C.S. Lewis holidays: Meet the guys behind the creativity

November 9, 2010 by

Wow! What a Christmas for C.S. Lewis lovers this year! Throw in tickets to the “Dawn Treader” movie and you’ve sending the Narnia fan on your gift list into 7th Heaven. Or … ooops! … that’s not a realm in Lewis’ spiritual imagination. Well, let’s say you’re giving them many months of rich spiritual adventure.

In Part 1, we reviewed the new “A Year with Aslan.” In Part 2, we featured “The C.S. Lewis Bible.” Today, you’ll meet the two men behind these creative efforts: Harper One Senior Vice President and Publisher Mark Tauber and Harper One Editorial Director Mickey Maudlin.

But, first, take a good look at our photo, above, of The Chronicles of Narnia 7-Book and Audio Box Set. If you want the original—“The Chronicles of Narnia”—this set is a great deal. The box includes a 1-volume paperback edition of all the novels (shown at left in the photo above). Plus, you’ll get 7 folders containing the complete text of the novels read by a remarkable range of performers. The readers include Lynne Redgrave, Derek Jacobi, Patrick Stewart, Michael York and Kenneth Branagh. When these amazing audio versions were released a couple of years ago, I listened to this entire set—many, many hours. This particular audio version is such a treat that I plan to listen to the entire set again this winter.

NOTE FOR BUDGET-CONSCIOUS HOLIDAY SHOPPERS: This multimedia boxed set retails for $100, but Amazon has it discounted for $63, which is more than a third off the suggested retail price.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR INTERVIEW WITH HARPERONE
MARK TAUBER AND MICKEY MAUDLIN ON C.S. LEWIS

Harper One editorial director Mickey MaudlinDAVID: C.S. Lewis’ popularity is astonishing. I checked the Harper Collins homepage today and C.S. Lewis ranks No. 4 on the current list of top Harper authors. No. 1 on that list is Diane Mott Davidson and her best-selling murder mysteries. Jerry Seinfeld’s wife Jessica is second with her celebrity cookbook. Red-hot, true-crime historian James L. Swanson is third. None of those are surprising. We all know what sells these days: new mysteries, suspense novels and celebrity stuff. But, on that list of top authors at No. 4 is this Oxford professor who’s been dead for nearly 50 years! Astonishing. Why does Lewis defy publishing trends? Why is he so popular after so many years?

MICKEY: I’m always fascinated by exactly that question. We organized a panel a few years ago with N.T. Wright and some others talking about that. Lewis wrote more than half a century ago and he’s still selling hundreds of thousands of books today! I think part of the answer is that he’s someone who can write both for the person who has never been inside a church—and for the life-long Christian who has read a lot about faith already. He captivates both kinds of readers. He’s different from other Christian writers. He doesn’t use all the jargon and tribal thinking that you find in so many other writers’ work. You don’t have to be part of any club to enter Lewis’ world. He didn’t dumb down ideas. He made them accessible to everyone. He could speak both to the academic and to the popular. He had a wonderful talent for surprising people.

DAVID: This holiday season, you have two brand-new books containing Lewis’ wisdom: “A Year with Aslan” and “The C.S. Lewis Bible.” The new Bible is full of Lewis’ serious reflections on scripture from his letters and from his many inspirational books about faith. But Narnia, at first glance, seems like it’s just for kids.

MICKEY: Narnia crosses over, too. A few years ago, we published “The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis,” by Alan Jacobs. Alan argues that in many ways Narnia captures the most mature expression of Lewis’ thought. Almost everything he thought throughout his life was on display in the seven volumes of “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Here’s someone who is a deep scholar in the classics and, toward the end of his life, the best expression of his life’s work comes to us through these children’s novels. The new “Year with Aslan” is a new way into the Narnia stories. We tried to capture that teaching-wisdom of Lewis within Narnia and give it to readers day by day, not in a single long narrative. Reading this way, you step outside the overall narration and experience just a single passage, each day. It’s a new way of seeing these novels that so many people know so well.

Harper One Senior Vice President & Publisher Mark TauberDAVID: In the new Bible, Lewis’ step-son Douglas Gresham writes that Lewis never considered himself a theologian and always regarded himself as a “rank amateur” at this. He never was a Bible scholar as that role now is defined by the academy of scholars. How did he come to attain such a stature?

MARK: We are now five years into our Bible-publishing program. There are different categories of Bibles. There are study Bibles and straight-text reading Bibles and then there is this whole category of devotional bibles and specialty Bibles. Our “Green Bible” is one of those specialty devotional Bibles. This category of Bible isn’t designed to dive deeply into what this Hebrew word or that Greek phrase meant in context thousands of years ago. The additions in these devotional Bibles enhance what the scriptures are saying. It’s not as if we’re treating Lewis as a Bible scholar in this new Lewis Bible. We’ve used material from Lewis’ own writings that now are paired with the appropriate passages in scripture. We also publish study Bibles. Our “HarperCollins Study Bible” was put together with teams of scholars exploring individual passages and telling us how to understand it all. In the new Lewis Bible, you’re getting Lewis as a companion as you read the Bible, not Lewis trying to explain what went on in the 1st century.

MICKEY: We also have to remember that Lewis always was humble as he stated his own areas of expertise. But he did write a book reflecting on Psalms and he had a very rich reading of the Bible. He understood the Greek of the New Testament. He might not have been a Bible scholar as the field is understood today—but he wasn’t just a rank amateur, whatever he might have said in that comment Douglas Gresham repeats.

SEX AND VIOLENCE IN NARNIA
PROMPTING READER REFLECTION

DAVID: I need to ask you about two issues that always are raised by readers whenever we write about C.S. Lewis: Sex and violence. Let’s start with the question about violence. Readers who are pacifist often write to us, pointing out that Lewis believed in redemptive violence. Lewis was shaped by the cataclysmic events of the 20th century: World War I, where he served in the trenches, World War II, the Holocaust and the Cold War. Like J.R.R. Tolkien and their friends, they were grappling with the meaning of Christianity in a world that was capable of tearing itself apart at the seams. So, understanding the power and the limitation of violence is a central part of their work. But how do you respond to this kind of question on violence?

MICKEY: I say a couple of things. You’re exactly right about Lewis’ context in World War I, World War II and periods when it was obvious that people had to stand up to evil in the world. The only way to do that, if forced, was to violently defend yourself and, in the case of World War II, defeat the Nazis. Lewis was not a pacifist and, in fact, the climax of his space trilogy points out that, at the end of the day, the only thing left is to fight evil. It’s also true that Lewis came out of a tradition in which battles and warfare are metaphors that aren’t always literally intended as statements about violence. Look at the works of John Bunyan and George Macdonald. They wrote about battles that represent battles within our character between the forces of good and evil. We also need to remember that Lewis always was drawing on the rich tradition of medieval literature that he knew so well and metaphors of violence run through the medieval tradition, too.

DAVID: And what do you say about the sex question—or, rather, the gender question. In your new Bible, you include one amazing passage from Lewis’ writing in the Genesis portion of the Bible that seems to portray Lewis as very progressive on gender issues. But, I have to say: Some readers always question Lewis’ portrayals of women in his books. Even in the new Bible, we find lots of references to “man” as Lewis’ favorite term for “people,” for example. Lewis didn’t write with today’s sensibility about gender roles and language.

MICKEY: We have to realize that Lewis was writing in an earlier time. And, he was a medievalist so the references he looked to in literature went back even further. He died in 1963, before today’s appreciation for inclusivity had come along. So, in publishing Lewis today, we don’t try to go in and change his words. Your readers aren’t alone in raising these questions. It’s true: Lewis was not the most progressive person in terms of gender roles.

ENJOYING CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
WITH CHILDREN (AND SMART NEW APPS)

DAVID: I really like the new Lewis Bible. As a life-long Lewis fan, I’ll enjoy seeing Lewis’ thoughts popping up along with my own daily Bible readings. But I did search through your new book for a daily reading plan. Lots of Bible readers have gone cover-to-cover through the Bible many times—or, many of us enjoy reading along with the Common Lectionary. Why didn’t you include a reading plan in the new Bible?

MARK: That’s a great idea. You’re right, we didn’t provide that in the book—but we will provide it, now that you’ve mentioned it. It’s a great idea to have the lectionary readings posted in our site. That’s easy to do.

MICKEY: That’s in keeping with our plans at HarperCollins to move as fast as we can into ebooks and enhanced ebooks. Right now, we’re working on enhanced ebooks that can fit in with calendarized apps for devices like the iPad. We’re working on a year with Thomas Merton, a year with C.S. Lewis and some others. Eventually, you’ll be able to get these as something like an e-version of the page-a-day calendar.

DAVID: That’s terrific and I think it’ll be very popular—helping people read good things day by day, finding them easily right there in the palms of their hands. I know that C.S. Lewis is very popular with kids. I read Narnia to my own kids, when they were young. But his books really are perfect to move into the latest of reading technology. Narnia appeals across a huge age range.

MARK: I agree. A series like “Lord of the Rings” is very complicated and it’s more difficult for children. But Narnia works for all ages.

MICKEY: That’s where George Macdonald is a good example. Both Lewis and Tolkien were captivated by that kind of George Macdonald level of fairy tale that transcends age, so that it’s simple for children and engaging for adults, too. Children are the main characters of these stories, but the stories never feel juvenile. That’s another reason Lewis’ popularity remains so strong after so many years: He never talked down to anyone. We all can enter his world, whatever our age.

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What’s the Spiritual Season this week? From Dyngus and Passover’s end to recalling Rwanda, AIDS & Holocaust

April 3, 2010 by


WELCOME!

