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April 4, 2026 – It’s that time of year again, after 46 days of Lent. (40 days mirroring the ones Jesus spent in the Wilderness, plus six Sundays “off,” as detailed in the Notes.)

Meaning it’s time to celebrate another Happy Easter Sunday. That is, the “festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial after his crucifixion.”

But note first that before Jesus rose from the tomb he had to go through the Harrowing of Hell; between His Crucifixion and resurrection. “In triumphant descent, Christ brought salvation to the souls held captive there since the beginning of the world.” Which leads to a note: A harrow can be an “agricultural implement with spikelike teeth or upright disks, drawn chiefly over plowed land to level it, break up clods, root up weeds, etc.” But to harrow can also refer to causing “worry and upset, the way a truly scary movie might harrow you, making it hard to sleep:”

Harrow is an uncommon verb that was originally used in a religious context. You’re much more likely to hear the adjective harrowing used for things that are extremely distressing. But if your cat torments you nightly with her incessant meowing, you might try yelling, “Why do you harrow me?”

Which means that in this case too Jesus acted as “pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2.) And stands ready to help us through any harrowing we might be experiencing today.

But back to the reason for the season, the Resurrection. As told in John 20:1, “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.” So this Mary was both the first person to see the empty tomb of Jesus, and one of the first – if not the first – to see the risen Jesus. 

She then went to tell Peter and the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” They both got there, looked inside and saw the burial clothes lying there. (And no body.) Then they “went back to where they were staying.” But Mary – faithful Mary, who ended up with such a terrible reputation – stayed there. (As noted in the Gospel for her feast day, John 20:11-18.) She saw two angels, who asked why she was crying. Then she turned to see another man she took to be a caretaker:

Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”  Jesus said to her, “Mary!”  She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).  Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father.  But go to my brothers and say to them, `I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord;” and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Which is why this Mary – from Magdala – is rightly called the “Apostle to the Apostles.”

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There’s more on Easter later – including the Easter bunny – but last Tuesday, March 31, I came across Proverbs 9:8. (For reasons detailed in the Notes.) And for the first time I can remember, this passage gave me a jolt. (Despite the fact that I started the Daily Office in 1992, which means I am now on my 16th trip through the Bible.) But to get to the point, the Amplified Bible translation of Proverbs 9:8 reads like this, “Do not correct a scoffer [who foolishly ridicules and takes no responsibility for his error] or he will hate you; Correct a wise man [who learns from his error], and he will love you.” Which took a load off my mind.

For the past few years I’ve been consumed by the demands of Ezekiel 3:16-27, better known as Ezekiel’s Task as Watchman. “Zeke” wrote about a Believer’s duty to warn others of the error of their ways. Briefly, if you don’t warn a fellow citizen of the error of his ways, and he keeps sinning, God will punish both of you. But if you warn him and he keeps on sinning you will at least have saved your own spiritual butt: “They will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.” Which seemed to mean I was duty-bound to somehow convince people who don’t want to be convinced that they may have been wrong in – say for example – voting in a certain person.

So, if Proverbs 9:8 outranks Ezekiel 3:16-27, that means I don’t have worry about wasting a lot of time and effort Talking to a Brick Wall. (An idiom “Commonly used in conflicts or disputes where dialogue seems pointless.”) And what a relief that would be. Which goes to show why it pays to read and study the Bible. (Or to check this Blog from time to time.)

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Meanwhile, “What’s all this about the Easter Bunny?”

For starters, the name Easter came from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Ēostre), “celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. Her earthly symbol was the rabbit, known as a symbol of fertility.” And that’s how we got the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts. That tradition – first noted around 1682 – was based on folklore that had already been around awhile, and as practiced by German Lutherans. In turn, the Easter Bunny – or more precisely, the Easter Hare – “played the role of a judge,” evaluating whether children were good or bad, especially in the days leading up to “the start of the season of Eastertide.”

In legend, the creature carries colored eggs in his basket, candy, and sometimes also toys to the homes of children, and as such shows similarities to Santa Claus or the Christkind, as they both bring gifts to children on the night before their respective holidays.

One author noted that the “hare was the sacred beast of Eastre (or Eostre).” In turn, “Ēostre is attested solely by Bede in his 8th-century work The Reckoning of Time.” There Bede stated that during Ēosturmōnaþ (“Easter-month,” or the month of April), pagan Anglo-Saxons had held feasts in Ēostre’s honor, but that this tradition was eventually “replaced by the Christian Paschal month, a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.” (Another case of subsumation?)

