genesis 5). If we’re still uncomfortable saying someone has died, the scripture still gives us softer words. These softer words contain and still confess the hope we have.

Gained Heaven

We can say that they have “gained heaven.” “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

At Rest

We should say they are “at rest.” “Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.” (Revelation 6:11)

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Rev 14:13)

If you go through an old Lutheran churchyard (cemetery), you’ll see a curious thing. When the gravestones switch from English to German, the common phrases switch too. “Loving mother/father and beloved child” give way to something else. You’ll see things like: “Hier Ruhet.” “Ruhet in Gott,” or “Ruhe’ in Christi.” These mean: here rests, rest in God, and rest in Christ.

Let’s stick with the language and imagery of the Bible.

Hang on tight—what happens when we die? Comes next.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

What does Matt 25:33-46 tell us about immigration policy?

I recently interacted with an individual online who seemed to have a legitimate struggle with this issue as a Christian seeking to do good to their neighbor. In part, isn’t there a contradiction between our duty to serve our neighbor (the stranger) and strong immigration policy enforcement?

Applying Matt 25:31-46 to immigration policy is a misapplication of God‘s law. Jesus’ command concerning the sheep and the goats has two very important takeaways:

A) It is a command for me and a command for you. Neither of us can or should force our neighbor to follow God’s law in their individual self. We can and should certainly admonish against sin, but it is not ours to force.

B) both the sheep and the goats are mystified by their condition. The sheep are surprised that they have done well, because they only see the sin that remains in themselves, and no good works. The goats are angered, because they have justified themselves according to what they perceive as good works, which, apart from faith, are nothing.

Now, government functions exclusively in the first use of the law, the curb which forcefully constrains gross sin, under the fourth commandment. Government possesses the ability to punish and to kill. It is their duty to determine which stranger may or may not be among us. Government has a head of household responsibility over the entire household of this nation. All preventable harms and dangers are theirs to address.

A bad father, who does not make his children buckle up in the car when they refuse, is responsible under God‘s law when a crash causes a preventable broken arm.

A bad mother, who allows her children to indulge their love of sweets, well beyond the limits of good nutrition, creating a lifelong obsession with bad dietary habits, is still responsible in part for their adult obesity.

The fourth commandment duties of those in charge are not the most likable duties. They are necessary to prevent the obvious risks of blatant and preventable evil. In order for proper order to be maintained, the government must have absolute control over the border, and who does or does not enter the country.

That then brings us back to the Matthew 25 commandment. The person who is legally permissible in this nation, and under no threat of legal punishment, who has fallen on bad luck and needs our assistance, is our individual responsibility. When a stranger, sojourner, or foreigner comes to my door in need, I must help them.

When the government discovers an illegal entrant, they are responsible to extract or deport them. Both of these things are true. And neither one conflicts with the other.

Let us seek to avoid the confusion of office and vocation concerning ourselves and those whom God has placed to rule over us.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

Why does Pastor use people’s first names only in prayer?

Encore Post: [Sixty-Seventh in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] That seems odd, doesn’t it? It’s most noticeable when we pray for our national and synodical presidents: Donald J. Trump and Matthew C. Harrison. In the prayer of the church, they are Donald and Matthew.

Surely, not one of us would address Pres. Trump or Pres. Harrison by their first names. Our discomfort is informed by the 4th Commandment. We are to honor those who God has placed in authority over us. It feels uncomfortable to use familiar terms with these folks.

Though the common culture around us has left formality behind in the last 30 years or so, we still rebel in the church. Especially in our southern culture, there are still vestiges for forgotten formality. Our children often learn to address Ms. or Mrs. Linda, Becky, Lori, or Mandy with a title, even when speaking their first names.

But, in the prayers, we speak differently. Taking our cues from David in the Psalms, we pray in humility before the throne of the Lord. All sinners seeking forgiveness and blessing are of the same status coram deo (before God). So, in confessing the truth about ourselves and everyone for whom we pray, we use first names.

