Our Calendar Part 11

Shrove-tide literally means confession-time, and is the name given to the days immediately preceding Ash Wednesday. These days were so called because on them, and especially on the last of them (Shrove Tuesday) people were accustomed to confess their sins as a preparation for Lent. In most Roman Catholic countries it begins with Quinquagesima Sunday, the Sunday before Lent.

Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, (Latin _dies cinerum_, the day of Ashes), was so called because it was customary on that day for penitents to appear in sackcloth, upon which occasion ashes were sprinkled upon them.

_d_--Lent, (Anglo-Saxon _lengten_. Perhaps from _lenegan_, to lengthen, because at this season the days lengthen) the forty days fast, is the preparation for Easter, and is observed in commemoration of our Lord's fast in the wilderness. In most languages the name given to this fast signifies the number of days--forty; but our word Lent signifies the Spring Fast, for Lenten-tide in the Anglo-Saxon language was the Season of Spring, in German, Lenz.

The six Sundays in the Lenten-tide of forty-six days are not counted in the fast, as all Sundays in the year are reckoned as feast days, because our Saviour arose from the dead on the first day of the week.

Quadragesima Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent, is so called by a.n.a.logy with the three Sundays which precede Lent, and which (as has already been stated) are called respectively Septuagesima, seventieth; s.e.xagesima, sixtieth; Quinquagesima, fiftieth; and then Quadragesima, fortieth; in round numbers forty days before Easter.

Holy Week, the last week in Lent, called also Pa.s.sion Week, because within it is commemorated our Lord's sufferings. The days specially solemnized are Palm Sunday, Spy Wednesday, Holy, or Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.

Palm Sunday (Latin _Dominica Palmarium_, or _Dominica_ in _Palmis_) is the name usually given the Sunday before Easter; a day celebrated in commemoration of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, so called because the people who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming, took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him, and cried, "Hosanna; blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord."

Spy Wednesday, so called in allusion to the betrayal of Christ by Judas, or the day on which he made the bargain to deliver him into the hands of his enemies for thirty pieces of silver.

Maundy Thursday (from _Dies mandati_, mandate Thursday), so called either from the command given his disciples to love one another, or to commemorate the sacrament of His supper.

Good Friday, so called in acknowledgment of the benefit derived from the death of Christ.

The closing scenes in the life of Christ, the events of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Holy Week, are events of much more importance than were ever before crowded into any one week in the history of the world.

The betrayal on Wednesday, the inst.i.tution of the sacrament on Thursday night, also the words of our Saviour as recorded in John's gospel, from the 14th to the 17th chapters inclusive, the agony and the b.l.o.o.d.y sweat in the garden, the arrest and trial during Thursday night and Friday morning, the crucifixion at the third hour, the darkness that was over all the land from the sixth to the ninth hour, and the last words of the blessed Jesus, "It is finished," (tasted death for every man); these we say, are events of more importance to man than were ever before crowded into any one week in the world's history.

The prophets who prophesied of these things, inquired and searched diligently, "searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow." And about an hour before this prophecy began to be fulfilled our Saviour uttered these words: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." It was probably not more than an hour from the time these words fell from the Saviour's lips, that he was arrested and led away to undergo a trial; cruel mocking and scourging, crucifixion and death upon the cross.

Then cometh Joseph of Arimathea, bringing fine linen, and Nicodemus with his hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes, and they two took the body of the Lord Jesus and wrapped it in the linen with the spices, and laid it in Joseph's own new tomb, which he had hewn out in a rock, wherein never man before was laid, and rolled a great stone against the door of the sepulcher and departed. Thus endeth Pa.s.sion Week. While the body of Jesus is in the sepulcher the world is rejoicing, and the disciples are weeping and lamenting, according to the words of the Saviour, "Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice."

He dies! the friend of sinners dies!

Lo! Salem's daughters weep around; A solemn darkness veils the skies, A sudden trembling shakes the ground.