And finally, a heads up. Next Sunday – aside from having a multitude of other names – is also known as “Quasimodo Sunday,” for reasons to be explained next week. Stay tuned… 

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The upper image is courtesy of File: Rembrandt – The Risen Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalen. See also On Easter Season – AND BEYOND, and Easter – Wikipedia.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days … the Church’s Calendar. See also Wikipedia’s Calendar of saints. “The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word ‘feast’ in this context does not mean ‘a large meal, typically a celebratory one,’ but instead ‘an annual religious celebration, a day dedicated to a particular saint.’”

For this post I reviewed 2015’s On Mary Magdalene, “Apostle to the Apostles,” 2017’s Frohliche Ostern – “Happy Easter!,” 2019’s On Easter, Doubting Thomas Sunday – and a Metaphor, “Happy Quasimodo Sunday” – 2022, and 2025’s ” If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him” – Easter ’25.

Re: Mary Magdalene at the Tomb. The account in John 20:1-18 has Mary going there alone. The account in Mark 16 has Mary going with two other women: “Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.”

On coming across Proverbs 9:8 “last Tuesday.” Proverbs 9:1-12 is the Old Testament reading for Sunday in the week of 8 Epiphany. But as noted in The Lectionary – Satucket, the readings for Epiphany end at the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany. Meaning the readings for the Sixth through Eighth weeks after the Epiphany got skipped this year. But I don’t like to skip those readings, so I go back over them after I start doing the readings for Lent, beginning on February 22. (I don’t like to leave that gap.) And that’s how I came across Proverbs 9:8 last Tuesday, March 31

For more on “Ezekiel’s task,” see On Peter, Paul, and the Bible’s “Dynamic Tension” – 2025.

Re: Days off during Lent. See 40 Days and 40 Nights [film] – Wikipedia, the 2002 film about “a San Francisco web designer who has chosen to abstain from any sexual contact for the duration of Lent.” See Why Sundays Don’t Count During Lent | Guideposts. Apparently the Hollywood writers didn’t do their Biblical homework.

Re: “Another case of subsumation.” A wide-spread theory says that early Church Fathers subsumed Saturnalia by celebrating Christmas on December 25, but others dispute the claim. See for example Did Christmas Come From Saturnalia Historical Analysis.

The lower image is courtesy of Easter – Wikipedia

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March 25, 2026 – Today is the Feast of the Annunciation. The full title is the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and it all started with the birth of Jesus. The early Church Fathers decided first that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on December 25, then figured back nine months. And since they said Jesus was born on December 25, He had to have been conceived the previous March 25. That’s where the Annunciation comes in.

It celebrates “the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus … marking his Incarnation.” From there it’s not much of a leap to say that the Annunciation and Conception had to have happened on the same day. (She would conceive” became in effect “she did conceive.”) But there’s a fly in the ointment.

These days there are theories “all over the place” about which day, which month or indeed which year was Jesus born. For example, some say June, some say March, or some other date somewhere between 4 and 6 Anno Domini. (“The Year of Our Lord.”) But for the sake of tradition this post will use December 25 as the starting point. (Since Tradition is second only to Scripture in the Wesleyan Quadrilateral.) So, back to the Annunciation.

Which leads to the question: Were there any other reasons why the early Church Fathers picked December 25? Answer: Yes, there is: Nowadays we know all about the winter solstice, which marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. We also know that from that date onward, the days do start getting longer and the nights start getting shorter. But back before the Church got started “there was never any certainty that the sinking Sun would ever return.” (As Isaac Asimov noted.) So around mid-December those old-time people kept worrying the days would keep getting shorter and shorter, until there was nothing but eternal night.

But then around December 25 they noted the cycle had stopped and the days started getting slightly longer and longer. They always felt great joy and gladness at the return of more and more hours of sunlight. So they made a “great feast in honor of what one might call the ‘birth of the sun.’” In Roman times that raucous celebration became known as Saturnalia.

At the Saturnalia, joy was unrestrained, as befitted a holiday that celebrated a reprieve from death and a return to life… It was a season of peace and good will to all men… Naturally, the joy easily turned to the extremes of licentiousness and debauchery, and there were, no doubt, many pious people who deplored the uglier aspects of the festival.

Those “pious people” included early Church Fathers. They felt the festival was “a great stumbling block to conversions to Christianity.” So, the Church “adapted itself to pagan customs” like Saturnalia. In essence they transmogrified the pagan feast. They said Christians needed only “to joyfully greet the birth of the Son rather than the Sun.” (Emphasis added. See the Notes.)

Incidentally, for a traditional view of the Annunciation – and Mary’s “Faithful Response” – see 10 Things to Know About the Solemnity of the Annunciation and Its Significance.