(You’ll also find weekly news in our “ReadTheSpirit Planner.” See
a sample & learn how to get this free Email newsletter.) HERE IS …

What’s the Spiritual Season?
(April 5 to 11, 2010)
By Stephanie Fenton

CHRISTIAN FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD extend their Easter joy into this week, particularly in areas celebrating Easter Monday! Jews of the Diaspora wrap up their Passover holiday, too, on Monday
evening. Mormons mark the anniversary of their church’s founding on
Tuesday. Wednesday begins a string of solemn
observances, including remembrances of the
Rwandan Genocide, the death of Ryan White—and the Holocaust. Read all about these
events and observances below …

MONDAY, don’t put
away those Easter decorations just yet—in many Christian cultures, today is
Easter Monday. (Get more details from
Wikipedia.) What began, centuries ago, as a week-long
celebration of Easter’s joy was cut down to one day during the 19th
century. Still, many use this day to continue Easter-related festivities. One example: The White
House holds its annual egg-rolling competition today.
   
In Poland and parts of the United States—particularly Chicago and
Buffalo, New York, where there are large Polish populations—today is
also known as Dyngus Day, which translates into “Wet Monday.” The largest Dyngus Day
party in the world is held each year in Buffalo.
    Centuries
ago, many pagans spent this time of year honoring the goddess Eostre and
spring’s fertility. As part of the pagan festivities, some young men
would tap young women with long poles as a fertility blessing. In response, young women would playfully dump water on
their male counterparts. This “wet” tradition was adapted by the
Christian Church and many people choose to douse one another in blessed
holy water that is left over from Easter. (Catholic.org
offers prayer suggestions for Easter Monday.)
    Today, there aren’t as many young women tossing traditional buckets of water—but water-gun fights sure are popular! Also,
this year, organizers of Buffalo’s Dyngus Day party dedicated Pussy
Willow Garden, a plot that will grow bushes of pussy willows, so that
future generations will have plenty of pussy willow branches to use to
“tap” members of the opposite sex! (Read
more in a Buffalo News blog.)
    In the Eastern Orthodox
Church, devotees will be taking a break from the day’s events to
recognize this as Bright Monday. It is during this one week of the year
that the Holy (or Royal) Doors of the Iconostasis are kept open. The Iconostasis is the wall of icons that separate the main part of an Orthodox church from the altar area. The open doors symbolizes the stone that was rolled
away from Jesus’ tomb.
    More than 100 countries
declare Easter Monday a national holiday, and this year, the Federal
Government of Nigeria added its country to the list.

MONDAY at SUNDOWN,
Jews of the Diaspora honor the eighth and final night of Passover (Pesach). Jews in Israel honored the seventh and final night of Passover on
Sunday. Last night, today and until sundown tomorrow, Jews outside of
Israel commemorate the day the Israelites safely crossed the Red Sea. (Find
out more at Chabad.org.)
    According to scripture, Moses “split
the sea,” revealing dry land, and while the Hebrews were able to safely
cross, Egyptian soldiers, horses and chariots all drowned or were lost
when the water came flooding back into the sea. Only Pharaoh is
believed to have been spared from death—so that he could tell of the
miracle he witnessed. (Here
is Wikipedia’s overview.)
   
Jewish custom pertaining to the observance of Passover’s final day(s) is
specific: While Jews can, and do, thank G-d for their salvation,
they don’t celebrate the demise of their enemies. So, while Jews are
permitted to thank G-d today, they should not take glee in the watery fate of their pursuers. (Details
are at Torah.org.)
    ReadTheSpirit also helps celebrate Passover this year with holiday articles by author Debra Darvick—and news about graphic novels by historian Steve Sheinkin about the fictional “Rabbi Harvey of the Wild West.“

TUESDAY, Mormons
mark the anniversary of the founding of their Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known simply as the LDS Church. (The photo at left is of a
Joseph Smith Memorial building in Salt Lake City.) On this date 180
years ago, founder Joseph Smith and six incorporators organized the
Church at a home in New York. (The
full account is on the LDS site.) According to the 2010
LDS Almanac, the Church currently has more than 13.5 million members
worldwide.
    Smith grew up on a farm in
upstate New York, a hotbed of religious revivalism in that era. Smith reported a vision that came to him when he was 14, revealing God and Jesus—such a powerful experience that it moved him to “restore Christianity” and eventually to begin a new church. (An
article in the LA Times has more on his life. Get a full
story on the Mormon History Association site.) This founding day is
one of only three “special days” marked specifically by Mormons in their
calendar year.
    Another note of interest: As the Boy Scouts of
America marks its 100th anniversary this year, so does the LDS Church.
The LDS Church was the organization’s first institutional sponsor. (An
article on this was recently published in the LDS news section.)

WEDNESDAY, do your
part to make your community a healthier place on UN World Health Day 2010.
Each year on April 7, thousands of events are held worldwide to promote
healthier living. This year, World Health Day focuses on urbanization
and health, in “1000
cities—1000 lives.” The UN and World Health Organization ask city
officials to open up their streets to healthy activities, from biking to
eating lunch outside—and everything in between. (Click here to access an interactive
map that highlights participating areas around the world.)
   
Urbanization has long been a hurdle for public health, since city living
is often associated with water and air pollution, increased violence,
unhealthy diets, decreased physical activity, substance abuse and more. Special observances like this one are dedicated to raising awareness—and activism on these issues.
    An important new author in this field is the Rev. Mae Cannon, an evangelical pastor who works with John Perkins—one of the prophetic figures in transformative urban ministries. To help mark New Year’s 2010 at ReadTheSpirit, we featured an interview with Cannon about her work and her recommendations for getting religious folks out of their pews and into the streets.
    If you’re part of such an effort, Email us about it at [email protected].

Also on WEDNESDAY,
it’s the first solemn observance of the week: On April 7, 1994, the
100-day Rwandan Genocide began. In just 100 days, almost 1 million
civilians were killed—nearly 20 percent of the country’s population. In
the same conflict, between 250,000 and 500,000 women and girls were
raped, all as the result of conflicts between Hutu and Tutsi groups. To this day, the people of
Rwanda are struggling to restore civility and grapple with the legacy of this conflict.
    The
BBC has a great online overview: “How the Genocide Happened.” To find out even more, the London-based Peace Pledge Union also offers a multi-part chronology that details steps before, during and after the genocide.
    Why remember these horrifying events? At the time, international media—and world leaders—ignored
what was taking place in Rwanda. For example, the U.S. Secretary of State delayed for many weeks in authorizing officials to use the term “genocide.” Now, years later, one way to respond to the lingering scars is to find out about the Rwandan genocide, remember what unfolded—and pledge to act more decisively in the future when such dire threats to life are emerging.
    Want some inspiration? A fascinating set of
interviews—with both a Rwandan victim and the man who nearly killed her—was recently
published in The Walrus, a Canadian magazine. Read
the article here.

THURSDAY, it’s
been just 20 years since the death of an admirable young man whose
courage brought attention to one of the world’s most prevalent diseases:
In 1990, Ryan White lost his life to AIDS. (Learn more at the official site,
RyanWhite.com.) Just six days after his birth, White required a
transfusion of blood product, and since HIV and AIDS were rarely
researched 20 years ago, blood donors could donate without even knowing
they had the disease. A lack of information led to Ryan White receiving
the HIV virus. (Further details are at
Wikipedia.)
    White first became severely sick in 1984,
and when he wanted to return to school in 1985, school officials
discouraged the idea. The legal battle that ensued brought national
attention to White, the disease and the public’s perception of HIV and
AIDS. (The
New York Times provided lots of information in White’s obituary.)
Although White faced discrimination, death threats and more, he
continued his attempts to live a “normal life.” Throughout his short
life, White became a national celebrity who educated the public on AIDS
and fueled AIDS research. (Read more about White and
AIDS from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.)
   
Just after White’s death, U.S. Congress passed the Ryan White Care Act. The Act has been reauthorized since its inception (most recently by
President Obama in 2009, as
was posted on the White House’s site). Today, it is the largest
provider of services for people living with HIV and AIDS in the U.S.
(Also in 2009, President Obama announced the elimination of the HIV
entry ban, which required HIV-positive travelers to carry a special
waiver when they traveled).
    Last month, representatives from
approximately 40 religious groups—including Christianity, Judaism, Islam,
Hinduism and Buddhism—gathered to discuss how people of faith can help
in the fight against HIV and AIDS. (Read an article on the
gathering at The Body, a resource for people with HIV and AIDS.)
The leaders vowed to speak about people with HIV and AIDS without
discrimination.
    According to UN Population Fund Executive Director
Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, “There is no talk about sinning or repentance. It
is more about acceptance of people living with HIV.”