_e_--Easter (German, _Ostern_, Old Saxon _Oster_, from _osten_, signifying rising,) is a church festival in commemoration of the resurrection of our Lord from the dead. But the apparent victory which the enemies of Christ had gained was of short duration, the rejoicing of the world did not long continue, the remaining words of our Saviour must needs be fulfilled: "But your sorrow shall be turned into joy." Now, upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, (Easter morning) the two Marys came to the sepulcher bringing the sweet spices and ointments which they had prepared for the purpose of anointing the body of the Lord Jesus, but were greatly astonished when they saw that the great stone, which they had seen rolled against the door of the sepulcher on Friday afternoon, was rolled away, and an angel sitting upon it whose countenance was like lightning, and for fear of whom the keepers did shake and become as dead men. But to the women he said, "Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified, He is not here, for He is risen." That you may know for a certainty that He is risen, come and see the place where you saw Him laid only a few hours ago. Now go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and behold He goeth before you into Galilee, there shall ye see Him. And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy, and did run to carry the good news to the disciples. But how much greater their joy soon after their departure when Jesus himself met them with the comforting words, "Be not afraid, but go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me."

The subject for conversation for the past two days had been Jesus and the crucifixion, but now Jesus and the resurrection. Some believed, but some doubted. Others ran to the sepulcher and found it even as the women had said. While the chief priests and elders hired the soldiers to say that the disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept. But how should they know what had become of Him if they were sleeping? The truth was they were so overcome with fear by the brightness of the angels'

countenance that they became as dead men, not knowing what was transpiring around them. But it was truly good tidings and great joy to the disciples of Christ on that Easter morning.

The rising G.o.d forsakes the tomb; In vain the tomb forbids His rise; Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Christ has burst the gates of h.e.l.l; Death in vain forbids His rise; Christ hath opened Paradise.

The spirit of Christ in the prophets had testified beforehand the suffering of Christ and the glory that should follow. That morning and that day was not only joyful to the disciples of Christ, but _glorious_; it was "joy unspeakable and _full_ of glory." Although 1863 years have rolled around since that Easter morning, yet we are as much interested in what then and there transpired as were the Marys, and Peter, and John, who were the first at the sepulcher, and who were permitted the same day to see their risen Lord, whom having not seen, we love; in whom, though now we see Him not, yet believing, we [as well as they] rejoice "with joy unspeakable and full of glory."

Low Sunday. The first Sunday after Easter is so called because it was customary to repeat on this day some part of the solemnity which was used on Easter day, whence it took the name of Low Sunday, being celebrated as a feast, but of a lower degree than Easter day itself. The next Sunday after Easter has been popularly, so called in England, perhaps by corruption for close, (_Pascha Clausum_) close of Easter. _Dominica_ in _Albis_, (the Sunday of white garments) a t.i.tle anciently given to the first Sunday after Easter, because on this day those persons who had been baptized at Easter appear for the last time in the chrysomes, or white robes which they received at baptism. These were laid up in the church as evidences of their baptismal profession.

Rogation Days, (Latin _rogare_, to beseech,) are the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after Rogation Sunday and before Ascension Day, (Holy Thursday.) About the middle of the fifth century Mamertus, bishop of Vienna, upon the prospect of a great fire that threatened his diocese, appointed that extraordinary prayer and supplication should be offered up to G.o.d, with fasting, for averting the impending evils upon the above mentioned days; from which supplications (called by the Latins _rogationes_) these days have ever since been called Rogation Days. As retained in our present calendar, they are simply private fasts.

_f_--Ascension Day, or Holy Thursday, one of the great religious festivals of the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches, is held on the fortieth day after Easter, and ten days before Whitsun Day, to commemorate the Ascension of our Lord into heaven. Ascension Day has been observed at least since the year of our Lord 64, and perhaps earlier. Saint Augustine believed it to have been inst.i.tuted either by the apostles themselves, or the bishops immediately succeeding them.

Expectation Week is the whole of the interval between Ascension Day and Whitsun Day, so called because at this time the apostles, according to the command of our Saviour, continued at Jerusalem, in earnest prayer and expectation of the Holy Comforter which was to abide with them forever.

The Sunday between Ascension Day and Whitsun Day is called Expectation Sunday.

