Take Up Your Cross in Celebrations

Take Up Your Cross in Celebrations

Today is the Feast of Saint Raphael, Nicholas and Irene of Mytilene, but the Church celebrating. Their feast day instead will take place on Holy and Bright Tuesday, this year May 4, 2021. The same is the case for the Feast of St George which is ‘actually’ April 23rd but will instead take place on Holy and Bright Monday, this year May 3, 3021. The celebrations for these great Saints are being delayed.

For our last installment this week on the theme of taking up our cross, I wanted focus on how, or more importantly how not, to celebrate during Great Lent. Many people are faced with this decision every year. Should we celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, or other celebrations during Great Lent.

We should take our lead from how the Church handles such things. During Great Lent, the only feast day that is celebrated with a “normal” liturgy is the Feast of the Annunciation because it is Feast of the Lord. EVERY OTHER feast day that takes place during Great Lent is transferred, in other words delayed, until after Pascha. The Church does this because such celebrations do not “match” the penitent character of Great Lent. Even Annunciation is toned down as meat is still not allowed.

The Church is teaching us take up our cross even in the way we celebrate. Let’s maintain our focus on prayer and fasting, as we will hear that only prayer and fasting will be enough to defeat certain demons in our life. We can wait a few weeks to celebrate our birthdays and anniversaries.

You might be thinking, it is just a birthday, but it all is part of the Lenten puzzle. Yes, we can have a party with Lenten foods, but it is the character of the celebration that is the point. If we can’t wait a few weeks to cut a cake and exchange a few gifts, are we really all that committed? This week we have been looking at ways to take up our cross, not put ourselves first. The least we can do is focus on God for a few more weeks. There will be plenty of time to celebrate later.