This Advent season, we'll observe the following saints' days during our Thursday Eucharists:
November 29 - St. Andrew, Apostle (transferred)
December 6 - Commemoration of St. Nicholas of Myra, Pastor
December 13 - Commemoration of St. Lucia, Martyr
December 20 - St. Thomas, Apostle (transferred)
After Christmas, we'll observe:
December 27 - St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
January 3 - Commemoration of Blessed Wilhelm Loehe, Pastor (transferred)
After Epiphany, we'll observe:
January 10 - Commemoration of Sts. Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa, Pastors and Confessors
January 17 - The Confession of St. Peter (transferred)
January 24 - The Conversion of St. Paul (transferred)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."
8 comments:
I don't have an LSB handy... so are these the commemorations in LSB? Or do I remember that you are using a different calendar?
Yes, those are the commemorations from LSB.
Why not simply celebrate the Eucharist on the days when these commemorations and Feast Days fall? The calendar exists to keep order in the Church so that the various churches (of the Western Rite) celebrate together. Moving the celebrations and commemorations is in direct violation of the canons!
Dear Christopher,
The canons of the Eastern Church or of the Western Rite of the Antiochians do not govern the practice of the Lutheran Church; you know that.
There is a long history in Lutheranism of transferring the minor festivals to other days if those are regular days of gathering.
No feast of the Immaculate Conception? just kidding.
The Canons of the 7 Ecumenical Councils are recognized as authoritative by the Lutheran Confessions because, in their mind, they agree with the Holy Scriptures.
Transferring holy days may have precedent, but that it is hardly sufficeint for sanctioning such a practice; you know that.
And is there no feast appointed in the LSB agenda for the Conception of St. Anne of the Theotokos? If not, why not? Recogninzing hte conception of the Mother of God does not mean one has to say it is "immaculate" as the RCs would say.
Christopher,
I can't believe we're arguing about this! :)
Tell me which canon you were referring to that forbad the transfer of festivals?
The Lutheran Symbols, while they argue that rightly understood, they follow the canons better than the Roman party, also assert that the very nature of the canons leaves room for at times a strict interpretation and at times a relaxed interpretation. [Ap. XV:28]. They were given for the sake of mutual peace and order in the Church and not as divine laws. [Ap V:167) And to treat canon law correctly its human nature and contingency must be confessed: "Canon laws are to be kept without regarding them as necessary. No harm is done to the conscience even though traditions may go out of use." [AC XXVIII:67] And as the AC quotes from the Tripartite History:
"It was not the mind of the apostles to enact rules concerning holy days, but to preach godliness and a holy life." [AC XXVI:45]
Thus, even if we observe an Apostle's day a day earlier or later than it actually falls, we fulfill the minds of the apostles when we use the occasion to be instructed by the Word toward godliness and empowered by the Blessed Eucharist toward a holy life.
About the feast of the conception, no, LSB does not list it out for observance in our churches. The Marian festivals of LSB are, in addition to the Nativity of Our Lord:
Feb. 2 - The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord
Mar. 25 - The Annunciation of Our Lord
July 2 - The Visitation (1 Year; observed May 31 in 3 Year)
August 15 - St. Mary, Mother of Our Lord
FWIW.
And don't EVEN get me started on the name given to the 15th!!! There are times one would think that Formula VIII is a proscribed part of our Symbols!
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