Pentecost, (Greek, _Pentecostos_, fiftieth), a Jewish festival; so called because it was observed on the fiftieth day after the feast of unleavened bread, called also the feast of weeks, being celebrated seven weeks from the feast of the Pa.s.sover. It also commemorated the giving of the law on Mount Sinai upon that day. The origin of the Anglo-Saxon name of White Sunday, which also occurs in Icelandic, is somewhat obscure, for in the Roman churches the _Dominica_ in _Albis_, (Low Sunday, q. v.) so called from the white robes then worn by the persons baptized at Easter, has always been the Sunday immediately following Easter. It hardly seems probable that there should be another Sunday of White Garments within six weeks. In German it is known by the name _Pfingsten_, old German _Wingsten_, old English _Whitsun_, hence, probably, our word Whitsun Day, not White Sunday.

_g_--Whitsun Day, or Pentecost, is the last of the four _great_ festivals in the ecclesiastical year, held in commemoration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the infant church ten days after the Ascension. Among the last words of our Saviour to the apostles on the very day that He was taken up, were "Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endowed with power from on high."

After ten days of earnest, believing prayer, and expectation, suddenly, but not unexpectedly, there came a sound from heaven as a rus.h.i.+ng, mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting, and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance; and the mult.i.tude came together, and were amazed, saying one to the other what meaneth this?

Others mocking said, these men are full of new wine. But Peter lifted up his voice and said, these are not drunken as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day, (nine o'clock in the morning,) men are not usually drunk so early in the morning; but this is that which the prophet Joel eight hundred years ago said should come to pa.s.s in these last days; the promise of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Ghost for which they had been waiting for the past ten days; something of that _glory_ that should follow the crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus into Heaven, the glory of the Christian church, of the Christian dispensation, and which is destined to fill the whole earth.

"Waft, Waft, ye winds his story, And you, ye waters, roll, Till like a sea of glory, It spreads from pole to pole."

_h_--Trinity Sunday, the octave, or eighth day of the feast of Pentecost, is a church festival held in commemoration of the doctrine of the Trinity.

The introduction of this day into the calendar is of comparatively recent date, it being established by Pope Benedict XI, in the year of our Lord 1305. It is probable that the zeal of many Christians against the use of images in the eighth and ninth centuries may have been the first cause of the appointment of a distinct day for meditating upon the nature of the Holy Trinity in unity, or the one true G.o.d as distinguished from idols.

The reason for its late introduction is that in the creed of the church, and in its psalms, hymns, and doxologies, great prominence was given to this doctrine, and it was thought that there was no need to set apart a particular day for that which was done every day. This is the last of the movable feasts in the ecclesiastical year, being held eight weeks after Easter; so it may happen as early as the 17th of May or as late as the 20th of June. The length of both Epiphany and Trinity-tide depend upon the date of Easter. As Epiphany-tide is shortened by the early date of Easter, so Trinity-tide is lengthened proportionately, and as Epiphany-tide is lengthened by the later date of Easter so Trinity-tide is shortened proportionately; so Trinity-tide may contain no more than 196 days nor less than 161. (See tables at the close of this chapter.)

All Saints Day, or All hallowma.s.s (Anglo-Saxon _all_, and _halig_, holy) a festival celebrated by the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches on the first day of November, in honor of all Saints and martyrs. It was introduced into the Western church in the beginning of the seventh century by Boniface. The number of saints being exceedingly multiplied, it was found too burdensome to dedicate a feast day to each, there being, indeed, scarcely hours enough in the year to distribute among them all. It was therefore resolved to commemorate on one day all who had no particular day. By order of Gregory IV, it was celebrated on the first of November, 834; formerly the first of May was the day appointed. It was introduced into England about 870, and is still observed in the English and Lutheran churches, as well as the Church of Rome on the first of November.

All-Souls' Day, a festival held by Roman Catholics on the 2d of November, for special prayer in behalf of all the faithful dead. It was first introduced in 998, by Odilon, Abbot of Clugni, who enjoined it on his own order. It was soon after adopted by neighboring churches. It is the day on which, in the Romish church, extraordinary ma.s.ses are repeated for the relief of souls said to be in purgatory. Formerly on this day persons dressed in black perambulated the towns and cities, each provided with a bell of dismal tone, which was rung in public places by way of exhortation to the people to remember the souls in purgatory. In some parts of the west of England it is still the custom for the village children to go around to all their neighbors souling, as they call it, collecting small contributions, and singing the following verses, taken down from two of the children themselves:

Soul! Soul! for a soul-cake, Pray good mistress, for a soul-cake, One for Peter, two for Paul, Three for Him that made us all.