SATURDAY at SUNDOWN,
Jews solemnly observe Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance
Day. Although marked by Jews around the world, Yom HaShoah is
officially Israel’s day of commemoration for the 6 million Jews who lost
their lives in the Holocaust as a result of the Nazi Regime. (Wikipedia has
more.) In Israel, Yom HaShoah is a public holiday, made into law in
1959, and each year sirens blare at 10 a.m. to call for a short, nationwide period of
silence. In the Diaspora, many Jewish communities hold commemorative
ceremonies, light memorial candles and pray for the dead. Many Jews mark
Yom HaShoah with a visit to the synagogue.
    And, here’s an important tip: If you’re looking for local Holocaust commemorations, check with Jewish groups in your part of the world—because sometimes these observances are scheduled on different dates to accommodate community schedules.
    Because good educational materials on the Holocaust often are hard to find, ReadTheSpirit this year has established a “Resource Page for Holocaust Remembrance in Media.” Check out the latest news we share on that page and, if you’re aware of something we should share with readers—email us at [email protected].
    In Israel, memorial events
extend beyond lit candles and prayer: A state ceremony is held at the
Warsaw Ghetto Plaza, places of entertainment are closed and television
stations run Holocaust-related programs.
    In a public display of hope and commitment to a more peaceful future, thousands of Jewish high-school students, along
with non-Jewish supporters, participate in “The March of the Living” from
Auschwitz to Berkenau. This symbolic opposition to Auschwitz’s infamous history of death marches is an annual living memorial—with an educational legacy. (The photo, above, shows some of the teen-agers in an earlier March of the Living outside Auschwitz.)
    This year, the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum will be hosting a Days of Remembrance ceremony
on Thursday that will be Webcast live from the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. (Access the
Webcast, plus get more information, at the Museum’s site.)
    As pointed out in a Museum
blog by David G. Marwell, director of the Museum of Jewish
Heritage, observances such as Yom HaShoah hold a mysterious yet
unmistakable irony: While we gather together to observe, true reflection
is a private act. “We gather together so we can be intensely alone,” he
wrote. “Alone with our thoughts, our prayers, our memories.”

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What’s the Spiritual Season this week? Passover, Holy Week and Easter plus Jain, Hindu and Buddhist dates, too

March 27, 2010 by


WELCOME!

(You’ll also find weekly news in our “ReadTheSpirit Planner.” See
a sample & learn how to get this free Email newsletter.) HERE IS …

What’s the Spiritual Season?
(March 29 to April 4, 2010)
By Stephanie
Fenton

GET READY FOR ONE BUSY WEEK!
This is rare: The world’s 2 billion Christians unite on Easter! (Most years,
Eastern and Western Christian calendars mark their most important holiday on different dates.) Also this week, Jews begin their
most widely observed tradition:
Passover! Monday, Jains recognize their most important holiday of
the year, too, with Mahavira Jayanti. To complement these major
festivals and observances, there’s much more: Firstborn male Jews fulfill the Fast of the
Firstborn, Hindus revere a monkey god on Hanuman Jayanti and some
Buddhists reflect during Sangha Day. Jehovah’s Witnesses observe a unique event in their calendar on Tuesday—and in the midst of the
holy days leading to Easter, we celebrate a mail-order anniversary. Read
about these events and observances below!

MONDAY, it’s the
most important holiday of the year for Jains: Mahavir(a) Jayanti (spellings vary). Read
about modern Jains and this celebration at AsiaOneNews, from Singapore
Press.
    This birthday celebration for Mahavira, the last
Tirthankara, is a tribute to the figure who taught his followers how to
achieve true happiness through complete nonviolence and austerity.
(There are 24 Tirthankaras, or Jain prophets, in recorded history.) Scholars disagree about Mahavira’s exact year of birth but
agree that he was born sometime around 600 BCE. (Read more on
Wikipedia’s page.)
    Jain legend has it that Mahavira’s mother,
Trisala, had a series of auspicious dreams about her son-to-be, just as
the mothers of the other Tirthankaras had. Mahavira was born into a household deeply devoted to Jainism and to the
philosophies of the 23rd Tirthankara, Parswanatha.
    In his young
life, Mahavira spent more than a decade in meditation and penance. (TajOnline,
an Indian resource, offers plentiful details on Mahavira’s life.)
After coming to a self-realization, according to Jain tradition, Mahavira began spreading his knowledge to others. During his lifetime,
animal sacrifice was widespread, superstitions were popular, and elaborate religious rituals were abundant. Mahavira was bothered by such practices and made it his mission to clear
society’s religious “excess” and teach about the simple life changes he
deemed most important. In his teachings, Mahavira would often state, “Do
unto others as you would like to be done by.”
    Today, Jains
decorate temples with flags, bathe sacred images of Mahavira, parade around
cities, offer food to the poor and attend public lectures that focus on
Mahavira’s path to virtue and happiness. (The
colorful FestivalsInIndia site has interesting facts on celebrations.)
At home, many believers meditate and pray.

Through MONDAY MORNING,
a very specific group of Jews observe a fast: firstborn males. Jewish
men who are the oldest child in their family fast on this day, known in English as the Fast of
the Firstborn. (Chabad.org
has more. There’s also a helpful Wikipedia

page.)
    The fast is a commemorative remembrance of the biblical Plague of the
Firstborn in ancient Egypt that is part of the Exodus story remembered during Passover each year. For
tips on breaking down this fast day for young people, visit
TorahForTots.

MONDAY at SUNDOWN,
Jews begin the great festival of Passover. As the most-observed Jewish
holiday, an estimated 80 percent of Jews have attended a Passover
Seder, according to the National Jewish Population Survey of 1990.
    After days—even weeks in some households—of laborious preparation, Jews have now completely
eliminated any crumb and trace of the five major grains (wheat, rye,
barley, oats and spelt) from their homes and are ready to observe the
Passover Seder. To completely clean their homes of these grains, referred to as
chametz, Jews scrub corners and edges
with toothbrushes and toothpicks—even getting rid of some utensils that touch the grains! In families with small children, this often becomes a festive search for every last scrap of chametz—and parents sometimes make the search more of an adventure by sprinkling a few bits of cereal in odd corners of the home. To become entirely Kosher for Passover, observant families change over kitchen utensils and entire sets of dishes for the holiday period. It’s a whole lot of work! (Read
more at Judaism 101. Or, the Jewish
Virtual Library.)
    In remembrance of the ancient Hebrews
who had to leave Egypt hurriedly for their Exodus, Jews since have
marked Passover by eating bread that is not allowed to rise. This
unleavened bread, known as matzah or matzoh, is also a symbol of Jews’
removal of “puffiness,” or pride and arrogance, from their souls. (For more on family Passover reflections, you’ll enjoy this ReadTheSpirit story by author Debra Darvick.)
     Passover marks
the “passing over” of the Hebrews’ homes when firstborns in ancient Egypt perished in a final plague that eventually swayed Pharaoh. Israelite families had marked their doors with lamb’s blood and were not inflicted with this terrible plague. (A detailed history is at
Wikipedia.)
    Tonight and tomorrow night, Jews host or attend
an elaborate Seder, or ritual meal, often with family members and friends. (A
how-to, audio, Passover for Kids and much more is at Chabad.org.)
Elders tell young people the story of their heritage during the Seder—but youngsters also play key roles, including asking questions that kick off the whole process.
Diet is strict, and nearly all of the Seder foods are symbolic and
representative, including multiple glasses of wine.
    Looking for some fun Passover-related activities? Check
out this site,
where you can learn about unleavened bread, take an audio tour of a
matzoh factory, laugh at a
Passover-themed cartoon and even follow Exocus on Twitter!
   
Did you know that vacations for Passover are growing in popularity? Read
about them—and how to keep them Kosher—in this article from the Wall
Street Journal.
    Passover continues for a week—for a list of
observances for each day of Passover, visit
Chabad.org.

TUESDAY, it’s
the Hindu jayanti of Hanuman, a monkey god and a great devotee of Lord
Rama. (Lord
Rama’s festival was celebrated last week and the week before; read all
about it in last week’s calendar.)
    Legend states that
Hanuman was born to the king of the monkeys and his wife, Punjiksthala. (Indian
site TajOnline has details.) More specifically, Punjiksthala in
human form was punished for her deeds and told that, as a result,
she would be born again as a monkey. When she repented, her fate as a
monkey was already sealed, but she was told she would bear a son
who would be a great devotee of Rama. (Here is Wikipedia’s
page.)
    According to Hindu tradition, Hanuman crossed an ocean
by chanting Rama’s name and restored life to figures who had crossed
into the netherworld, among many other great feats. Yet just as his
power was a result of his selfless devotion to Rama, Hanuman never
credited himself with his feats and, instead, declared: “I am a humble
messenger of Sri Rama. I have come here to serve Rama, and to do His
work.” Hanuman is worshiped in folk tradition as having magical powers.
   
On his jayanti, Hanuman worshippers often gather in temples and carry sacred images of the deity. Some Hindus wear masks and tails to imitate the monkey
god, and when the day’s festivities have finished, all partake in a
vegetarian feast. (You
can watch a Hanuman procession, hear festive music and more right from
your own home! Check out this video.)
    Last year, ReadTheSpirit Editor David Crumm interviewed talented young Indian-American novelist Cheeni Rao about Cheeni’s semi-autobiographical book, “In Hanuman’s Hands.” Rao writes about the long and twisting journey of a recovering substance abuser and relates those difficult challenges to the image of Hanuman as a helpful guide. The book also includes Cheeni’s long narrative about the ancient Hanuman story. Remembering that resourceful image of this monkey god was key in Cheeni’s own recovery, he writes.

Also on TUESDAY,
some Buddhists remember the 1,250 followers of Buddha who spontaneously
came to see him on the same night. (A
neat explanation is available from Assumption University of Thailand.)
    On this, Magha Puja or Sangha, Buddhists pay particular attention to avoiding sin and purifying their minds. There are four elements remembered on this day: the 1,250 followers who converged on the Buddha, the fact
that all 1,250 followers were Enlightened and had been ordained by
Buddha, the date of a full moon and, fourth, the fact that Buddha
revealed the primary principles of Buddhism on this day. (Wikipedia has more
details.) The original gathering of 1,250 followers occurred
approximately 2,500 years ago at Deer Park.
    Note that the dates of Buddhist observances vary widely, so only some Buddhists recognize Magha
Puja today. Here
is the BBC’s page. Buddhist rituals also vary widely, but many Buddhists hold candlelight
processions, light incense, visit temples, meditate and don white robes
on Magha Puja. In the West, it has even become custom to give gifts!
    The three primary Buddhist principles
announced at Deer Park are: do good, abstain from bad actions and purify the mind.

