Some Things Can Wait

One of my favorite lessons to learn during Great Lent has to do with feast days. As you know, during Great Lent the Church does not encourage large celebrations. In fact, even the Divine Liturgy is limited during Great Lent because it is ‘too festive’ for the normal character of Lent.

Today is the Feast of Saint George the Great Martyr, but there is no feast. There will be no liturgies in our Churches. Saint George will be commemorated as a saint of the day, but beyond his name a few hymns, the Church will pay little attention to him. Why, is what is important.

To remain in the penitential character of Great Lent, the Feast of Saint George is ‘moved’ to Bright Monday, this year May 6. This is done every time April 23 falls before Pascha. My name isn’t George. I don’t serve in the parish of Saint George. So, why is this so important for me?

It teaches me that some things can wait. The Church is teaching me today, not even through food, that when it comes to God, some things are just less important. It teaches me that the world doesn’t revolve around me.

I don’t’ have to celebrate my feast day, or birthday, or anniversary day, or any other special day on the actual date it occurred. This is a great lesson to learn. Does my birthday fall on a Friday? Then either I fast or I ‘move’ my birthday. If the Church can delay Saint George, I can delay my birthday.

These are the ‘small things’ that help us “deny ourselves” so that we can take up our cross and follow Christ into heaven. Like so many other disciplines and traditions of the Church, delaying our celebrations helps us learn to love God more than we love ourselves.

There will be plenty of time to celebrate after Pascha. Good enough for Saint George, good enough for us. The ultimate lesson we can learn from this is to trust in God’s timing. Before we can trust His timing, we have to get over our timing.