For an alternate view consider what Garry Wills said. (And Wills has been a devout Catholic for 90 of his 92 years.) “For me, the most convincing pictures or sculptures of the Annunciation to Mary show her in a state of panic … shrinking off from the angel, looking cornered by him.” He noted especially some 14th century paintings “where Mary is made so faint by the angel’s words that she sways back and must grab a pillar to keep herself upright.”

On that note see Luke 1:29, which in most translations has Mary “deeply troubled” by the announcement. Other translations have her “confused and disturbed,” or agitated, perplexed or alarmed. Which led Wills to ask – about Mary’s hearing that she had “found favor” with God – “Did she know already how dangerous is such a favor? God’s chosen people are commonly chosen to suffer.” (Certainly a sobering thought for good and proper Christians.)

This reaction seems supported by what Simeon said when Mary presented the newborn Jesus to the Temple. She heard him say, “you, Mary, will suffer as though you had been stabbed by a dagger.” (Luke 2:35.) Or that “a sword will run through this woman’s heart.” Thus, in some views, Mary’s “look almost of horror at what she has just been told.” Which brings up Dante Gabriel Rossetti‘s interpretation of the event, shown above. We might meditate on that during this Lent 2026. If we feel alarmed, agitated or perplexed at the world events going on around us…

Just know that we are in good company.

In the meantime, since tradition is second only to Scripture in the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, here’s a traditional view of how Mary reacted to Gabriel’s message.

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The upper image is courtesy of Rossetti Annunciation – Image Results. See also The Annunciation by Dante Gabriel Rossetti – my daily art display:

Take a while and look at Mary’s expression. How do you read Rossetti’s depiction of this young woman? Look at her facial expression. This is not one of acquiescence or pleasure. This is a look almost of horror at what she has just been told. This terrified look adds a great deal of power to Rossetti’s painting. Mary herself … looks much younger than we are used to seeing in similar scenes. She exudes a youthful beauty but only seems to be a mere adolescent with her long un-brushed auburn hair contrasting sharply with her white dress. She is painfully thin and her hesitance and sad look tinged with fear endears her to us. 

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar. See also Wikipedia’s Calendar of saints. “The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word ‘feast’ in this context does not mean ‘a large meal, typically a celebratory one,’ but instead ‘an annual religious celebration, a day dedicated to a particular saint.'”

For this post I borrowed from 2015’s The Annunciation “gets the ball rolling,” On the Annunciation (2022) – and Mary “shrinking back,” and On the Annunciation and the end of Lent – 2023.

On when was Jesus born, see Christianity, Christmas, Calendar, When Was Jesus Born? Here’s What The Evidence Says, or When Was Jesus Christ Born? – CBCG.

The Wesleyan Quadrilateral is the method of theological reflection credited to John Wesley. It uses four sources as the basis of theological and doctrinal development, Scripture, tradition, reason, and Christian experience. (Wikipedia.)

Re: Isaac Asimov. The quotes about the dating of Christmas and the “olden days” are from Asimov’s Guide to the Bible (Two Volumes in One), Avenel Books (1981), at pages 930-34. 

And as an aside, Asimov (1920-1992) was an author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. He was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards.” His list of books included those on “astronomy, mathematics, the Bible, William Shakespeare’s writing, and chemistry.” He was a long-time member of Mensa, “albeit reluctantly;  he described some members of that organization as ‘brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs.’”  See Isaac Asimov – Wikipedia.

Re: “What Garry Wills said.” See What Jesus Meant: Wills, the 2007 book, an “illuminating analysis for believers and nonbelievers alike … a brilliant addition to our national conversation on religion.” (Said Goodreads.) The quote is from page 1 of my Penguin Books edition, “The Hidden Years.” Also, the Wikipedia article notes that up until 2024 he prayed the rosary every day and wrote a book about it.” He now calls himself an “Augustinian Christian.” As for public appraisal:

The New York Times literary critic John Leonard said in 1970 that Wills “reads like a combination of H. L. Mencken, John Locke and Albert Camus.” The Catholic journalist John L. Allen Jr. considers Wills to be “perhaps the most distinguished Catholic intellectual in America over the last 50 years” (as of 2008). Martin Gardner in “The Strange Case of Garry Wills” states there is a “mystery and strangeness that hovers like a gray fog over everything Wills has written about his faith.”

Re: Luke 2:35. The “sword will run through this woman’s heart” quote came from the translation Wills used. Most other “Bible Hub” translations say the sword will pierce Mary’s “own soul;” that includes the King James Bible. (The one God uses.) As to feeling alarmed, agitated or perplexed at world events, see 1st Corinthians 10:13, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (Well, almost “no different from what others experience.” Mary was after all in a class by herself.)