TUESDAY at SUNDOWN,
Jehovah’s Witnesses observe the Lord’s Evening Meal. Although Jehovah’s
Witnesses do not observe any other Christian holidays, they do observe
the Last Supper. (Exact details are
at Watchtower.org, the official site of Jehovah’s Witnesses.)
   
Billions of Christians will be remembering the Last Supper this
Thursday, but because Jesus held his Evening Meal on the Jewish
Passover, Jehovah’s Witnesses observe the Lord’s Evening Meal in closer conjunction to the start of Passover. (Wikipedia’s
page on Jehovah’s Witnesses has a section dedicated to this.) Although all Jehovah’s Witnesses observe the Lord’s Evening Meal, only
the anointed receive the blessed bread and wine. Some congregations have
no anointed members! But tonight, all devotees can listen to a talk on
the meaning of the Lord’s Evening Meal.

THURSDAY there are many names for the Christian observance, including the mysterious-sounding Maundy Thursday. (Wikipedia helps sort out the various names.) This is when most of the world’s Christians remember the Last Supper of Jesus.
    This day also is marked with other important rituals, including foot washing in many Christian denominations. That’s a humble practice of service that the Bible describes Jesus as performing for his followers—and many Christian clergy reenact this ritual annually. Also, the Catholic Church organizes central services, primarily attended by clergy, where holy oils are blessed for parish work in the year ahead. If you’re free on Thursday, contact your diocese and inquire about the schedule for blessing the oils—it’s a moving liturgy worth attending, if you’ve never seen it.

FRIDAY, Christians observe the
solemnity of Holy Friday—or it’s known as Good Friday in some traditions. Today, Christians
remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. (Wikipedia’s page delves
into lots of details.)
    According to the Gospels, Jesus was
arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, then suffered through a series of interrogations, humiliations and torture before he finally was crucified by Roman soldiers on Friday.
    In many Western
Christian churches, a service is held on Good Friday (read the Catholic
tradition at FishEaters), although in the Eastern tradition Matins
are held on Thursday night. On Thursday night, Eastern Christian
churches hold a service with readings of twelve selections from the
Gospels and discuss the passion of Christ. (Orthodox Church
in America explains more.)

SATURDAY,
Christians remember the day that Jesus lay in his tomb, on Holy
Saturday. (View
Wikipedia’s Holy Saturday page here.) In the Eastern Orthodox
tradition, Holy Saturday is known as the Great Sabbath, since Jesus
physically “rested” on this day (Matins are actually held on Friday
evening). In some Orthodox Churches, this is known as Joyous Saturday,
since believers hold that Jesus used this day to bring salvation to
deserving spirits and raise them from Hades to Paradise.
   
According to Western Christian liturgy, Holy Saturday ends at dusk and
the Easter celebration begins (Eastern Pascha vigils begin after
midnight). Get an Eastern
Orthodox perspective from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Also on SATURDAY,
it’s a double anniversary that highlights the exponential progress of
the American mail system! On this date in
1860—150 years ago—the Pony Express began between Missouri and
California. (Read more at the
Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco.)
    The Pony
Express ran until October of 1861, but it became the most direct means
of communication between the eastern and western sides of the United States. (View
a map of the Pony Express here.) The Pony Express used horseback
riders to carry messages across plains, deserts and mountains and, for
most mail, it boasted a delivery time of approximately 10 days. (More is at
Wikipedia’s page.)
    On this same date 10 years ago, in 2000,
the world was focusing its attention on virtual mail—Email—and Microsoft
was found guilty of violating antitrust laws and monopolizing the Web
browser market. (Here is an article
from CBS News.) Microsoft’s market value fell $70 billion over the
case, but it recovered and, today, remains back near the top of the market.
   
The delivery time boasted by Email? A few seconds.

SUNDAY, Christians
rejoice, break their fasts, don their best clothing and celebrate the
primary belief of their faith: Jesus’ resurrection. This is Easter!
    After weeks of fasting and
repentance, both Eastern and Western Christians revel in the joy of this
day, which calls to mind their hope that one day they will enjoy resurrection as well. (Check out the thorough page
from Wikipedia.)
    Easter (or Pascha) is the most important day of the
Christian calendar year. Eastern Christians refer to it as the “Feast
of Feasts.” (Read more about the
Greek Orthodox tradition here.)
    Just how rare is it for East and West to converge on the same date? Well, it happened in 1990, but then only three more times during the past 20 years: 2001, 2004 and 2007. Complex differences in secular and religious calendars, coupled with distinctions between Eastern and Western practices for marking the proper date, leave the world with this separation that Christian leaders agree is embarrassing. For many years, global negotiations have continued in an effort to unify the dates, but the preservation of centuries-old traditions also is important. For now, there’s no solution. The possibility of convergence runs in cycles—and the next unified year is 2011. So, enjoy this rare and all-too-brief show of unity!
    Gospel accounts vary in their details concerning Easter morning. In one account, Mary Magdalene and Mary, Jesus’ mother, approached Jesus’ tomb—only to find the tomb’s entrance stone rolled away and the tomb
empty. They were told that Jesus had
risen from the dead. As they were instructed, they gave the message
of Jesus’ resurrection to the disciples. That version is especially prized by advocates of the ordination of women, since it appears to show that women preached the first Christian message of good news.
    The Resurrection remains the core of Christianity. Catholic
author J.R.R. Tolkein said of the Resurrection: “There is no tale ever told
[that people] would rather find was true.”
    Even though Easter is a
Christian holiday, don’t worry if you’re not Christian—there are plenty
of pretty much secular celebrations of new life as well! (Kids’ activities are at
Kaboose, a site from Disney.) Many celebrate Easter by searching for
eggs, eating chocolates, telling tales about the Easter bunny and
holding family feasts. (Learn all about
the history of Easter and more at the History Channel’s site.)
   
Each year since 1878, the White House has hosted an Easter Egg Roll—and
this year’s event will occur tomorrow, with the theme “Ready, Set, Go!”
in promotion of healthy habits. The Roll will feature live music,
sports, cooking stations, storytelling and more. Put a local spin on
this national event and host a Roll in your neighborhood!

PLEASE

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What’s the Spiritual Season this week? Palm Sunday, Rama Navami, the Annunciation and a day for water

March 20, 2010 by


WELCOME!

(You’ll also find weekly news in our “ReadTheSpirit Planner.” See
a sample & learn how to get this free Email newsletter.) HERE IS …

What’s the Spiritual Season?
(March 22 to 28, 2010)
By Stephanie Fenton

JUST LIKE THE CHRISTIANS IN THE PROCESSION ABOVE, billions
of Christians around the world will be entering Holy Week at the end of
this week with colorful celebration of Palm Sunday! But that’s not all—Christians also
recognize the Feast of the Annunciation this week, and Eastern
Christians honor Lazarus Saturday. Also this week, Hindus simultaneously
celebrate Rama Navami and Swaminarayan Jayanti, and some Zoroastrians
mark Khordad Sal. Oh, and don’t forget to learn a little more about
water conservation on Monday, especially since water plays such a big
part in every major religion. Learn all about these events and
observances below …

ALL WEEK, Lent continues
for 2 billion Christians around the world. We’re publishing a FREE
daily Lenten series, called “Our Lent: Things We Carry,” for the 40 days
leading to Easter.
    ALSO, we’re expanding our Lenten
Resources Page—with suggestions readers are Emailing us at [email protected].

MONDAY, learn
about the importance of water—and how you can help conserve it—on World Water Day. This
year, participate in the theme of “Clean Water for a Healthy World,”
which was developed in hopes of “raising the profile of water quality at
a political level so that water quality considerations are made
alongside those of water quantity.”
    Since 1,500 cubic kilometers
of waste-water are produced globally each year (and in developing
countries, 80 percent of waste-water is not reusable, due to a lack of
resources), this problem—combined with ever-growing populations—is
reaching the level of a global crisis. In 1992, a UN conference in Rio
de Janiero created World Water Day for this very purpose. Check out the
World Water Day Web site for documents and information, a list of participating
areas and ideas for ways you can help.
    Besides its
irreplaceable role in sustaining most life on Earth, water plays another
major role: in religion. Most religions view water as purifying for
both the body and the soul. (Lots of details
are at The Water Page, an initiative to promote sustainable water
resources management and use.) In the Baha’i faith, water is often
used as a metaphor for spiritual truths; Buddhists use water in funeral
rituals and include a water-centered chant; and Christians are baptized
in water that has been blessed. In the Hindu tradition, water in
rivers—particularly the Ganges—is considered sacred and often is a major
part of festivals; Muslims purify themselves with water; Jews become
ritually pure during washing with water (origins are found in the Torah,
as are the stories of Noah’s Ark and Moses crossing the Red Sea); and
Zoroastrians view water as having unique purifying qualities.

WEDNESDAY, Hindus
joyously recognize the birth of Lord Rama during Rama Navami. (Here’s
a page from the BBC.) According to Hindu tradition, Rama is the
seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and in many places with large Hindu
populations, the observance can last nine days. Today is the culmination
of these festivities.
    As Lord Rama is the hero of the Ramayana,
a Sanskrit epic that details his life, many devotees read the entire
epic during the week leading up to Rama Navami. (Read more at Wikipedia.)
This hero is viewed by many Hindus as the ultimate human being, son,
husband and father. Gandhi even said that Ramrajya, the peaceful and
prosperous reign of Lord Rama, was the ideal way that India should be
after independence. In small villages, the tradition continues of
storytellers narrating episodes of Rama’s life, while adding in local
humor and perspective for the enjoyment of listeners. (ILoveIndia.com offers
a colorful array of Ram Navami history, poems and more.)
   
