It was comforting to read about the many holy feasts the Jews were instructed to keep. God obviously desires certain days to be kept holy, for Moses makes special mention of this in Leviticus 23. The feast days encompass the whole year, from the Passover of the spring to the Atonement of the fall. These holy days are the precursors of the Christian feast days that have been a part of western culture for two millennia. Just as the earth experiences a natural cycle of seasons, the feast days provide humans a refreshing cycle of regeneration. These holy days are gifts from God -- they provide us with rest and nourishment, and they can be quite invigorating, both spiritually and physically. They also help us to remember what is ultimately important. It is far too easy to let our daily lives start to seem like the focus of our lives, but when an important holy day comes around, we are forced to put our daily lives on hold and contemplate God, an activity that, if left to our own devices, we would perform far too infrequently. I for one enjoy the feast days immensely, and I am very grateful for them. I know those ancient Jews, wandering through the harsh desert, had to have been overjoyed at the institution of these special days. It is one more instance of God's never-ending Mercy.
(In keeping with the theme of this post, I'd like to make mention of today's Christian feast day in commemoration of Saint Roderick. Roderick was a priest who lived in Spain in the 9th century at a time when Christians were severely persecuted by the Muslims. His own brother converted to Islam and betrayed Roderick by violently attacking him and dragging him through the streets. Roderick was imprisoned because of his Christian faith and endured much suffering at the hands of the Muslim rulers. He was eventually beheaded along with other captured Christians. Today I pay homage to St. Roderick for his bravery and immovable faith.)
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