The lower image is courtesy of Annunciation Mary Image – Image Results.

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March 19, 2026 – From today’s Daily Office: “You who seek God, your heart shall live.”

A pretty good thing to remember in this time of Lent, preparing for a joyous Easter Sunday on April 5. (To go along with John 6:37 and Romans 10:9.) I read that just this morning, part of the Daily Office readings. Specifically, Psalm 69:32. (“You could look it up!”)

But seriously, on Thursday, March 19, we celebrate the Feast of St Joseph, “earthly” father-figure of Jesus. Two days before that, on Tuesday, March 17, we celebrated another saint, St. Patrick, and it seems like a whole lot more people know and celebrate his day, maybe because of the Green Beer? (The “minor” festival is the far better-known of the two.) I wrote about these two saints in 2015’s St. Paddy and St. Joe, and 2016’s St. Joseph and the “Passover Plot.”

A note: The Passover Plot is a 1965 book by Hugh Schonfield saying the Crucifixion was a “conscious attempt by Jesus to fulfill the Messianic expectations rampant in his time,” but the plan went unexpectedly wrong. (Jesus really died.) And the book was made into a movie in 1976:

Dramatization of the controversial best-seller that posits an alternate version of the birth of Christianity. In this version, Jesus planned for His crucifixion by taking a drug that would simulate death. After His unconscious body was placed in the tomb, a religious sect known as the Zealots would secretly steal Christ’s body from the tomb, then spread the rumor that He had risen, thus fulfilling Biblical prophecy.

Needless to say, the book created quite a stir. One site said it was “lucidly written and carefully documented, but As For Me and My House, I’ve always felt that personal faith is not a matter of scientific proof. Faith is more a matter of the ongoing interactive walk to Jesus. Then there’s the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, that apart from scripture, “experience is the most substantial proof of Christianity.” And my 74 years of experience has convinced me of the truth of Romans 10:9.

But getting back to Joseph: “Whatever happened to him?” For possible answers check out Question of Faith: What happened to St. Joseph – Catholic Telegraph, or – for a lot of Bible passages – What ever happened to Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather? One thing we do know: Joseph is the patron saint of workers – specifically, carpenters – along with fathers in general and “the dying.” (Those at or approaching death.) See also St. Joseph – Saints & Angels – Catholic Online, which added that assuming he died before Jesus’ public life, he died with Jesus and Mary close to him, “the way we all would like to leave this earth.” And this:

Christian tradition places Joseph as Jesus‘ foster father [but] represents Mary as a widow during the adult ministry of her son. Joseph is not mentioned [at] the Wedding at Cana at the beginning of Jesus’ mission, nor at the Passion at the end. If he had been present at the Crucifixion, he would under Jewish custom have been expected to take charge of Jesus’ body, but this role is instead performed by Joseph of Arimathea. Nor would Jesus have entrusted his mother to the care of John the Apostle if her husband was alive. 

Now a bit about St. Patrick. We don’t know when he was born, but he is said to have died on March 17, now celebrated as his Feast Day. (And in Irish his name would be Padraig.) And about the celebration, see How America Invented St. Patrick’s Day | TIME:  “Immigration and nativism transformed a quiet religious celebration into a day of raucous parades and shamrock shakes.” And that transformation began in America. In Ireland – up to about 1904 – March 17 was a “quiet day with no parades or public events.” But in America the holiday became a means for all Americans to become Irish for the day. “It’s the closest thing in America to National Immigrant Day, a tribute not only to the Irish, but to the idea that Americans are all part “other.” (Emphasis added.) Or as Jesus said “that we all may be one.”

In honor of those noble sentiments, I believe I’ll go out tonight and hoist a pint.

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The upper image is courtesy of Saint Joseph – Wikipedia, which also noted that the “Pauline epistles make no reference to Jesus’ father; nor does the Gospel of Mark.”  The caption for the painting: “Saint Joseph with the Infant Jesus, Guido Reni (c. 1635).”

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

The Daily Office readings for today included “AM Psalm 69:1-23(24-30)31-38; PM Psalm 73; Exod. 1:6-22; 1 Cor. 12:12-26;” and Mark 8:27-9:1. Also the readings for St. Joseph: “AM: Psalm 132; Isaiah 63:7-16; Matthew 1:18-25[;] PM: Psalm 34; 2 Chronicles 6:12-17; Ephesians 3:14-21.” A note: I read that in the Book of Common Prayer psaltery. There it’s the second line of Psalm 69:34.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

The lower image is courtesy of Green Beer St Patrick’s Day – Image Results. One page explained that Green Beer is an American invention, not Irish. “Thomas Curtin was an American physician and the man credited with the invention of green beer. He made green beer for a St. Patrick’s Day party at the Schenerer Club of Morrisania located in the Bronx in 1914 and the rest is history.”