Aside from the rituals performed in many homes, Hindus often pray in
elaborately-decorated Vedic temples, dance, sing, offer fruits and
flowers to the deity, and fast (the fasting of Rama Navami is usually
broken when the day’s festivities come to an end. Try a
recipe here). In a few places in North India, chariot
processions—complete with persons dressed in period clothing—attract
thousands of visitors. (A
neat picture of Rama and his family is at NewVrindaban.com.) In
South India, temples often host ceremonial weddings that represent
Rama’s marriage to Sita: Wedding role-playing has been a common
celebration for nearly 400 years.
    Since Rama’s dynasty has been
linked with the sun, his birth is observed as at noon, the time when the
sun is at its brightest. According to recent studies, some consider the
birth of Rama to have been in January of 4114 BCE.

Also on WEDNESDAY,
some Hindus celebrate Swaminarayan Jayanti, a day to honor
the birth of Lord Swaminarayan. (Here’s
the BBC page.) Unlike the millenia-old commemorations of most Hindu
deities, this Hindu jayanti marks the birth of an 18th-century figure who lived into the 19th century. Lord Swaminarayan founded the
Swaminarayan tradition of Hinduism, a popular sect of Hinduism today. (Read
more about some of last year’s celebrations at BAPS.org, a Swaminarayan
organization. Or, check out Hinduism
Today.)
    Lord Swaminarayan was born in North India and
traveled across India as a social and moral reformer. At 21, he founded
his movement and went on to initiate 3,000 monks; Swaminarayan
promised to remain with his followers through a succession of
enlightened gurus.
    Devotees who worship Swaminarayan often sing,
fast, offer food at temples and reenact episodes of his life.
Swaminarayan’s life was documented by his followers, and as his birth
was at 10:10 p.m., a ritual known as arti is performed at this
auspicious time.

THURSDAY, both
Eastern and Western Christians honor the Feast of the Annunciation (the day the angel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary she would conceive the
son of God). According to Christian tradition, the Virgin Mary was told
that she had been chosen as the mother of Jesus, also known to many Christians as the Theotokos
(God-bearer). This day falls nine months before the celebration of the Nativity. The Annunciation is also cited
in the Quran. (Wikipedia has a general
explanation of the Annunciation.)
    According to the Bible,
Mary was already set to marry Joseph when she was visited by Gabriel.
Although doubtful at first of the possibility of the conception, Mary
ended her conversation with Gabriel by declaring, “Behold, the handmaid
of the Lord; be it to me according to your word.” (An extensive
article is in the library of the Global Catholic Network.)
   
Eastern Christians name Mary as the “Theotokos” because of her aid in
making the Word of God human. This feast is the
first of all feasts of the Lord in the Church. (The
Orthodox Research Institute provides an analysis and explanation of
Annunciation details.)
    In the Greek language, the
Annunciation is called “Euangelismos,” which means literally “spreading
the Good News.” (If you’re looking for a way
to celebrate this feast with a craft, try this one from Women for Faith
and Family: a flower centerpiece with flowers that represent
incarnation, innocence and eternal fidelity.) The day of the
Annunciation Feast is also sometimes celebrated as a New Year in
England—where it is called “Lady Day”—and in various other countries,
too.

FRIDAY,
Zoroastrians who follow the Fasli calendar (one of three calendars)
celebrate the birth of Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism. This
holiday, known as Khordad Sal, is placed on a symbolic date because the
precise day and year of Zoroaster’s birth is unknown. (Find out more by reading
Wikipedia’s entry.) Nevertheless, many regard Zoroaster to have
lived in the first millennium BCE.
    Zoroastrian legend states that
when Zoroaster’s mother was five months pregnant, she had a nightmare
about the end of the world; when an angel appeared to her, she was told
that her unborn child would become a prophet who would reverse the
coming destruction.
    For Khordad Sal, Zoroastrians around the
world clean their homes, offer prayers of thanksgiving partake in a
feast, gather in fire temples and perform rituals. (Great
information is also at London Grid for Learning, an English educational
site.) This “greater Noruz,”or “greater New Year,” has been
observed in Iran for thousands of years.

SATURDAY, Eastern
Christians prepare for the final week of Lent and prepare to enter Holy
Week with Lazarus Saturday. This major feast recognizes the miracle
performed by Jesus in raising Lazarus from the dead, according to
the Bible; the Church recognizes the victory of Jesus over death before
entering the solemn Holy Week. (Read more from
the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.)
    According to Christian tradition, Jesus told his disciples that Lazarus had fallen asleep, and that he was
going to visit Lazarus to wake him up. When Jesus visited Lazarus in Bethany, the body had been in a tomb for four days; Jesus called to Lazarus from
outside of the tomb, and Lazarus walked out. When Jesus resurrected
Lazarus, many hailed Jesus as the messiah, according to the Christian Bible.
    In centuries past, hermits
would leave their wilderness retreats on Lazarus Saturday and return to
their respective monasteries for Holy Week services. (Wikipedia’s Orthodox
section, termed OrthodoxWiki, has more.) In Russia, it has long been
tradition to eat caviar on Lazarus Saturday, and in the Greek tradition,
Lazarakia spice breads are made and eaten today.
    Eastern
Christians formally end the 40 days of Lent on the celebration of
Lazarus Saturday. Tomorrow, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy
Week. (Get a
breakdown of Holy Week from the Department of Christian Education of the
Orthodox Church in America.)
    Western Christians continue to count through Holy Week to reach their total of 40 days.

SUNDAY, Christians
begin Holy Week with Palm Sunday—in commemoration of the day Jesus entered Jerusalem and was greeted by people who lay down small
tree branches before him. (Check out Wikipedia’s
page to learn more.) By riding into Jerusalem on his donkey, Jesus
fulfilled a hundreds-year-old Old Testament prophesy as the messiah, according to the Christian reading of the Bible.
    In many Christian churches, palm
leaves—or whatever leaves are native to trees in a church’s region—are
distributed to church members (some Orthodox Christians use olive
branches). In symbolism, the faithful accept the palms. Many tie them into
crosses in their homes and await the following year’s Ash Wednesday,
when the palms are burned to make more ashes. (Learn
more about the Catholic tradition at CatholicCulture.org. Or, at
FishEaters.)
    (Did you know that in India, Christian
sanctuaries are decorated with marigolds on Palm Sunday? Or that in
Italy and Mexico, some Christians use the palms to weave ornate,
elaborate figures? Learn how to
braid your own elaborate crosses, or even a crown of thorns, courtesy of
“ItaliansRUs.“)
    Carrying palms is a custom that dates back
thousands of years. Many Western Christian clergy  wear vestments of red on Palm Sunday, as a symbol of  the blood that would be shed by Jesus during the coming
week. Many Eastern Christian officials wear green vestments, and this is
one of 12 major feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
    Are you
looking for additional ways to mark Palm Sunday? Try this neat craft page,
or eat figs—it’s believed that Jesus ate figs after he entered into
Jerusalem.

PLEASE
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK:

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is a good time to

sign

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by Email—it’s
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and you can cancel it any time you’d like to do so. The Planner
goes out each week to readers who want more of an “inside track” on
what we’re seeing on the horizon, plus it’s got a popular “holidays”
section.

    We welcome your notes!
Email
[email protected]. We’re also reachable on Twitter, Facebook, Amazon,
YouTube
and other social-networking sites as well.
    (Originally
published at https://readthespirit.com/)


What’s the Spiritual Season this week? Lent’s countdown, various New Years, remembering loved ones & lots of green

March 13, 2010 by

WELCOME!

(You’ll also find weekly news in our “ReadTheSpirit Planner.”
See
a sample & learn how to get this free Email newsletter.)  HERE IS …

 

What’s the Spiritual Season?
(March 15 to 21, 2010)
By Stephanie Fenton

 

 

 

 NO, IT’S NOT JUST YOUR EYES! The river in the
photo—taken of the Chicago River on St. Patrick’s Day last year—really
is green! Green is an important theme that carries on the rest of the
week, too—in the form of spring, that is. Hindu festival Ugadi honors
springtime (and a New Year) on Monday, and both Baha’is and Wiccans
celebrate the same on Saturday. Zoroastrians celebrate spring and a New
Year on Sunday, and throughout the week, both Zoroastrians and Shintos
remember loved ones. Read all about these events and observances below
…

ALL WEEK, Lent continues for 2 billion Christians
around the world. We’re publishing a FREE
daily Lenten series, called “Our Lent: Things We Carry,” for the 40 days
leading to Easter.
    ALSO, we’re expanding our Lenten
Resources Page—with suggestions readers are Emailing us at [email protected].

MONDAY, Hindus are
the first group of the week to honor a New Year celebration with Ugadi.
(The photo at left shows a priest offering prayers at a Ugadi
festival last year.) According to Hindu tradition, Ugadi (spellings
vary by region) marks the beginning of a new lunar year and the same
day, many believe, that Lord Brahma started creation. (Find out more at
TajOnline, an Indian Web site.)
    As the “flame of the
forest”—trees with red blossoms—greet devotees during this time of year
in many parts of India, the scent of jasmine fills the air; many women
weave jasmine flowers into their hair as a sign of devotion. During the
day, mantras are chanted and the faithful gather to hear New Year’s
predictions from a priest-scholar. Mangoes are often eaten, too, since
they are plentiful and tying mangoes to one’s home entrance is
customary. (Here
is a festival explanation from Wikipedia.)
    Prior to beginning
the day, it is tradition for some Hindus to take an oil bath. (Hindu-blog
provides a brief regional breakdown of Ugadi.) For those hoping to
make a new start in life—or begin a new venture—today is considered
auspicious.