Even POTUS and our synodical president are Donald and Matthew on Sunday morning in the prayer of the church. If we were to pray for Pope Francis, we would pray for him using his Baptismal name: Jorge. This is how we pray.

Let us lift up our voices to petition God, Our Father, through Jesus Christ, His Son.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

What do the “unworthy” receive?

Encore Post: [Sixty-Sixth in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] This is the more uncomfortable part of the worthiness question. As we discussed in the last post, worthiness is receiving with faith in Jesus’s words and promise.

Again, the Small Catechism helps us identify some answers. When are we unworthy and unprepared? We are unworthy and unprepared when we do not believe Christ’s words, or doubt them, since the words “for you” require all hearts to believe (Small Catechism 6.6).

Without faith, that is “unworthily,” what does a person receive? Again, let’s look at the catechism. Why should we be concerned about receiving the Sacrament worthily? The Sacrament of the Altar is not our supper, but the Lord’s Supper, where He gives us His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. To eat and drink the Lord’s body and blood without trust in His words, however, is to eat and drink judgement on oneself (Small Catechism 6.6)

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. (1 Corinthians 11:26-29)

Without faith, that is “unworthily,” what does a person receive? Judgement. That should cause us to shudder a bit. As stewards of the mysteries of God, we can harm our neighbor by inviting them to unworthily receive Jesus’s cup of blessing.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

Why does Pastor commune himself first?

Encore Post: [Sixty-Fifth in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] That’s a great question. As a young boy in Kansas and Missouri, my pastors would commune last by the hand of an elder or assistant. The first time I saw a pastor commune himself before serving the assistants, I was shocked. Since I was even more quiet and reserved in those days, I waited until the handshake line to ask why.

Pastor was always kind and offered this explanation. “The pastor serves in the stead and by the command of Christ Jesus and is a sinner in need of forgiveness, just like the people he serves. When he hears the confession and absolution, he both delivers and receives those words. The pastor preaches to edify the people of which he is one. Similarly, the pastor serves the body and blood of Christ under bread and wine to the people for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. It follows that he also receives this blessing from the hand of the pastor.” This restored practice replaces the innovation of pastor refraining until after someone else communes.

Having heard that, I was quickly convinced.

Digging deeper later on, I found that Dr. Luther, Dr. Chemnitz, and C. F. W. Walther (fathers of the Lutheran church) all instructed pastors to commune themselves first, and then the assistants, followed by the congregation. It is further supported by our rubrics in the Lutheran Service Book pew edition, which clearly instructs the pastor and assistants to commune first. (LSB p. 164, 181, 199, 210, and 217)

Similarly, the practices of purifying the people of Israel in the wilderness on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, were also ordered this way. Aaron, the high priest, offered a sacrifice first for himself and his household. Then, he sacrificed for the holy place and the Levites. Then, the Levites would purify the people. We should not be confused about whose work these sacrifices were. Hebrews chapter 10 and 11 disabuse us of any notion that the work of the priests and/or the people earned them anything. Faith in the promises of God delivers the gifts of God to the people of God.

This is not a sign that the pastor has a special character in himself, or that the mass is a sacrifice. Rather, his office is the one that serves. And the Lord delivers Himself in, with, and under the elements. The assistants, even when they are ordained men, receive from the celebrant just as he does. Then, they bring the body and blood of Jesus to you in their own freshly forgiven hands. Each person receives immediately in order of proximity to the Lord’s work attaching His promised gifts to the Body and Blood, bread and wine, forgiveness from the Lord, until all have communed.

May we all confidently receive God’s loving gifts: the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

What does it mean to “worthily receive?”

