Feast days and festivals are colorful and blissful events in the Christian liturgical calendar. This provides believers with opportunities to celebrate joyous events in their faith and features unique colors, songs, and prayers that reflect the importance of each occasion while fostering spiritual reflection and solidarity.
Participating in these events provides a sense of community to believers, creating a shared sense of purpose and belonging. It offers an opportunity to learn more about the faith and its traditions, which can be particularly beneficial for newcomers to the church.
Moreover, participating in feast days and festivals provides a chance for spiritual reflection, to pause and reflect on the importance of the occasion, and the role that faith plays in our lives. It also offers a chance to connect with God and seek guidance and support from the community.
Feast days and festivals add a unique richness to Christian worship practices, showing respect and adoration that can deepen the faith of believers. These events help to create a spiritual atmosphere that fosters a deeper connection with God.
Whether you are a lifelong Christian or someone who is exploring the faith for the first time, participating in feast days and festivals can be a powerful way to connect with God and your community. These events provide an opportunity to celebrate harmonious occasions in the Christian faith and to express hope and solidarity with those who share with same beliefs.
All feasts of Mary, as indeed are all feasts of all the worthies of the faith, are feasts that point to our Lord Jesus Christ and his work “for us and for our salvation.” Mary is our prime example of created humanity at its finest. She is humble but brave, courageous but modest, truthful and kind, upright and vulnerable, and unafraid to follow the leadings of God.
June 24th marks the celebration of the Nativity of John the Baptist. Christ said, “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Luke 7:28 ESV
Lutherans and Roman Catholics celebrated the feast days of St. Philip and St. James the Apostles on May 1st and 3rd. Both church bodies agree on the importance of these Apostles. Philip was called by Jesus in Bethsaida and brought Nathanael to Christ, while St. James is traditionally believed to have been martyred. Ecclesiastical Sewing has introduced “The Apostle Collection” of church vestments, emphasizing these important figures in Christian history.
Today we give thanks for the life of Saint Damasus I. He was Bishop of Rome from 366 A.D. to 384 A.D. During this period, Christianity was declared the official religion, Latin became the official language of the Church (as opposed to Greek), & Saint Damasus encouraged Jerome to translate the Bible into Latin.
St. Urho’s Day, celebrated on March 16th, the day before the better-known feast of some minor saint from Ireland, who was alleged to have driven the snakes from the island.
Many Christians today overlook historic Church traditions and vestments. Like Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and Episcopalian have unique practices and materials for their vestments. Despite the beauty of these traditions, many Christians are unaware of them, similar to the limited recognition of events like Fat Tuesday. The appreciation for and celebration of these practices often involve a smaller group within the broader Christian community.
Saint Jerome, a revered church father born around 342 A.D. in northern Italy. Raised in a Christian family, he renounced worldly pursuits, journeyed to Rome, and was baptized by Pope Liberius. Jerome immersed himself in studying Biblical languages and Scriptures. After traveling, he settled in Bethlehem, devoting his life to Biblical scholarship and translation. Saint Jerome passed away on September 30, 420 A.D.
September 14th is noted as Holy Cross Day, which is celebrated in both Eastern and Western Churches around the world. The Church of England marks this festival day with the use of the color Red. Holy Cross Day was introduced into the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in 1982, yet this festival may be unfamiliar to many Lutherans today. The history of this festival dates back to the time of Constantine and his mother, St. Helena.
. September 13th is the feast day for St. John Chrysostom–born circa 349 A.D., although many dates between 344 A.D. and 354 A.D. have been argued for by various scholars. This man is one of the pillars of the faith, a church father. His early education influenced his ability to lead the Church and give her many gifts in the form of sermons and liturgy.
This festival of The Holy Innocents is often passed by in the Lutheran Church.
– a rare and special time to celebrate in festival Sunday.
You must be logged in to post a comment.