Also on MONDAY,
Zoroastrians begin Ghambar Hamaspathmaedem, a period of five days when
the creation of human beings is celebrated and loved ones who have
passed on are recalled. (We look through an ancient Zoroastrian
burial temple in the photo at right.)
    The Zoroastrian
faith—whose largest following today is considered to be in India,
although followers hail from Iran, Canada and even Australia, too—has
six ghambars throughout the year. (Read more about the
faith at Wikipedia.) Each ghambar, or seasonal festival,
traditionally has been a time for the faithful to gather, share food,
mingle with other classes and generations and resolve disputes. Ghambars
are the only festivals mentioned in the Avesta,the Zoroastrian holy
Scriptures. (The
Zoroastrian Heritage Institute gives details on ghambars.)
   
Zoroaster, the founder of the religion, was born in 628 BCE. (Wellesley
College has a helpful page on Zoroastrianism.) Some believe the
basic concepts of Zoroastrian eschatology have influenced the Abrahamic
religions.


WEDNESDAY, don’t
forget to wear green—it’s St. Patrick’s Day! Countries around the world
have taken to honoring Irish culture and St. Pat on March 17 with
shamrock decorations, plenty of corned beef, parades and Irish (or at
least green-tinted) beverages, usually alcoholic in nature! Although the
day commemorates one of the most well-known Christian saints, little is
actually known about the life of St. Patrick. (But this
colorful, interactive site from History.com gives lots of colorful
insights.) Only two authentic letters from St. Patrick are still in
existence, and these letters provide the only true, universally accepted
facts about his life.
    Did you know that St. Patrick wasn’t even
Irish?
    A Roman Brit by birth, St. Patrick was captured by Irish
raiders as a teenager and was taken to Ireland as a slave. After six
years in slavery—during which St. Patrick says his faith in God grew—the
saint-to-be escaped Ireland and returned to his family. Back home, it
was only after becoming involved in the church that St. Patrick returned
to Ireland (this time by free will). St. Patrick followed in his
family’s footsteps, as his father was a deacon and his grandfather was a
priest. (Get the
Catholic perspective at Catholic.org. Or, AmericanCatholic.)
   
St. Patrick the bishop spent time as a missionary in Ireland,
converting many Irish pagans to Christianity and serving Ireland’s
existing Christian communities. (A Druid prophesy supposedly predicted
the coming of St. Patrick to Ireland.) St. Patrick would come to convert
the wealthy, the poor, members of nobility and peasants alike. (Wikipedia has
more on St. Patrick,too.)
    The exact birth and death dates
of St. Patrick remain unknown, although some scholars believe he died on
March 17. It’s believed that St. Patrick was buried alongside St.
Brigid and St. Columba.
    This year, the National Retail
Federation predicts that more green (OK, we do mean money here) will be
spent on this year’s festivities than was spent on last year’s—thanks to
an improving economy, according
to the Boston Globe. According to the Federation’s annual St.
Patrick’s Day survey, young adults will be spending an average of $4
more on St. Patty’s Day fun than they did last year; the average
celebrant will spend an average of $1 more. (Find out what festivities are
going on in your area at St.Patrick’sDay.com. And because we don’t
want to leave out the kids, here are some
family-friendly St. Patty’s crafts and more from Kaboose.)


FRIDAY, some
Western Christians honor St. Joseph Husband of Mary. No
details about the poor carpenter exist other than those written in the
Christian Scriptures, and so today devotees read about Joseph’s loyalty
to Mary—during a time when he could only trust God that her unborn
child Jesus, not theirs, was one he should care for. (Find more details at
FishEaters.com, a Catholic site.)
    In the Christian tradition,
Joseph is the patron of the universal Church, of fathers, carpenters
and of social justice.
    In Sicily, Italy, Joseph is honored more
than any other saint. On St. Joseph’s Day, many Sicilians and Italians
decorate a St. Joseph’s Table (like in the photo at right). (More
is at Wikipedia.)
    The St. Joseph’s Table has been a tradition
since the Middle Ages and, more specifically, since a time when a
ruthless drought struck Sicily. After many died of famine, the Sicilians
prayed to God and St. Joseph for rain, promising that if it rained,
they would hold a special feast in honor of God and St. Joseph. The
rains came, and the Sicilians began their tradition. (The tables, or St.
Joseph’s Day Altars, were brought to New Orleans many years ago by
Sicilians, and many St. Joseph celebrations occur in New Orleans, too. Even
New Orleans tourism sites refer to this practice.)
    St.
Joseph’s Day Tables/Altars must be built without cost to the builder, so
common practice is to beg for food to put on it. Nonperishable foods
are the most popular choice for the tables/altars, since the food can be
donated to charity after St. Joseph’s Day. (Check
out this blog, a virtual St. Joseph Altar with a prayer list, St.
Joseph history and more.)
    In some Catholic countries, Italy
included, today is similar to American Father’s Day.


SATURDAY and/or SUNDAY,
Pagans celebrate the Spring equinox with Ostara (and Mabon in the
Southern Hemisphere.) The name “Ostara” derived from the term “Eostre,” a
Germanic goddess of spring, and Pagans have long used this time to look
forward to the coming season of crops. (Here is Wikipedia’s page.)
Eggs, rabbits and other symbols of fertility are recognized during this
time of year that signifies new life. (More details can be
found at Wicca.com.)
    According to Pagan legend, Eostre found
a wounded bird during the late winter and, to save its life, she turned
it into a hare. But since the hare was originally a bird, it was still
able to lay eggs. Legend has it that the hare left the eggs as a gift
for Eostre. (Read
this full story, and more, at About.com.)
    After decorating
eggs and eating chocolate bunnies, as many others do during this time,
some Wiccans believe that spring is an ideal time to fast. As the winter
often is a time for heavy foods and cured meats, cleansing the body can
prepare it for the fresh, light fruits and vegetables of the warmer
seasons. Flower dishes, leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds are
traditional foods to enjoy.
    Looking for a way that you can
celebrate spring? Try planting seedlings in a garden, taking a walk
through the woods and seeing what signs of new life that you can find.

SATURDAY at SUNDOWN,
Baha’is outside of the Middle East make up the second group of the week
to honor a New Year with the elaborate, festive Naw-Ruz (spellings
vary, including Noruz). Naw-Ruz has been—and still is—the New Year
celebration in Iran and other Middle Eastern and Central Asian
countries. Some accounts date Naw-Ruz back 15,000 years! Baha’u’llah, a
key figure in the Baha’i faith, considered this day holy. (Learn details
in this article from the Baha’i Library.)
    The Baha’i calendar
consists of 19 months of 19 days each, and during the last month of the
year, Baha’is fast for periods through the entire month. (General
information is at Wikipedia.) On Naw-Ruz, Baha’is are able to give
up the fast, to feast and celebrate the New Year. Often, Baha’is meet
for prayers, music and traditional dancing, although specific practices
vary by region. Much like the Pagan Ostara or Christian Easter, Naw-Ruz
is a time to wear new clothes and eat fresh spring foods. (This article at Bahai.us is
from 2007, but contains fun, personal accounts of Naw-Ruz.)
   
Interestingly, Abdu’l-Baha (the son and successor of Baha’u’llah)
declared Naw-Ruz to be a spiritual springtime, too. Abdu’l-Baha
explained that the Equinox is a symbol of the Manifestations of God,
which include Jesus, Muhammad, the Bab, Baha’u’llah and others. The son
of Baha’u’llah believed that springtime is an ideal time to reflect on
the message of the prophets and to create oneself “spiritually anew.”
   
Naw-Ruz is one of nine Baha’i holy days and has long been the only
Iranian holiday celebrated by more than one religious group. (In ancient
times, a period was also dedicated to reflecting on the spirits of the
dead, much like the Japanese Shubun-sai, described below.) Even into the
19th century, Naw-Ruz was the one day of the year that the Shah dined
with other people.

SUNDAY, many
Zoroastrians make up the third group of the week to celebrate a New Year
with Jamshedi Noruz, the most important day of the Zoroastrian year. As
mentioned by Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism, in the Avesta
(holy book), Jamshedi Noruz should be observed. This day is dedicated to
fire. (Read
more at the Zoroastrian Heritage Institute.)
    According to
Persian mythology, King Yima (Jamshid) created the Persian calendar and
Zoroastrians named the New Year’s Day “Jamshedi Noruz,” or “the New Day
of Jamshid.” (Interested?
Read more at the London Grid For Learning, an initiative for London
schools
with pages on just about everything.)
    Iranians and
Zoroastrians typically set up a table of seven food items around the
time of Noruz, to mimic the ancient practice of leaving food out for the
spirits of deceased loved ones. The foods often included on this table
are seen as representative of the Zoroastrian seven emanations of God.

Also
on SUNDAY, many Japanese spruce up the graves of loved ones for
Shubun-sai, a Shinto observance with close ties to Buddhism. This
Japanese Equinox observance says “spring” in every way: Observers wash
the stones of their ancestors’ graves, clean the areas around the graves
and leave fresh flowers at the gravestones.

