BY ANASTASIA BARTLETT
I think June has to be my favourite month. Not only is it the month firmly declaring the end of winter with the summer solstice and a month to honour our fathers, it also holds the birthdays of one of my children and three of my grandchildren.
This year, June also began with Pentecost, the Christian celebration of the descent of the Holy Spirit. Given my belief that everything has meaning and my penchant for seeing God’s glory in everything, I can’t help but step outside my paradigm of reality and speculate on what truths this June holds.
Pentecost was initially a Jewish observance also known as the feast of first fruits celebrated seven weeks, or fifty days, after Passover, thus the term Pentecost meaning fifty. In the New Testament, the Jewish followers of Christ were gathered together during the feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended bestowing the first fruits of new life to the first Christians.
In the Old Testament, Pentecost was also known as Shavout or Matin Torah, the giving of the Law. This is the time when the Jews believed God gave the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai, 50 days after the escape from Egypt and the first Passover. This was the Law which shaped the Israelite people as a nation and culture. In the New Testament at the same Pentecost, God gave the Holy Spirit to His people, quickening the life and love within the church which had faltered under the burden of the law. The Holy Spirit renewed and empowered God’s people to bring His life, love and light to the world.
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:2
Summer solstice has been celebrated from the dawn of time. It is the longest day of the year. Traditionally, in many cultures, it is a night of bonfires to drive away the remains of winter, to celebrate the light and warmth and to ensure a good harvest. In contrast is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, when celebrations occur to welcome the return of the sun and light to the world. This is when Christians celebrate the birth of Christ.
The summer solstice is the pinnacle of year, when the world, or at least our little part of it, is filled with light. A good time, I would add, to celebrate Pentecost.
Interestingly enough, in June we also recognize the feast celebrating the birth of John the Baptist on June 24, six months before the birth of Christ. He is known as the fore-runner, the one who prepared the way for Christ, the prophet who brings hope of blessings to come. How fitting his feast should coincide with the solstice and during the time of Pentecost.
Father’s Day is a recent event, the day when we acknowledge our fathers for who they are and thank them for the life they have given us. On this day, we try to spend time with them, either physically or on the phone, to acknowledge the time they have spent with us, teaching us and helping us grow. It is a day to demonstrate our love for them as they have loved us. It is also a day when we can remember to thank God the Father for giving us life and all of creation to sustain us, for loving and forgiving us and especially for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who fills us with life and the ability to reconnect with God, with others and all of creation.
“The true aim of our Christian life consists of the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God” Saint Seraphim of Sarov
Previously, I’ve acknowledged these annual events separately without recognizing their interconnectedness. But now I realize if I believe God created everything then I have to believe every thing, including stories and events outside of traditional Christian culture, reveals God in some way
I see a trinity of body (Solstice), soul (Father’s Day) and spirit (Pentecost), pagan, secular and spiritual celebrations corroborating God’s love as well as being a testimony to our Creator’s sense of humour.
Anastasia Bartlett attends St. Aidan’s Orthodox Church in Cranbrook.. Pastor of St. Aidan’s, Father Andrew Applegate, can be reached at 250-420-1582