Soul! soul! for an apple or two; If you've got no apples, pears will do, Up with your kettle, and down with your pan, Give me a good big one and I'll be gone.

The soul cake referred to in the verses is a sort of bun which the people used to make, and to give to one another on the 2d of November.

In the following tables there is presented at one view the day of the month on which the princ.i.p.al feasts and fasts fall in the ecclesiastical year 1817-18 and 1885-86. In the former Easter happens at its earliest possible date, in the latter at its latest date in this century:

------------------------------------------+--------------+-------------- _YEAR 1817-18._ _Days in_ _Sundays in_ _Each Season._ _Each Season._ ------------------------------------------+--------------+-------------- _a_--Advent Sunday, November 30th; Advent-tide, 25 4 _1st_ Ember Week, after December 13th; Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday and Sat.u.r.day. _b_--Christmas, December 25th; Christmas-tide, 12 2 _c_--Epiphany, January 6th; Epiphany-tide, 12 1 Septuagesima Sunday, January 18th, 7 1 Paschal season from Jan. 18th to March 29th, 70 days s.e.xagesima Sunday, January 25th, 7 1 Quinquagesima Sunday, February 1st, 3 1 Shrove-tide, (confession time) Shrove Tues., Feb. 3d. _d_--Ash Wednesday, Feb 4th, Lent begins; Lenten-tide, 46 6 First Sunday in Lent (Quadragesima) February 8th. _2d_ Ember Week after first Sunday in Lent; Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday and Sat.u.r.day. Holy Week, the week before Easter; Special Days, Palm Sunday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday, March 15th, 18th, 19th and 20th. _e_--Easter Sunday, March 22d; Easter-tide, 39 6 Low Sunday, March 29th; Paschal Season ends. Rogation Sunday, April 26th; Rogation Days, the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after Rogation Sunday. _f_--Ascension Day (Holy Thursday), April 30th; Ascension-tide, 10 1 Expectation Sunday, First Sunday after Ascension, May 3d. _g_--Whitsun Day, (Pentecost) May 10th; Whitsun-tide, 7 1 _3d_ Ember Week, after Whitsun Day; Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday and Sat.u.r.day. _h_--Trinity Sunday, May 17th; 196 28 Trinity-tide, _4th_ Ember Week, after September 14th; Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday and Sat.u.r.day. All Saints' Day, November 1st. All Souls' Day, November 2d. +--------------+-------------- Appendix K. 364 52 ------------------------------------------+--------------+--------------

------------------------------------------+--------------+-------------- _YEAR 1885-86._ _Days in_ _Sundays in_ _Each Season._ _Each Season._ ------------------------------------------+--------------+-------------- _a_--Advent Sunday, November 29th, Advent-tide, 26 4 _1st_ Ember Week, after December 13th; Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday and Sat.u.r.day. _b_--Christmas, December 25th; Christmas-tide, 12 2 _c_--Epiphany, January 6th; Epiphany-tide, 46 6 Septuagesima Sunday, February 21st, 7 1 Paschal season, from Feb. 21st to May 2d, 70 days. s.e.xagesima Sunday, February 28th, 7 1 Quinquagesima Sunday, March 7th, 3 1 Shrove-tide, (confession time) Shrove Tues., Mar. 9th. _d_--Ash Wednesday, March 10th, Lent begins; Lenten-tide 46 6 First Sunday in Lent (Quadragesima) March 14th. _2d_ Ember Week after first Sunday in Lent; Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday and Sat.u.r.day. Holy Week, the week before Easter; Special Days, Palm Sunday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, April 18th, 21st, 22d and 23d. _e_--Easter Sunday, April 25th; Easter-tide, 39 6 Low Sunday, May 2d, Paschal Season ends. Rogation Sunday, May 30th; Rogation Days, the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after Rogation Sunday. _f_--Ascension Day (Holy Thursday), June 3d; Ascension-tide, 10 1 Expectation Sunday, first Sunday after Ascension, June 6th. _g_--Whitsun Day, (Pentecost) June 13th; Whitsun-tide, 7 1 _3d_ Ember Week, after Whitsun Day; Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday and Sat.u.r.day. _h_--Trinity Sunday, June 20th; Trinity-tide, 161 23 _4th_ Ember Week, after September 14th; Ember Days, Wednesday, Friday and Sat.u.r.day. All Saints' Day, November 1st. All Souls' Day, November 2d +--------------+-------------- Appendix K. 364 52 ------------------------------------------+--------------+--------------

CHAPTER VIII.

