Sacred Feasts

Christians are no strangers to sacred feasts – in fact we celebrate one every time we gather around the altar for Eucharist.  It is a transcendent time of being in communion with God, with the holy, while grounding our faith in the tangible.

Our most sacred feast, Easter, is proceeded by 40 days of fasting, which we call Lent.  It is a period of self-reflection and devotion, usually expressed through a “fast” of some sort.  Many talk about what they “give up” for Lent, such as chocolate or swearing.  Such actions are to help us remember what we are doing, but are only as helpful as we allow them to be.

You might be asking why I’m writing about Lent in the middle of summer, when we are in the midst of “Ordinary Time” and Lent does start until March 1, 2017 (mark your calendars now!). I am drawing a connection to our season of Lent and the Muslim tradition of Ramadan, the month of fasting offered in commemoration of the Qur’an being revealed to the prophet Muhammad. Eid Al-Fitr celebrates the conclusion Ramadan, which started at sundown on July 5th.  So today is a day of great significance and celebration for our Muslim brothers and sisters.

It is import to note that while our Christian tradition is somewhat passive about the “rules” for fasting (there are suggestions, such as the Roman Catholic observance of no meat on Fridays, but no definitive law) there are very clear expectations for fasting in Ramadan.  No food or drink is consumed between sun rise to sun set – that includes water.  Each night the fast is broken at an iftar, a meal with prayers and thanksgivings.  These rules apply to all healthy adults.  If, for some reason, such as illness or pregnancy, the fasting observance cannot be followed, then the time should be made up as soon as possible, as it is a holy obligation.

In August 2012 when I was in Jerusalem for a pilgrimage, it was during Ramadan.  It was very hot and our tour guide reminded us to take a sip of water every 15 minutes in order to stay hydrated.  Granted, we were not used to the climate, but it is a healthy thing to do anyway.  I was in awe of so many observant Muslims who abstained for almost 16 hours (including our bus driver!), especially the women who were covered from head to toe and some even in burkas. The dedication to their faith was impressive and inspiring.

The Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – all have sacred feasts that commemorate important events in our traditions.  These feasts are only as important as we make them.  Many in our society will have no idea that today is a significant day for Muslims, yet almost everyone knows when Christmas is, because it has become so commercialized.  As observant Christians, it incumbent on us to make our sacred feasts retain their real meaning, their religious significance and connection to the Divine.  We don’t have to borrow another traditions observance (i.e. I am not suggesting we fast from dawn to dusk) but we need to be dedicated to our tradition and perhaps a bit more rigorous in how we choose to observe. It is a sacrifice and it should feel like a sacrifice. That way, the feast is worth celebrating.

What does that sacrifice look like to you?  We’ve got 238 days to figure that out. In the meantime, I give thanks to my faithful Muslim sisters and brothers.  Peace be upon them. 

In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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