 

PLEASE
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK:

 This is a good time to sign up for our Monday-morning ReadTheSpirit Planner by Email—it’s

free
and you can cancel it any time you’d like to do so. The Planner
goes out each week to readers who want more of an “inside track” on
what we’re seeing on the horizon, plus it’s got a popular “holidays”
section.

    We welcome your notes!
Email
[email protected]. We’re also reachable on Twitter, Facebook, Amazon,
YouTube
and other social-networking sites as well.
    (Originally
published at https://readthespirit.com/)


What’s the Spiritual Season this week? Lent … plus International Women’s Day, Mothering Sunday and 40 Martyrs, too

March 6, 2010 by


WELCOME!

(You’ll also find weekly news in our “ReadTheSpirit Planner.” See a sample & learn how to get this free Email newsletter.) HERE IS …

What’s the Spiritual Season?
(March 8 to 14, 2010)
By Stephanie Fenton

THIS WEEK, Lent continues for Christians—and
Orthodox Christians mark a mid-season feast with the Forty Holy Martyrs
of Sebaste. Also this week, celebrate International Women’s Day and
Mothering Sunday! Saturday, Scientologists engage in community service
in honor of L. Ron Hubbard’s birthday, and on Sunday, don’t forget to
turn your clocks one hour ahead! Read all about these events and
observances below …

ALL WEEK, Lent continues for 2 billion Christians around the world. We’re publishing a FREE daily Lenten series, called “Our Lent: Things We Carry,” for the 40 days leading to Easter.
    ALSO, we’re expanding our Lenten Resources Page—with suggestions readers are Emailing us at [email protected].

MONDAY, learn about both the potential power and continuing struggle of women on International Women’s Day.
Today, women around the globe gather to promote world peace and greater awareness of gender inequality. (The
photo at left shows an Afghan woman teaching girls at a school in Afghanistan—a major step forward from the Taliban era.)
    Did you
know that 70 percent of the world’s poor are women? Are you aware that
it isn’t uncommon for Afghan women to attempt suicide to escape a life
of domestic abuse? (BBC reported on this in 2009.)
    Hundreds of women’s groups are hosting awareness events on March 8. Women for Women International,
an organization that provides resources to female war survivors, will
play its part this year by hosting a global campaign entitled “Join Me
on the Bridge” to honor the millions of women who are survivors of war.
Well-known bridges like the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and Millennium
Bridge in London are among the high-profile sites. This year, a major spotlight from these events will focus on the plight of women in Rwanda and Congo. War has been ravaging these countries
for years, and there have been hundreds of thousands of rape cases
during that time. (Is there a participating bridge near you? Find out.)
This organization has so far served about 40,000 women in Rwanda and
Congo and hopes to draw more attention to this cause through the annual observance.
   
International Women’s Day was inaugurated 99 years ago—and
today hundreds of events draw attention to the economic, political and
social accomplishments of women as well as continuing patriarchal obstacles. (Watch a video about IWD here, and read a detailed history.)
   
International Women’s Day is now an official holiday in countries including China, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Kazakhstan. (More is at Wikipedia.)

TUESDAY,
Orthodox Christians remember the Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste, soldiers in Armenia who were persecuted in 320 CE. (A general history is at Wikipedia.) This commemoration was first marked by St. Basil, Bishop of Caesarea, in a homily. (Read details from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.)
   
As St. Basil related these miraculous events: 40 Christian soldiers were persecuted by pagan authorities who ordered them to remain in a nearly frozen pond throughout a cold winter night. Eventually, one near-frozen soldier raced from the water toward bonfires the guards had set as a temptation—but, he fell dead before reaching the fire. (Here is the Byzantine Catholic perspective on this event and the third week of Lent.) The story doesn’t end there. Tradition holds that one of the pagan guards saw a brilliant light shine upon the Christian soldiers—and 39 crowns descend to the heads of these martyrs. Moved by this apparent miracle, the guard took the
place of the one fallen soldier and hailed Christianity himself. According to
tradition, the brilliant light also brought warmth to the soldiers so
that they would all survive the night.
    (For facts about cold water and hypothermia, check out this PDF from the Department of Natural Resources. Did you know that cold-water survival depends on the specifics of each
individual’s body, but the average human body loses heat up to 25 times
faster in cold water than in cold air?)
    Eastern Christians
believe that the soldiers lived through the night but, come daybreak,
their stiff bodies were burned by the pagans. (Check out this page on it, from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.)
Numerous Christians collected the remains of the soldiers and carried
the relics to cities far and wide. Many churches were built
in honor of the 40 martyrs, including the church at which St. Basil
gave his homily on them years later. Centuries-old discourses on the 40
martyrs are preserved, as is an eyewitness account and some of the
relics.
    Here’s a contemporary connection: During an Orthodox Christian
wedding, a priest reads a prayer that states “Remember them (the bride
and groom), O Lord, as thou didst thy Forty Martyrs, sending down upon
them crowns from Heaven.”

SATURDAY, it’s the birthday of L. Ron Hubbard, the creator of Scientology (this is the official site).
After composing a self-help system he called Dianetics (first published
in 1950), Hubbard developed doctrines and rituals that would become the
guidelines for Scientology, which was founded in 1953. (Here is the Wikipedia page on Hubbard.) Prior to his death in 1986, Hubbard asked that his birthday be
celebrated by Scientologists with community service. Hubbard once wrote
that “a being is only as valuable as he can serve others,” and each
year on March 13, thousands of volunteer hours are donated
by Scientologists in honor of Hubbard.
    Scientology is most famous in the U.S. for the celebrities it attracts. Here’s the latest celebrity item: Katie Holmes
reportedly is undergoing a fresh Scientology auditing
process in preparation for another pregnancy.
    And, on Sunday, the New York Times published a major investigation into alleged abuse among some of the organization’s leadership. (You may need a free Times Web registration to see the story.)

SUNDAY at 2 a.m., it’s time to turn your clocks ahead by one hour. Celebrate spring with Daylight Savings Time! (Wikipedia has a page on DST.)
   
Daylight Savings Time has a rocky history: It was repealed in the U.S.
in 1919, re-established at the beginning of WWII, and was observed on
and off by different states after the war. Standard dates for Daylight
Savings were established in 1966, and then the dates were moved again
in 1975—only to be moved more throughout the ’80s, ’90s and in the new
millennium. The most recent change was made in 2007, when Daylight
Savings was set to start on the second Sunday in March and end on the
first Sunday in November. (Read more U.S. history from the U.S. Naval Observatory.)
    Opinions vary on the value of Daylight Savings Time: While
some argue that electricity is conserved with DST, others report on its
averse affect on workers. (An article on this was published at the WPTV News Web site.) Now, a large portion of the world observes DST, but many places do
not—such as the state of Arizona, the state of Hawaii and a few U.S.
territories.
    Modern DST was proposed by George Vernon Hudson, an
entomologist from New Zealand, in 1895. He actually proposed a two-hour
time shift during the spring and fall equinoxes.

Also on SUNDAY, sink your teeth into a Simnel cake (pictured at left) and spend some time with your mother; today is Mothering Sunday, an old festival celebrated throughout Europe. (The BBC has a great page on Mothering Sunday.)
   
Not to be confused with the American Mother’s Day, Mothering Sunday
originated as a Roman religious festival in honor
of the mother goddess, Cybele. When Christianity spread through Europe,
this mid-March festival became a time to honor the Virgin Mary and the
time when people would visit their “mother church.” (Wikipedia’s page has more.)
    Because so many Christian families
have long gathered on Mothering Sunday, it has become tradition to
celebrate with a Simnel cake—a fruit cake made of marzipan and
decorated with 11 marzipan balls, to symbolize  the 12 apostles sans
Judas. (Try it yourself with a recipe from RecipeZaar.)
    Or, learn more about Simnels in this text, from the Church Literature Association.
    As was written in 1648 by author Robert Herrick:
    I’ll to thee a Simnell bring
    ‘Gainst thou go’st a mothering,
    So that, when she blesseth thee,
    Half that blessing thou’lt give to me.

PLEASE TELL US WHAT YOU THINK:

    This is a good time to sign up for our Monday-morning ReadTheSpirit Planner by Email—it’s
free and you can cancel it any time you’d like to do so. The Planner
goes out each week to readers who want more of an “inside track” on
what we’re seeing on the horizon, plus it’s got a popular “holidays”
section.

    We welcome your notes!
Email [email protected]. We’re also reachable on Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, YouTube and other social-networking sites as well.
    (Originally published at https://readthespirit.com/)


What’s the Spiritual Season this week? Lent, Holi, Hola Mohalla, a Japanese festival with dolls—and much more

February 27, 2010 by


WELCOME!

 

(You’ll also find weekly news in our “ReadTheSpirit Planner.” See a sample & learn how to get this free Email newsletter.)  HERE IS …

 

What’s the Spiritual Season?
(March 1 to 7, 2010)
By Stephanie Fenton

 

 

 

  THIS WEEK, Lent continues for Christians, many of whom are fasting regularly—and Baha’is begin their Nineteen Day Fast this week, too. Monday, Hindus revel in colorful fun for Holi (the photo above is of a group covered in Holi powders);
Sikhs practice martial arts during Hola Mohalla; and Jews in Jerusalem
and Shushan observe Shushan Purim. Also this week, Shintos honor girls
during Hinamatsuri, an ancient doll festival, while Shi’a Muslims
observe Mawlid an-Nabi and women around the globe mark a day of prayer. Read all about these events and observances below …

ALL WEEK, Lent continues for 2 billion Christians around the world. We’re publishing a FREE daily Lenten series, called “Our Lent: Things We Carry,” for the 40 days leading to Easter.
    ALSO, we’re expanding our Lenten Resources Page—with suggestions readers are Emailing us at [email protected].