Here’s the scoop – the Irish, in their homeland, don’t typically go for green beer. They have a rich tradition of stouts, ales, and lagers that don’t need a hue change. In my years behind the bar, I’ve had my fair share of Irish patrons shaking their heads at the sight of the neon green concoctions… For those who want to keep it authentic, there’s a treasure trove of traditional Irish beers to explore. Guinness, Murphy’s Stout, and Smithwick’s Red Ale are staples on St Patrick’s Day. These brews carry the spirit of the Emerald Isle, and let me tell you, serving a perfectly poured Guinness on St Paddy’s Day feels like winning a pot of gold.

And a note on the name “Paddy” as an alternate to “Patty,” for Patrick. Some sources say it’s a slur, other say it’s a cause for pride. See Negative terms used to describe Irish everywhere – IrishCentral, ” More common in Britain, where ‘Paddy’ was used as a derogatory catch-all name to describe anyone male and Irish.” Or this, Origin of the Name Paddy (Complete History) – Lets Learn Slang: ” The origins of Paddy can be traced back to Ireland, where it holds a special place in the hearts of the Irish people. This name not only acts as a shorthand for the popular Irish name Patrick, but it also carries a sense of identity and pride.” Urban Dictionary: paddy wagon, about the “police vehicle used to transport prisoners.” Finally, paddy wagon — Wordorigins.org: “A paddywagon is a police van used to transport criminals. The name is commonly thought to come from an association with the Irish, because in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries a disproportionately large number of Irish were police in North American cities.”

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February 17, 2026 – This week brings Shrove Tuesday, followed by Ash Wednesday on February 18 and the beginning of Lent. (Meaning this year Lent starts before the Feast Day for St Matthias, Apostle on Monday, February 24.) And Lent is the season leading up to Easter Sunday that’s devoted to almsgiving, atonement, self-denial, prayer and repentance of sins.

In turn, the forty-plus days of Lent mirror the actions of both Moses and Jesus. As for Moses, he went “into the mountains for 40 days and 40 nights to pray and fast ‘without eating bread or drinking water’ before receiving the Ten Commandments.” (From the Season of Lent):

According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan. Lent originated as a mirroring of this, fasting 40 days as preparation for Easter.

As for that “forty-plus days of Lent,” there are actually 46 days between February 18 and Easter Sunday, April 5. That’s because “Sundays are off.” They are special days exempt from the Lenten rules. Say for example, you’ve given up rye whiskey and two-dollar cigars for your Lenten discipline. On the six Sundays in Lent, you can take a take a break and enjoy both.

I’ll write more on Lenten disciplines later, including some of my own in the past, but meanwhile: For more information see the 2015 post On Ash Wednesday and Lent. (And the Wikipedia article on the subject.) That 2015 post explained the “Fight Between Carnival and Lent,” shown in the painting at the top of the page. (Actually, a close-up detail: The painting “contains nearly 200 characters … unified under the theme of the transition from Shrove Tuesday to Lent.”) The point is: Ash Wednesday always comes after Fat Tuesday, and as an aside, the French for Fat Tuesday is Mardi Gras. That has now become a generic term for “Let’s Party!!” 

As for the origins, see A Brief History of Mardi Gras … TIME, which said Fat Tuesday used to be far more spiritual than the nudity and drunken debauchery for which it is now known:

In earlier times, people used Lent as a time of fasting and repentance. Since they didn’t want to be tempted by sweets, meat and other distractions in the house, they cleaned out their cabinets. They used up all the sugar and yeast in sweet breads before the Lent season started, and fixed meals with all the meat available. It was a great feast! Through the years Mardi Gras has evolved (in some places) into a pretty wild party with little to do with preparing for the Lenten season of repentance and simplicity.

Wikipedia added, “Popular practices on Mardi Gras include wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, parades, debauchery, etc.” That “debauchery, etc.” has come to include “showing skin for beads” as part of an “alcohol-fueled, nudity-filled bacchanal,” especially in New Orleans. (Or so I’ve heard.) But because this party-time comes right before the start of Lent, there’s an object lesson. That lesson? “To everything there is a season… A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

That in turn is reflected throughout the whole liturgical calendar year, pretty much filled with such alternating seasons of celebration and penance. But while fasting and abstinence are the usual components of a Lenten discipline, keep in mind what Jesus said in Matthew 6:16-18, “Do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting.” Instead, He said to basically put on a happy face. That way, “your fasting may be seen not by others, but by your Father who is in secret.”

