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In the Jewish culture, Feb 21st is called Shabbat Mevarchim which means ‘the Shabbat that blesses the new month.’ The next Jewish month is called Adar which is the twelfth, and last month of the Jewish liturgical year.
Tuesday (Feb 24) and Wednesday (Feb 25, Christian Ash Wednesday) are called the Rosh Chodesh = head of the month, in this case, two days worth. Feb 24th is the last day of the prior Jewish month (named Shvat) and Feb 25th is the first day of the month of Adar.
Jewish culture tells us that Shabbat Mevarchim (www.chabad.org) teaches: “time forms a chain in which each link is an outgrowth of its predecessor.” (Continuing
“Yes, a new year, month, week, day, hour or moment must always provoke us to a new understanding, a new feeling, a new achievement. At the same time, however, we must appreciate how each new moment is “blessed” by the moment before.” In other words, time doesn’t stand alone and still.
Feb 21 Shabbat Mevarchim blesses the whole month of Adar.
On this pre-Adar Shabbat the first of four special Torah readings are read for Adar in the Jewish culture. And as near as I can tell, Feb 22, 23, and 24th are not the other days of special Torah readings. I think that they happen throughout Adar. I don’t know why really.
Now, Adar, as well as the fasting, recently mentioned by the Pope, is also talked about in the Book of Esther, Esther 4:1-3. A beautiful prayer by the book’s main character, Mordecai, is written in Chapter C within Chapter 4. Right after Mordecai’s prayer, the book talks of Esther fasting and said a beautiful prayer.
The high point of the Book of Esther is the festival of Purim.
Purim development is explained starting in Esther 3:7, Esther 9:1-32.
(Esther 9:21-22) “He ordered them to celebrate every year both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of the month of Adar as the day on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and as the month which was turned for them from sorrow into joy, from mourning into festivity.”
For Christians the Purim this year coincides with March 10th and March 11th. (These days are the 14th and 15th day of the Jewish month of Adar.)
The Christian readings for these days are:
March 10th: Is 1:10,16-20 and Mt 23:1-12.
March 11th: Esther 13:8-11,15-17 used to be read prior to 1962 on (in this B year) March 11th.
That has since been replaced by Jer 18:18-20.
The Gospel Mt 20:17-28 was the same for both pre- and post- Vatican II.
It is interesting to note that the name Esther is derived from Hadassah (Esther 2:7)…the feminine form of hadas, or myrtle.
Now, I’ve been thinking myrtle since the memorial for St. Basil in January.
I found this while looking at things surrounding St. Basil:
speak a particular kind of Arabic dialect. That whole area is known in Arabic as Maghreb because they wanted to
be separate from Middle East countries and have their own unique identity. Last fall, the US Secretary of State
visited Maghreb for the first time in 55 years to secure diplomatic relations. The last time any American official went to Libya was in 1953! The Libya government said that they just wanted to be left alone after this encounter, as well.
Many times people just want to be left alone, especially in their fasting. They think that fasting is an individual kind of thing. But if anything, what Esther teaches is that fasting is a display of
solidarity. Also, in Esther, the Purim festival includes joyous giving.
I think in our Christianity, as the Pope has written, we absolutely need to fast, but also, especially this year during Lent, we need to give whatever we are fasting from.
On Feb 21, we hear about Elijah out of Mark. Elijah went to be alone and hide. He also fasted due to his situation. A widow enters the story (1 Kings 17). She wasn’t voluntarily fasting, but because of the economic times was fasting to make her meals stretch. Yet, she ‘did as she proposed,’ but, first, before herself and own son, her kind heart told her to share with Elijah what very little she had. She knew that it was her last bit of food, but
shared anyway. “Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. "Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’ She found out.
Whose got the message? Libya and their select group of countries, or the widow?
One other thing is happening near Feb 21. On Feb 24th the new comet is the closest to earth!
science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/04feb_greencomet.htm
Green Comet Approaches Earth
This article says that surprises can happen.
Tuesday (Feb 24) and Wednesday (Feb 25, Christian Ash Wednesday) are called the Rosh Chodesh = head of the month, in this case, two days worth. Feb 24th is the last day of the prior Jewish month (named Shvat) and Feb 25th is the first day of the month of Adar.
Jewish culture tells us that Shabbat Mevarchim (www.chabad.org) teaches: “time forms a chain in which each link is an outgrowth of its predecessor.” (Continuing
“Yes, a new year, month, week, day, hour or moment must always provoke us to a new understanding, a new feeling, a new achievement. At the same time, however, we must appreciate how each new moment is “blessed” by the moment before.” In other words, time doesn’t stand alone and still.Feb 21 Shabbat Mevarchim blesses the whole month of Adar.
On this pre-Adar Shabbat the first of four special Torah readings are read for Adar in the Jewish culture. And as near as I can tell, Feb 22, 23, and 24th are not the other days of special Torah readings. I think that they happen throughout Adar. I don’t know why really.
Now, Adar, as well as the fasting, recently mentioned by the Pope, is also talked about in the Book of Esther, Esther 4:1-3. A beautiful prayer by the book’s main character, Mordecai, is written in Chapter C within Chapter 4. Right after Mordecai’s prayer, the book talks of Esther fasting and said a beautiful prayer.
The high point of the Book of Esther is the festival of Purim.
Purim development is explained starting in Esther 3:7, Esther 9:1-32.
(Esther 9:21-22) “He ordered them to celebrate every year both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of the month of Adar as the day on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and as the month which was turned for them from sorrow into joy, from mourning into festivity.”
For Christians the Purim this year coincides with March 10th and March 11th. (These days are the 14th and 15th day of the Jewish month of Adar.)
The Christian readings for these days are:
March 10th: Is 1:10,16-20 and Mt 23:1-12.
March 11th: Esther 13:8-11,15-17 used to be read prior to 1962 on (in this B year) March 11th.
That has since been replaced by Jer 18:18-20.
The Gospel Mt 20:17-28 was the same for both pre- and post- Vatican II.
It is interesting to note that the name Esther is derived from Hadassah (Esther 2:7)…the feminine form of hadas, or myrtle.
Now, I’ve been thinking myrtle since the memorial for St. Basil in January.
I found this while looking at things surrounding St. Basil:North African countries of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya
speak a particular kind of Arabic dialect. That whole area is known in Arabic as Maghreb because they wanted to
be separate from Middle East countries and have their own unique identity. Last fall, the US Secretary of State
visited Maghreb for the first time in 55 years to secure diplomatic relations. The last time any American official went to Libya was in 1953! The Libya government said that they just wanted to be left alone after this encounter, as well.
Many times people just want to be left alone, especially in their fasting. They think that fasting is an individual kind of thing. But if anything, what Esther teaches is that fasting is a display of
solidarity. Also, in Esther, the Purim festival includes joyous giving.
I think in our Christianity, as the Pope has written, we absolutely need to fast, but also, especially this year during Lent, we need to give whatever we are fasting from.
On Feb 21, we hear about Elijah out of Mark. Elijah went to be alone and hide. He also fasted due to his situation. A widow enters the story (1 Kings 17). She wasn’t voluntarily fasting, but because of the economic times was fasting to make her meals stretch. Yet, she ‘did as she proposed,’ but, first, before herself and own son, her kind heart told her to share with Elijah what very little she had. She knew that it was her last bit of food, but
shared anyway. “Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. "Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’ She found out.
Whose got the message? Libya and their select group of countries, or the widow?
One other thing is happening near Feb 21. On Feb 24th the new comet is the closest to earth!
science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/04feb_greencomet.htm
Green Comet Approaches Earth
This article says that surprises can happen.