MONDAY, make sure to wear clothes you won’t mind getting ruined—if you’re near anyone who is celebrating Holi! (Find everything for Holi from the Society for the Confluence of Holidays in India.)
Today, Hindus celebrate this Festival of Colors by throwing colored
powder and colored water at one another, listening to loud music,
dancing in the streets and allowing themselves to immerse in the
merriment of spring. In some places, the Holi season’s events can last
two weeks or more! The official season lasts a few days.
   
According to Hindu tradition, Holi is marked by the Holika Dahan, a
bonfire that is lit in commemoration of the miraculous escape of Bhakta
Prahlad when he was carried into a bonfire by the Demoness Holika. (More is at Wikipedia.) Although Holika was burnt in the fire, Prahlad escaped unscathed because of his steadfast devotion to Lord Vishnu.
   
During this unique time of year, generation gaps crumble as children,
adults and the elderly all release their inhibitions and throw colored
powder. (This article from NPR details the happy nature of Holi.)
For many years, the colored powders were produced from the flowers of
trees that blossomed in spring, although many of these trees in urban
areas have since died. To replace the flower powders, synthetic powders
have been used in urban areas in recent years—although not without a
price. Numerous studies have found the synthetic powders to contain
toxic chemicals. (Click here to find information about the toxic chemical dangers, as well as recipes for safer powders.)
Some commercial companies have since begun to produce herbal dyes that,
although expensive, are much safer than their synthetic counterparts. (From the Times of India, here is an article on protecting skin and hair during Holi.) Studies and experimentation for cheap, inexpensive Holi powders continue.
   
While Hindus honor the triumph of good over evil, colored powders fill
the sky, devotees laugh and sing and everyone indulges in feasts of
sweet foods.

Also on MONDAY, Sikhs hold the Hola Mohalla (or Hola Mahalla) festival, a time to demonstrate and watch martial arts skills in mock battles. (Read the Sikh Encyclopedia’s explanation of Hola here.)
When the festival was established in 1701 by the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind
Singh, Sikhs were defending themselves against attacks by the imperial
powers of the Mughal empire and hill kings. To aid in their
preparedness, the Guru established this “mock fight” festival. (Of
importance to note is that the festival focuses on defensive fighting,
and not offensive fighting.)
    While the original festival was
held at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, smaller celebrations are now held at
Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) around the globe. (Find out more at Sikhnet.)
Hola Mohalla has evolved into a three-day festival of exhibitions,
weapons displays, music, poetry competitions and dangerous feats that
include bareback horse riding and standing on two speeding horses. In
many places, kirtan and religious lectures are also a part of Hola
Mohalla festivities.
    Still, an enormous festival at Anandpur draws tens of thousands of devotees each year. (SikhiWiki offers plenty of details.)
Community kitchens often provide food and drink to pilgrims who dine
while sitting in rows on the ground. Typically, the voluntary kitchens
are staffed by women who cook food that was donated by local villagers.
Other volunteers clean utensils and provide similar services.
   
This year, around 20,000 pilgrims are expected at Anandpur during the
time of this year’s festival, which began Feb. 24 and ends today.

MONDAY is Shushan Purim for Jews who live in Jerusalem, who are related to Shushan, Iran—and any city that was walled at the time of Joshua. (The photo at left is of the Jewish quarters in Jerusalem.) It’s in these cities that Jews celebrate the festivities of Purim at a later date than other Jews. (Find more on Aish.com, the largest Jewish-content site. OR, read all of the details about Purim on our Seasons page from last week.)
   
According to the Book of Esther, Jews in unwalled cities of ancient
Persia fought their enemies for only one day, on the 13th day of the
Jewish month of Adar. (Details are at Chabad.org.) Jews in the Persian capital city, Shushan, spent two days in battle and rested one day later than the others.
   
To ensure that a Persian city was not honored more than Jerusalem—the
focus of Jewish life—sages declared that Jerusalem should celebrate
Shushan Purim, too. (Read more at Wikipedia.)
Jerusalem is the only city known to be walled during the time of
Joshua, but it’s speculated that several other Israeli cities were as
well. (Despite this speculation, no other Israeli cities celebrate Shushan Purim.) Sages declared that cities walled during
the time of Joshua be permitted to celebrate Shushan Purim since Joshua
was the historical figure who first waged war against Amalek, an
ancestor of Haman.
    You may wonder whether any Jews are left in Iran, these days, given the extreme policies of the country’s leadership. In fact, thousands of Jews still live in Iran. However, thousands of the Shushan Jewish descendants relocated over the years to southern California, where there is a significant community that still considers itself to be descendants of Queen Esther.

TUESDAY, Baha’is begin the Nineteen Day Fast, a time of spiritual reflection. (An article on the fast is at Bahai.us.)
On March 2 each year, Baha’is around the world begin the fast that
prepares them for Naw Ruz, the Baha’i and Iranian New Year. For 19
days, most Baha’is age 15 to 70 wake before sunrise, pray and then
refrain from food and drink until sunset. (The BBC has more.)
According to Baha’u’llah, founder of the Baha’i faith, “Praised by
Thou, O my God, that Thou has ordained Naw Ruz as a festival unto those
who have observed the fast for love of Thee and abstained from all that
is abhorrent to Thee.”
    The Baha’i calendar, known as the Badi Calendar and instituted by the Bab, consists of 19 months of 19 days each. (Find out details at Wikipedia’s page.)
According to this calendar, spring—and the New Year—begins on March 21.
The Bab declared this, the last month of the Baha’i calendar, to be one
of fasting.
    The Nineteen Day Fast requires devotees to release
human desires and focus on God—much like fasts of other religions. The
Baha’i fast has a deeply spiritual nature, but is flexible: The Bab stated that those who are sick, for example, should
not only skip the fast but are forbidden from observing the fast. The
Baha’i faith focuses on a fast whose devotees spend more time
reflecting on God than worrying about the fast’s details. (A writer focuses on “Dilemmas of the Fast” in an article on Planet Baha’i.)
    According to a recent press release from the Religion Newswriters Association,
this year’s Nineteen Day Fast will have many observers. The Baha’i
faith is the youngest of the world’s independent monotheistic religions
and is one of the fastest-growing religions in the United States.

WEDNESDAY,
Shintos honor girls during the Japanese Doll Festival, or Hinamatsuri
(spellings vary). Long ago, the Japanese believed that dolls
possessed the power to contain bad spirits. In an ancient custom known
as hina-nagashi, Japanese straw hina dolls would be placed in boats and
floated down a river to the sea, believed to carry bad spirits with
them. Hinamatsuri derived from this ancient custom. (Hey, kids! Make and color your own paper dolls, courtesy of Crayola.)
   
Since the Edo period (1603-1867), Japanese have covered
multiple-tier platforms with a red carpet, decorating them with
ornamental dolls that represent the Emperor, Empress, attendants and
musicians in traditional court clothing of the Heian period (794-1185).
Elaborate accessories for the doll displays vary by household and
region, but can include miniature gilded folding screens, hearths, food
trays and more! (This neat article from the Kyoto National Museum details the differences of Hinamatsuri displays by region.)
   
While celebrating the festival and praying for the health and
well-being of girls, Shintos often drink a sake made from fermented
rice, eat rice cakes or crackers and partake in foods containing clams.
(Some food is usually offered to the dolls, too. Find details at Wikipedia.)
   
Hinamatsuri has recently been featured in a number of anime series,
including Pokemon, and this year, a doll resembling Japan’s Olympic
figure skater Mao Asada was released.

Also on WEDNESDAY, Shi’a Muslims commemorate Mawlid an-Nabi, the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.
    (Last Thursday and Friday, some Sunni Muslims observed Mawlid an-Nabi; click here to read all of the details on last week’s Seasons page. The photo at right is of a Muslim man using prayer beads, or tasbih.)
    Particularly for Shi’a Muslims, this day also marks the time when
the Prophet Muhammad chose Hazrat Ali as his successor at Gadhir-e-Khumm. Succession from the Prophet’s leadership is a central concern in Shi’a history.

FRIDAY, Christian women around the globe observe the World Day of Prayer.
This movement was initiated by women and made official in 1927, and it
is marked by millions of women in more than 170 countries annually.
   
A different country is the focus of each year’s Day of Prayer, and this
year’s featured country is Cameroon, in Africa. The women of Cameroon
chose the theme of “Let Everything That Has Breath Praise God.” (Check out their page here.)
In essence, the women of Cameroon state that we renew the gift of life
with every breath and, for this, God should be praised. The African
women say that with breath comes hope, and so even in hard times,
breath is a sign of hope.
    According to the World Day of Prayer
mission, women are called to become aware of the world (and not live in
isolation), to educate and enrich themselves by learning about
Christian traditions in other countries and cultures and to pray for
others. (The World Day of Prayer USA has worship themes, resource materials and more.)
While women come together on World Day of Prayer, they are encouraged
also to learn about the women in the year’s featured country. This
year, women are asked to learn about and take action against spousal abuse
in Cameroon, because women in this region are often pressured to remain
silent.

PLEASE TELL US WHAT YOU THINK:

 

    This is a good time to sign up for our Monday-morning ReadTheSpirit Planner by Email—it’s
free and you can cancel it any time you’d like to do so. The Planner
goes out each week to readers who want more of an “inside track” on
what we’re seeing on the horizon, plus it’s got a popular “holidays”
section.

    We welcome your notes!
Email [email protected]. We’re also reachable on Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, YouTube and other social-networking sites as well.
    (Originally published at https://readthespirit.com/)