In other words, the life-long Christian pilgrimage consists of both fasting and feasting:

Lent is about both fasting and feasting… And that’s what we Christians do during Lent. We retell our story of slavery to sin and death. We remember that we are dust and into dust we shall return. We remember our helplessness and hopelessness. We remember that we are utterly dependent on God’s gift of deliverance. And we celebrate, we feast.

As for the day itself, many go to special Ash Wednesday services to get ash on their foreheads, “a sign of repentance since biblical times. The ash is typically made in the sign of the cross, and accompanied with the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

That last in turn comes from passages like Genesis 3:19: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground, because out of it were you taken; for dust you are and to dust you shall return.” Or more cheerfully in Ecclesiastes 12:7: “Then the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” Which is actually pretty cheerful if you think about it. Especially if you also remember John 6:37, above, along with Romans 10:9, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Emphasis added, meaning no if, ands or buts. So remember where you’re going to end up, and have a Happy Ash Wednesday.

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The upper image is courtesy of the “Fight Between Carnival” link in the Wikipedia article on Lent.  The full caption: “‘The Fight Between Carnival and Lent‘ by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (circa 1558–1559).” Note the upper image shows a mere “detail;” see the whole painting at Wikipedia.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For this post I borrowed from Ash Wednesday and Lent – 2016, 2017’s The “Overlooked Apostle,” Ruth and Mardi Gras, On Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent – 2020, Ash Wednesday – 2022, not to mention 2019’s OMG! Is it time for Lent again?

Turn! Turn! Turn! – Wikipedia discusses the song written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s, which “became an international hit in late 1965 when it was covered by the American folk rock band The Byrds.” The lyrics were taken “almost verbatim from the book of Ecclesiastes, as found in the King James Version (1611) of the Bible,” at Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

Re: Mardi Gras. See A Brief History … Photo Essays – TIME, which added:

Mardi Gras’ reputation as an alcohol-fueled, nudity-filled bacchanal is not completely unearned. In 1973 … the tradition of showing skin for beads began. Native New Orleanians despise the reputation, and rarely venture into the Quarter during Carnival season.

Re: Fasting and feasting. See also Fasting and Feasting – Flowing Faith.

The lower image is courtesy of Ash Wednesday – Wikipedia. Caption: “Ashes imposed on the forehead of a Christian on Ash Wednesday.”

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Welcome to “read the Bible – expand your mind:”

The Book of Common Prayer says that by taking part in Holy Communion, Christians become “very members incorporate in the mystical body” of Jesus. The words “corporate” and “mystical” are key. They show that a healthy church has two sides, with the often-overlooked “mystic” side asking the question, “How do I experience God?” This blog tries to answer that.

It has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37.) The second is that God wants us to live lives of abundance.(John 10:10.) The third is that Jesus wants us to read the Bible with an open mind. (As Luke 24:45 says: “Then He [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”) The fourth theme – another one often overlooked – is that Jesus wants us to do even greater miracles than He did. (John 14:12.) 

And this thought ties them together:

The best way to live abundantly and do greater miracles than Jesus is: Read, study and apply the Bible with an open mind. For more see the notes or – to expand your mind – see the Intro.

In the meantime:

February 1, 2026 – The next feast day is February 2, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. It’s part of the season of Epiphanytide, leading up to the Last Sunday after Epiphany on February 15, Ash Wednesday on February 18, and the First Sunday in Lent on February 22.

Counting forward from December 25 as Day One, we find that Day Forty is February 2. A Jewish woman is in semi-seclusion for 40 days after giving birth to a son, and accordingly it is on February 2 that we celebrate the coming of Mary and Joseph with the infant Jesus to the Temple at Jerusalem…

In other words, the day celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus, “to officially induct him into Judaism.” (In many churches it’s also called Candlemas, as shown at right. Members take their candles from home to be blessed, and those “blessed candles serve as a symbol of Jesus Christ, who is referred to as the Light of the World.”) See Luke’s account of the Presentation at 2:22-40: “Mary and Joseph took the Infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem … to complete Mary’s ritual purification after childbirth.”

Luke explicitly says that Joseph and Mary take the option provided for poor people (those who could not afford a lamb … Leviticus 12:8), sacrificing “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Leviticus 12:1-4 indicates that this event should take place forty days after birth for a male child, hence the Presentation is celebrated forty days after Christmas.

In other words, Mary and Joseph were there “in obedience to the Torah (Leviticus 12, Exodus 13:12-15.” (On Purification after Childbirth, “if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.”)