Encore Post: [Sixty-Fourth in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] Worthily receiving refers our state before God in receiving the Sacrament of the Altar. We are concerned about their own state before the Lord and that of others in the Lord’s Supper because all who come to the altar receive the true body and true blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Our first stop should be the Small Catechism. “Who receives the sacrament worthily? Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words “for you” require all hearts to believe.” (Small Catechism 6.5 )

In Luther’s day, the requirements of fasting and penance before receiving the Sacrament were quite onerous. Sadly, those demands also directed our attention away from the center of God’s promise to us. His promise is the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Those gifts are received worthily by faith. Trust in the words of Jesus, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” For those words bring the Body and Blood to us for the forgiveness of sins.

That is worthy reception.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

The Church Year: Epiphany to Ascension

Encore Post: Moving out of the Christmas Season on January sixth, we enter the season of Epiphany. These seasons all adjust around the moveable date of Easter. Epiphany means “revealing.” In this season we celebrate the revealing of Jesus beyond the Christmas activities. The day of Epiphany brings the magi into the picture. This is a kind of Gentile Christmas.

The season then moves through moments where Jesus and His ministry are revealed. It contains several major feasts/festivals. The Epiphany of our Lord, the Baptism of our Lord, the Transfiguration of our Lord, and a handful of minor festivals can all be within the season. Epiphany can be between 13 days, with only one Sunday, and 59 days, with seven Sundays! The common Sundays use green and the festivals use white paraments.

The three “gesima” or pre-Lent Sundays separate Transfiguration from Ash Wednesday. The Sundays are gently moving us from the mountaintop into the penitential season. Their strange names keep us counting towards Easter. Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima simply mean about seventy, sixty, and fifty. Those are the estimations of days until Easter.

There is irregular historical and current practice regarding the paraments and liturgy in the -gesimas. Liturgical practices range from green paraments and unrestricted liturgy to violet paraments and Lenten austerity, and all points in between. At Mt. Calvary, we observe them with green and no restrictions. Other churches may use violet, veiled crucifixes, austere liturgy, and excluded Alleluia. In Christian freedom, all of these things are good practices.

(Using the Vatican II inspired three-year lectionary, The Season of Epiphany keeps the three Sundays of pre-Lent).

“O Lord throughout These Forty (six) Days“

The penitential season of Lent runs from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday, covering six Sundays. Ash Wednesday can fall anywhere between February fifth and March ninth. It is always 46 days before Easter. The color of Ash Wednesday paraments are black or violet.

Generally, we say that the Sundays in Lent are not of Lent. That is to say that pious practice of Lenten fasting may exclude the Sundays. Lent is marked by austerity. The color is violet, which suggests sorrow and royalty. We exclude the Gloria in Excelsis (or hymn of praise) and alleluia throughout the season. Like the third Sunday of Advent, the fourth Sunday of Lent sees a softening of our penitence. It is called Laetare, meaning rejoice. The color may shift to rose, reflecting this lighter mood.

Holy Week begins with Palm or Passion Sunday. The color is Scarlet from Sunday through Maundy or Holy Thursday. Often the altar and sanctuary are stripped at the conclusion of the Thursday service. This prepares the space for the great austerity of Good Friday. The altar remains bare and clergy may wear black. Holy Saturday remains black as well. But, the Saturday Easter Vigil begins with a bare altar and continues with white after the Easter proclamation.

The day of Easter is the moving target around which these other seasons adjust. Easter is fixed to the Sunday, after the first full moon, following the vernal equinox. This means Easter can fall anywhere from March 22^nd to April 25^th. This 33 day window was a solution between dissenting Early Christians celebrating on Passover, regardless of the day of the week, and those celebrating Easter on a fixed Sunday. This moveable schedule keeps us close to Passover and always on a Sunday.

The Easter Season is 40 days long, concluding with The Ascension of our Lord on the 40^th day. It’s always a Thursday. We generally treat the eight days after ascension as part of Easter, though they could also be considered the days of Ascension. White is the parament color and all of our liturgical celebration returns.

The 49^th day is the Eve of Pentecost. That moves us into Trinity, the season of the church.

Let us celebrate with contrition and great joy!

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX