Posted on 01/28/2016 7:29:14 AM PST by Salvation
In last Sunday's Mass we read from the eighth chapter of the Book of Nehemiah. I posted a lengthy commentary on it last week (On the Wonder of the Word of God). In today's post I would like to ponder a rather surprising emphasis of that text. Let's start with a little background.
In a stunning reversal for the Jewish people, the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem and destroyed not only the city, but the Temple as well! Prophet after prophet had warned the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Judah that if they did not repent, God would permit punishments to come upon them in the form of destruction and exile. Those warnings were not heeded. The Northern Kingdom was destroyed in 721 B.C. and the end came for the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 587 B.C. The Temple of God lay in ruins and the survivors of the war were led captive into exile in Babylon. As they went they sang this song:
By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.
On the willows there
we hung up our lyres.
For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
"Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
How shall we sing the Lord's song
in a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither!
Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy! (Psalm 137:1-6)
After 80 years the Lord lifted this exile by permitting Cyrus and the Persians to defeat the Babylonians. Not only did Cyrus allow the Jews to return to their land, he even offered monetary aid for the rebuilding of the city wall and the Temple.
Nehemiah chapter 8, from which we read last Sunday, describes a gathering of the refugees who had returned at which there was a reading from Scripture that convicted them of their sin, explained the exile, and set forth blessings. The passage that seems to have been read was from the Book of Deuteronomy. Apparently this book had been neglected by the Jews in the decades prior to exile. Their forgetfulness of it proved fateful, for in it was described the blessings of keeping the law and the terrible curses that would befall those rejecting it. Among the consequences of rejecting the law were destruction and exile.
Standing there that bright morning at the water gate listening to the book being read to them, the people began to weep uncontrollably (Neh 8:9). They realized that they and their fathers could have avoided all the ensuing death and pain had they but heeded God's Word.
But then comes the surprising focus of the second half of the chapter. Surely there were many infractions of the Law that they and their forbearers had committed: false worship, idolatry, sins against the truth, sexual sins, injustice to the poor, theft, greed, and murder. But none of these many was the focus of the summons to repentance that follows in Nehemiah 8:13ff. Rather, the focus was on a certain feast day that they had failed to celebrate.
Not celebrating a feast day? Really? Of all the sins to focus on; failing to celebrate a feast day? Yes.
The feast that they had been neglecting was the Feast of Booths (or the Feast of Tabernacles). It was a feast that commemorated their time in the desert and the giving of the Law by Moses.
Certainly it was an important feast; in a way it symbolized the whole Law. To our modern minds, though, the neglect of a feast hardly seems worth mentioning when compared to some of the other sins listed above that we human beings routinely commit.
So what's going on here? Why are feast days important?
Most of us moderns do not pay much attention to sanctoral cycle that makes up the Church's calendar. On this calendar are the feasts of saints as well as feasts that commemorate God's saving acts: Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, the Annunciation, and so forth. To us these seem to be mere commemorations of events in the distant past; we do not use them to mark the passage of time. But the feasts of the Lord and His saints have value in our lives.
Prior to modern chronographic devices, people measured time by what God set forth: the sun, the moon, and the stars in their courses. But the feasts of the Lord that were also integral to their sense of time. Passover was an important feast, but so were many others: Pentecost, Tabernacles, the Day of Atonement, Rosh Hashanah, and especially the weekly Sabbath. God was the clock of the ancients.
This pattern continued into Christendom, when Sundays were cherished and feast days framed the year: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and the great feasts of the saints: Peter and Paul, John the Baptist, Joseph, Mother Mary, and many local saints. Indeed many words have come into our vocabulary that describe the Catholic Calendar: "Christmas" comes from Christ + mass. "Carnival" comes from the Latin carnis (meat) + vale (farewell) and signifies the great feast at which the last of the meat and fat were used up before Lent; Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) has a similar origin. "Holiday" comes from Holy Day.
With secularization these feasts have vanished into the background altogether. Holy Days were replaced by the secular mispronunciation "holidays" and became largely secular in focus. Today, Labor Day and Memorial Day mark the bookends of people's summer more so than do the Feasts of the Sacred Heart (first Friday in June) and the Assumption (August 15). Christmas and Easter are still there, but they feature candy canes and Santa Claus, eggs and a bunny--not Jesus.
What does celebrating feast and Holy Days say? What it says is this:
God, you are central in our lives. We tell time by what you have done. Every week begins on Sunday in your house. In all the feasts we remember your saving works of the past and permit those acts to be present to us. We give you thanks for what you have done; we remember and we praise you. We celebrate your place in our life and we frame our lives around what you have done in our time and in our history. We love you, Lord, and not only do we celebrate what you have done, we celebrate you; we gather to praise you in your holy house and give you glory every Sunday and feast day. You are part of our lives, you are integral to them. We make room for you at our tables and on our calendar. You are ever before us. We also praise you for what you have done in the lives of the saints and we celebrate their lives, too. Our lives intersect with your salvation history. We tell time by you and what you have done.
So feasts are important. And while restoring a lost feast day might not occur to us as the first thing to do based on the call to repentance in Nehemiah 8, perhaps now its symbolic meaning can shine more brightly.
What about us? It surely didn't help that the bishops removed most of the feast days as days of obligation. But frankly, most Catholics had lost any sense that they were feasts at all, referring to them merely as "holy days of obligation." Instead of being feasts that framed our lives and interpreted them, they became things that interfered with our lives. Instead of looking forward to Church feasts as days to celebrate, many found them more to be cursed for the obligation they imposed. We have become very busy--too busy for God. We are all in a big hurry; there's not even any time to celebrate. God has been shoved to the margins in our culture. We tell time by artificial devices. Gone are the feasts. Gone from our hearts is the God to whom the feasts referred. Even the sun, moon, and stars are largely absent from our lives as we stare into our little devices.
In response to this forgetfulness of God, to this moving of Him to the margins, God sends this instruction through Nehemiah:
"This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep"--for all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh 8:9-10).
The text goes on to explain the reason for this instruction: it was the restoration of a lost feast.
[For] they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month ... for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. "Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written." So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts ... And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths ... And there was very great rejoicing. ... They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule (Neh 8:14-19).
What feasts have we forgotten? What does that forgetfulness symbolize? Are we really so happy to be freed of the "burden" of keeping festival with the Lord? The people of the ancient world worked hard, probably a lot harder than we do. But they knew how to stop, rest, and enjoy the festivals of the Lord.
Our faith used to frame our lives, our culture, our calendar, and our whole sense of time.
Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine,
There's always laughter and good red wine.
At least I've always found it so.
Benedicamus Domino!
-Hilaire Belloc
What good is life without feasts? We have lost our way in the bland, secular calendar of Monday holidays and having relegated God to the periphery. What joys and hopeful reminders we have lost!
To every Christian and to the Church seeking rebuild a darkened culture comes this instruction, this admonition from Nehemiah 8 to remember the feasts of the Lord:
This day is holy to the Lord your God ... do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord must be your strength! ... And there was very great rejoicing.
This day is holy to the Lord your God ... do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord must be your strength! ... And there was very great rejoicing.
Monsignor Pope Ping!
Galatians 4:10-11
10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.
11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.
Romans 14:5
5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
Poor A-Pope!
He goes back to the Hebrew Scriptures to try to find justification for feast days.
His problem is that the Israelites were commanded to celebrate certain days. It was required under their covenant.
Christians are under a different covenant and their are no required feast days.
If someone wants to regard one day as more important than another, no problem. Believers in Christ have that freedom.
The error is making feast days a requirement, which is false and unbiblical.
Colossians 2 tells us those things were but a shadow of things to come. Christ is the substance. Christians have no need for keeping holy days and church festivals. We have Christ!
Amen!!!
If believers in the Messaiah of Israel knew He was born on a Feast day, circumcised 8 days later on the weekly Sabbath, presented in the temple 40 days later on the most holy Sabbath, baptized on His 30th birthday- a Feast day, began His ministry 40 days later on the most holy Sabbath, laid His life down as the Lamb for our sins on a Feast Day, was buried and laid in the tomb on a Sabbath Feast Day and rose from the grave on a Feast Day, and gave the gift of the Holy Spirit on a Feast Day- maybe they would reject Rome’s substitite Feast days like Christmas and good Friday and Easter Sunday..and could teach judiasm why they were taught to do what they were taught to do..
Israel’s Sabbaths and Feasts Days are the Father’s Sabbaths and Feasts Days and the Son’s Sabbaths and Feasts Days- literally the Word Made flesh! And it takes study and nonconforming to the world to see it.