HEBREW CALENDAR.

To the Bible student a knowledge of the Hebrew calendar is indispensable, if he would know how the date of events recorded in the Bible are made to correspond with our present English calendar. From the exodus (1491 B. C.) downward, the Hebrew month was lunar, and commenced invariably with the new moon.

Dr. Smith, author of Bible Dictionary, says that the terms for month and moon have the same close connection in the Hebrew language as in our own, only the Hebrew Codesh (that is new moon) is, perhaps, more distinctive than the corresponding term in our language; for it expresses not simply the idea of a lunation, but the recurrence of a period commencing definitely with the new moon. Though the identification of the Jewish month with our own cannot be effected with precision on account of the variations that must necessarily exist between the lunar and the solar month, each of the former ranging over portions of two of the latter, still it can be shown how they may be made to coincide very nearly by a systematic method of intercalation.

Now from new moon to new moon again, is about 29-1/2 days; therefore, the Hebrew year consisted of 354 days, for 29-1/2 12 = 354; so that the epact, (which is the excess of the solar year beyond the lunar) is eleven days. Hence, had they no method of intercalation, the commencement of their year would go back eleven days every year, and consequently make a revolution of the seasons every thirty-three years, for 365 11 = 33 nearly.

To ill.u.s.trate, let us suppose that the new moon of Nisan, which is the first month in the Sacred year, should on any given year fall on the 10th of April, then the following year it would fall on the 30th of March, which is eleven days earlier; the second year it would fall on the 19th of March or twenty-two days earlier; the third year the new moon would fall on the 8th of March or thirty-three days earlier, but that would not be the new moon of Nisan, which cannot happen earlier than the 11th, so the following moon which happens thirty days later on the 7th of April is the new moon of Nisan. Hence it may be seen that by intercalating a full month every three years, or which comes nearer to accuracy seven times in nineteen years, restores the coincidence of the solar and the lunar year, and consequently the moons to the same day of the month on which they fell nineteen years before.

The method of designating the months previous to the exodus, was by their numerical order, as the ancient Hebrews had no particular name to express their month. They said the first, second and third month, and so on. No names of months appear in the Bible until about the time of the inst.i.tution of the pa.s.sover, when the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying this month, (Abib, which appears to have had its origin in Egypt,) shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.

The names of the months appear to belong to two distinct periods. In the first place we have those peculiar to the Jews previous to the captivity, viz: Abib, the first month in commemoration of the exodus; Zif, the second, Ethanim, the seventh, and Bul, the eighth. These names are of Hebrew origin, and have reference to the characteristics of the seasons, a circ.u.mstance which clearly shows that the months, by intercalation, were made to return at the same period of the year. Thus, Abib was the month of the ears of corn, that is the month in which the ears of corn became full, or ripe on the 16th day, that is the 2d day of the feast of unleavened bread. Zif, the month of blossoms or the bloom of flowers. Ethanim, the month of gifts, that is of fruits, and Bul, the month of rain. These were superceded after the captivity, by Nisan, Iyar, Tisri and Hesvan, or Marchesvan.

Marchesvan, coinciding as it does with the rainy season in Palestine, is considered a pure Hebrew term. The modern Jews consider it a compound word, from mar, drop, and Chesvan; the former betokening that it was wet, and the latter being the proper name of the month. Hence the name indicates the wet month. In the second place we have the names of six others which appear in the Bible subsequently to the Babylonian captivity, viz.: Sivan, the third; Elul, the sixth; Kislev, the ninth; Tebet, the tenth; Sebat, the eleventh, and Adar, the twelfth. There are two other months whose names do not appear in the Bible, viz.: Tamuz, the fourth, and Ab, the fifth. The name of the intercalary month is called Ve-Adar, or 2d Adar because placed in the calendar after Adar and before Nisan.

Dr. Smith says these names are probably borrowed from the Syrians in whose regular calendar we find names answering to most of them. He also says it was the opinion of the Talmudists, that these names were introduced by the Jews who returned from the Babylonish captivity, and also that they are certainly used exclusively by writers of the post-Babylonian period.