Calendar

I just got my calendars set up last week for this year. Rather late for me since I usually do it the week between Christmas and New Year, and I'm known as The Calendar Girl. First, buying a certain calendar is an event, since we're all going to be seeing it over the year in a prominent spot. And then setting up the calendar is a very special yearly ritual.

In fact I suggest everyone has one main calendar that everything gets written onto, especially if there's several people in the household. But organizations and churches need one main calendar too, so everyone's not only aware of facility uses, but just knowing what others are doing! (I say this because we used to schedule a yearly event at a local college campus and found facility conflicts on the day of our event.)(But too, aren't community, the body, and family members important - knowing what's going on in other's lives?!)

My ritual starts with a nice atmosphere and beverage. Since I work from last year's calendar, I remember happenings, and reminisce. I write people's birthdays, anniversaries, and spiritual birthdays I want to remember. I often at the time will wonder what's going on in their lives and ask God to hug them or give them a wink. Some dates are in parenthesis because they're divorced or dead or just a memory I still want to remember something in connection with it/them. I write saint and holiday notes not already on the calendar.

This year is a bit weird. It's our leap year, but that's no big deal since it's just one day addition and we've no birthdays on that day. It's also the Jewish leap year, which happens every 19th year. Maybe I already said this earlier but, because they add in an extra whole month, Passover happens 27 days after our Easter. I hate when that happens, because I have to figure out when Pentecost Day is (though now you can just google and find it easy, but I used to do the counting thing).

Why is this so important to me?! Most churches may not celebrate Pentecost, but I want to. We celebrate Christmas and Easter - why not Pentecost? Are we afraid of the Holy Spirit? What would Christianity be without Pentecost? Why don't we yearly make a big deal of remembering what the Holy Spirit means to us?! Well ... if we count 50 days after our Easter, Pentecost ends up on Mother's Day. Pentecost, for its deeper significances has to end up on the Jewish Shavuot Festival. So 50 days, seven sevens, has to count from the Sunday following Passover - Pentecost is June 7-8.

If you really want to think about this ... 2008 has us crucifying Jesus after he's Resurrected!