Today is Good Friday, the day of Jesus’s crucifixion. This year it’s also the day that Jewish people celebrate Purim, the commemoration of the deliverance of the Jewish people from genocide at the hand of a Persian official named Haman. The fact that the two holidays coincide is appropriate since Esther risked her life to deliver her people from their enemies, and Jesus gave his life to rescue us from Our Enemy.
This year Passover, however, the Jewish holiday that most closely relates to the holiday Christians are celebrating this weekend, isn’t until late April. I have never understood why Passover and Easter week don’t always come at the same time. If that’s not confusing enough, Orthodox Christians use different rules for determining the date of Easter, and one of the rules is that “Easter shall never precede or coincide with Jewish Passover, but must always follow it.”
Right.
Nevertheless, Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples on Thursday evening before he was crucified on Friday. And the Bible says that He became our Passover sacrifice, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Because of His blood shed for our sin, death and Satan no longer have lordship over those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hallelujah! It truly is a good Friday.
Archives
St. Patrick’s Breastplate, or The Lorica
This powerful poem/prayer of blessing and invocation is supposed to have been composed by St. Patrick himself both in Latin and in Gaelic. This version is one translation that I found here.
I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
I arise today through the strength of Christ with His Baptism,
through the strength of His Crucifixion with His Burial
through the strength of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
through the strength of His descent for the Judgment of Doom.
I arise today through the strength of the love of Cherubim
in obedience of Angels, in the service of the Archangels,
in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in prayers of Patriarchs, in predictions of Prophets,
in preachings of Apostles, in faiths of Confessors,
in innocence of Holy Virgins, in deeds of righteous men.
I arise today, through the strength of Heaven:
light of Sun, brilliance of Moon, splendour of Fire,
speed of Lightning, swiftness of Wind, depth of Sea,
stability of Earth, firmness of Rock.
I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me: God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to secure me:
against snares of devils, against temptations of vices, against inclinations of nature, against everyone who shall wish me ill, afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.
I summon today all these powers between me (and these evils):
against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose my body and my soul,
against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of heathenry,
against false laws of heretics, against craft of idolatry,
against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
against every knowledge that endangers man’s body and soul.
Christ to protect me today against poison, against burning, against drowning, against wounding, so that there may come abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right,
Christ on my left, Christ in breadth, Christ in length,
Christ in height, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of Christ. May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.
Sam Houston and Texas Independence Day
Sam Houston was born on March 2, 1793 in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He spent a great deal of time with the Cherokee Indians as a youth, and he enlisted in the US Army during the War of 1812. He quit the army to study law and was elected to Congress from Tennessee in 1823 and again in 1825. In 1827, he was elected Governor of Tennessee. Because of an unhappy marriage (?), he resigned as governor and went to live with the Cherokees. He moved to Texas in 1832. He was a delegate to the convention that met at Washington-on-the Brazos in 1836 to declare independence from Mexico. Did he influence the convention to declare this independence on his birthday and four days before the fall of the Alamo? Probably not, but it would make a good story. Houston led the Texican army in the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, and they defeated the Mexican forces under General Santa Anna. After this, Houston became President of Texas, congressman to the Texas Congress, president again, Senator from the state of Texas to the US Congress, and Governor of Texas. He was forced to step down from the governor’s office when he opposed secession in 1861.
This ends your free Texas history lesson for today. Go to Lone Star Junction for more information on the great state of Texas. (We Texans are not known for modesty about our state or our heritage, and I’m proud to be Native Texan!)
Texan authors I know and enjoy: Louis Sachar, Diane Stanley, Janice Shefelman, Leon Hale, Elmer Kelton, Joan Lowery Nixon, James Michener, and others. Do you know any other good authors from Texas?
Saint David’s Day–March 1
The patron saint of Wales is Saint David, or Sant Dewi as the Welsh call him. He lived in the sixth century and became the Archbishop of Wales. He was particularly fond of bread, vegetables, and water, drinking nothing but water for most of his life. He is also associated with water because it is said that a spring of water came bubbling up where he walked at significant times and places during his life. I’m interested in Saint David partly because some of my ancestors came from Wales.
The Welsh celebrate Saint David’s Day with leeks (remember Fluellen in Shakespeare’s Henry V?) and daffodils, male voice choirs, and harp concerts. If you would like to celebrate this Welsh holiday with your children, the website below has coloring pages, craft projects, a recipe for leek soup, and more information on David’s life.?
St. David died in about 589, and his last words were recorded as:
“Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed. Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us.”
‘Do the little things’ (‘Gwnewch y pethau bychain’) is today a very well-known phrase in Welsh. It reminds me of Elisabeth Elliot’s admonition to “do the next thing.” Either way it seems to me to be a good motto. Sometimes it’s all I can do– to do the next little thing that needs to be done, and sometimes it’s enough. Happy St. David’s Day!
Join Me in Glad Adoration: Reformation Day
Martin Luther, of course:
A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevaling.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabbaoth, his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God’s truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.
Our fortress is not political parties nor presidents nor even the free country we are blessed to live in; our fortress is the Lord God Almighty. The Lord is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.