Another note: Mary did this even though she’d “borne Christ without incurring impurity” – meaning the usual ritual impurity involved in conception – but “went to the Temple in Jerusalem to fulfill the requirements of the Law of Moses.” (To set an example, like Jesus insisting that John baptize Him.) Another tidbit: This first Presentation put Jesus on the long road to His second one, the one at the hands of Pontius Pilate, displaying Him to the mob.

A reminder that from the time of His first Presentation – at just over a month old – Jesus’ life was one long journey to that second presentation. (On the eve of making the sacrifice that would literally change history, if not “split history in two.”) 

And it all began with “Simeon and Anna recognizing the Lord Jesus.”

Which brings up the question: Who first recognized the baby Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, Mary, Anna or Simeon? Simeon and Anna were two old folk at the Temple when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to Jerusalem for the first time. Simeon approached first, as he’d been told he wouldn’t die until he saw the Messiah. And having seen Jesus, he is ready to die.

Anna also recognizes Jesus as Messiah but she has a far different reaction. (She’s the only New Testament woman explicitly called a “prophetess,” Luke 2:36.) And at the ripe old age of 84, she wants to live and spread the Good News. She, like the disciples, is driven to bear witness. So, while Mary was first to hear the good news, Simeon and Anna were the first to understand fully.

Which makes Mary all the more like us today. Unlike Simeon and Anna, she didn’t immediately understand fully. She couldn’t foresee the future, or that a sword would pierce her own soul. She could only, as noted in Luke 2:19, “treasure all these words and ponder them in her heart.”

The act of pondering suggests deep contemplation and meditation, and in the Bible the heart is seen as the center of thought and emotion. That indicates Mary would not only remember these events but also try for years to understand their full meaning. Such introspection is a common theme in the Bible, where individuals meditate on God’s works and words, as seen in Psalm 119:15: “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.”

So, Mary’s pondering can be seen as an example of faith and obedience, as she seeks – for years – to comprehend God’s plan. An example of a “continuing search to understand” that seems especially appropriate now, since Lent will soon be upon us.

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The upper image is courtesy of Pontius Pilate – Wikipedia. The caption:  “Ecce Homo (‘Behold the Man’), Antonio Ciseri‘s depiction of Pilate presenting a scourged Jesus to the people of Jerusalem.”

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For this post I borrowed from 2017’s The FIRST “Presentation of the Lord,” The “Presentation of our Lord” – 2020, The Presentation of Jesus – 2/2/22, and The Presentation and the Poker player – 2025.

References to Simeon and Anna as the first to recognize Jesus as the Messiah are from Mary, Simeon or Anna: Who First Recognized Jesus as Messiah?

Re: Psalm 119:15. I used the translation from the New King James Version. Other translations: “I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways,” and “I will meditate on Your precepts And [thoughtfully] regard Your ways [the path of life established by Your precepts].”

The lower image is courtesy of the “Simeon” link in the Wikipedia article on the Presentation, with caption: “Simeon the Godreceiver [sic] by Alexei Egorov. 1830–40s.”  The caption for that image is from Simeon and Anna Recognize the Lord in Jesus. That’s another interpretation of the event, by Rembrandt (van Rijn).  (Far better known than Egorov.)  You can see Rembrandt’s interpretation at “Wikigallery,” or at “Rembrandtonline.”

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As noted in the opening blurb, this blog has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (See John 6:37, with the added, “Anyone who comes to Him.”) This is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. From the Old Testament, Psalm 9:10, “You never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.” (In the Book of Common Prayer version.) The second is that God wants us to live abundantly.  (John 10:10.) The third is that we should do greater miracles than Jesus. (John 14:12). A fourth theme: The only way to do all that is read the Bible with an open mind:

…closed-mindedness, or an unwillingness to consider new ideas, can result from the brain’s natural dislike for ambiguity. According to this view, the brain has a “search and destroy” relationship with ambiguity and evidence contradictory to people’s current beliefs tends to make them uncomfortable… Research confirms that belief-discrepant-closed-minded persons have less tolerance for cognitive inconsistency…

So in plain words, I take issue with what I call “Christian first graders.” Those who choose to stay in a kind of elementary-school first grade. See John the Baptist, ’24 – and “Christian First Graders,” for more. But the key point: “The Bible was designed to expand your mind,” not make it narrow. Also, there’s the idea that “Jesus was anything but negative. His goal was for you to grow and develop into all that you can be.” (For more on that see ABOUT THE BLOG, above.)

I’ve written on boot-camp Christians, the Literalists who never go “beyond the fundamentals.” But the Bible offers so much more than a narrow reading gives… (Unless you want to stay a buck private all your life…) Now, about “Boot-camp Christians” see Conservative Christian – “Career buck private?” The gist of that post: Starting the Bible is like Army Basic Training. You begin by“learning the fundamentals.” But after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training.” 