And the Sabbaths and Feasts do not necessarily coincide with what Judaism does.
Which in and of itself is telling that Judaism doesn’t necessarily equal Israel..although people make that mistake often..
And if people understood the Word Made Flesh, they would soon see how they have accepted inherited lies that robs Him of Glory and themselves of Kingdom knowledge..
The Truth is awesome and will set people free.
Is not the Word of God, Jesus, the NEW COVANENT?
AMEN.
The New Covenant is the Covenant in the heart.. That is exactly why 30/60/100 in the Parable of the Sower was experienced by Israel in the wilderness and experienced by us in this wilderness.
But to see it, people have to count and keep time like the Father taught physical Israel..
And if they do, they will see the Law (10 Commandments) hasn’t been done away with- They have been placed in the heart..
Which is where the New Covenant is.
Jeremiah-
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
He is our Bread of Life, just as He sent Israel manna from Heaven after 30 days of being delivered by the blood of the Lamb.
He is our Law Giver, just as He thundered down His Law from the mount, so Israel could hear it, after 60 days of being delivered by the blood of the Lamb
He is our New Covenant, just as He sent Moses down the mount with the 2 Tablets of His Covenant, the 10 Commandments to Israel, after 100 days, He sends us His Holy Spirit to write His Law on our hearts..after 100 days from being delivered by the blood of the Lamb.
Some people are content at the 30. Some are blessed to hear His Law(60). And some are blessed to have His Law written on the tablets of their hearts.(100)
In scripture,it isnt an accident those who don’t do His Commandments or teach others not to do them, will be called’least’ in the Kingdom(30)
They will not hear(60) His Commandments nor have them written on the tablets of their hearts(100)
Those people who do His Commandments and teach others to, will be called ‘great’ in the Kingdom.
We miss a lot by thinking ‘New’ means Spiritual Israel is going through a different wilderness than physical Israel.
Same journey. Different wilderness places. Ours is a whole heart journey. Not unlike theirs but they had a physical journey that we can only apply to our spiritual journey.
And when we do, everything Israel did pointed to the Son. And those who have the Son, have the Father. And so many reject the Son not knowing He fulfilled literally all but a couple of Israel’s Sabbaths and Feasts.
And His Bride, Spiritual Israel, can tell the world what He’s done !
Still applicable today, as in the New Testament when Jesus and his family went up to Jerusalem.
And don’t forget Passover — the Thursday that Christ instituted the Eucharist.
Please support your claim from the Bible. Pay special attention to Galatians. Carefully read how Paul responded to the Judaizers who attempted to place Gentile believers under the obligation of Hebrew circumcision.
Please read the Gospels.
Luke 2
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom;
43 and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,
44 but supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances;
45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions;
47 and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48 And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.”
49 And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
50 And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.
51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.
Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/v/bible/search_bible.asp#ixzz3yZ2modHz
Yes, the law was still in effect at that point. It isn’t any longer. Old things have passed away. Those things were types and shadows of the One who was to come. You haven’t made a case at all.
I hope this Pope fellow has let you know that if you are under the obligation of law you are responsible for all of it. If you offend the law at one point you have broken the whole law. Come to Christ Jesus and be free!
If you were logically consistent, you wouldn’t worship on Sunday, or Saturday for that matter. But you aren’t.
That’s hysterical. You know nothing about me. I know we are not under the sabbath and would never say it’s required.
That is simply MORE of the beauty of our faith.
We have the wonderful privilege of attending Mass every single day (which I do except on Saturdays) when the priest celebrates Mass.
Feast days are simply a DOUBLE celebration!
God has blessed me so much and I humbly thank Him for His many blessings.
agreed, when you have the fullness of the faith in His One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, you have it all....it’s a great feeling isnt it?
I love feast days. Paul says to me that if I want to celebrate do it but not to seek justification which is through Christ. I love going to mass as often as I can and hope to attend it more. I love my hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament. I don’t study the Bible because I have to but because I love it. There’s so much anger and negativity in these posts from our Protestant brothers and sisters. Why would we not want to spend more time honoring Jesus? I love my family and so enjoy hanging out with them. Jesus is my brother and I want to be with him in every way I can. The Sacraments give that to me as does the Bible. Why should I push Him away and sit in a dark room grumbling that I don’t have to do this or that and I’m just saved and that’s all there is. How sad and narrow.
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