And as noted in “Buck private,” one of this blog’s themes is that if you want to be all that you can be, you need to go on and explore the “mystical side of Bible reading.*” In other words, exploring the mystical side of the Bible helps you “be all that you can be.” See Slogans of the U.S. Army – Wikipedia, re: the recruiting slogan from 1980 to 2001. The related image at left is courtesy of: “toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg.”

Re: “mystical.” Originally the “liturgical, spiritual, and contemplative dimensions of early and medieval Christianity.” Mysticism – Wikipedia, and the post On originalism.  (“What the Bible was originally about!”) See also Christian mysticism – Wikipedia, “In early Christianity the term ‘mystikos’ referred to three dimensions, which soon became intertwined, namely the biblical, the liturgical and the spiritual or contemplative… The third dimension is the contemplative or experiential knowledge of God.” As to that “experiential” aspect, see also Wesleyan Quadrilateral – Wikipedia, on the theological reflection method using four sources of spiritual development: scripture, tradition, reason, and “Christian experience.”

For an explanation of the Daily Office – where “Dorscribe” came from – see What’s a DOR?

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January 24, 2026 – The last post covered two major feast days in January, the Confession of St Peter on the 18th and the Conversion of St Paul on the 25th. It covered Peter confessing, so this post will cover “Paul’s converting.” Converting from a devout foe of the early Christian church to its most ardent spokesman. (Becoming second only to Jesus in helping spread the Good News.)

In plain words, they took different paths. Peter came to a position of authority from inside the church, but Paul got dragged kicking and screaming into his position of authority. Paul wrote of his former life as a zealous enemy of the budding Christian church in Galatians 1:13-14. (He said he was “extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.”) He “persecuted the church of God … and tried to destroy it.” But God changed his tune, and his name, from Saul to Paul.

As noted in Acts 7:57-8:3, “Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” Then came the Stoning of Stephen, and as the crowd threw their rocks “the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.” But then he had his Damascus Road Experience (as illustrated below). In other words, Paul went through a profound life-changing experience that changed him from skeptic to believer and advocate. And he was literally struck blind, for three days.

Of that episode, Wikipedia noted three different accounts, including Acts 9, 9-19:

[The] third discussion of Paul’s conversion occurs when Paul addresses King Agrippa, defending himself against the accusations of antinomianism that have been made against him. This account is briefer than the others. The speech here is again tailored for its audience, emphasizing what a Roman ruler would understand: the need to obey a heavenly vision, and reassuring Agrippa that Christians were not a secret society.

So, as I said Paul was “dragged kicking and screaming into his position of authority.” And from there he became “the most important person after Jesus in the history of Christianity.” From that position of authority, Paul noted that above all we as good Christians are called on to be “ministers of reconciliation.” In following his lead, we Americans should not be as polarized as we are now. Because as Paul said in Galatians 3:28, in Christ “there is no Jew or Greek, no male or female, no liberal or conservative.” (Well, that’s what he would write if he was here today.)

And speaking of current events, can you think of anyone today who could bring lots of people to Jesus, if only “they” could have a Damascus Road Experience?

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The upper image is courtesy of www.canvasreplicas.com/Rembrandt.htm. See also Two Scholars Disputing by REMBRANDT Harmenszoon van Rijn. (I used it in the previous post, on Peter Confessing, in part because the two feast days are only a week apart and in the past, I’ve combined them.)

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Note that both feast days – January 18 and 25 – fell on a Sunday and so were transferred to the following Monday. See Precedence, Rules of – The Episcopal Church: “Sunday takes precedence over all other feasts and observances of the church year. When a feast of our Lord or other major feast appointed cannot be observed because it occurs on a Sunday, the feast is normally transferred to the first convenient open day in the following week.”

For this post I borrowed from 2016’s Paul restored – from the Damascus Road, Paul gets his sight back, Peter confesses – 2024, On Peter and Paul, working together – 2025, and links therein.

The actual link to Paul’s “DRE” is Conversion of Paul the Apostle – Wikipedia.

The lower image, by Caravaggio, is courtesy of Conversion on the Way to Damascus – Wikipedia.

The painting depicts this moment … except Caravaggio has Saul falling off a horse (which is not mentioned in the story) on the road to Damascus, seeing a blinding light and hearing the voice of Jesus. For Saul this is a moment of intense religious ecstasy: he is lying on the ground, supine, eyes shut, with his legs spread and his arms raised upward as if embracing his vision. 

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