2008 Christian Holidays -
Ecumenical Mysticism/Wisdom Tradition
* 1/1: Day to meditate for peace throughout the world. [World Peace Day;
Universal Hour of Peace: 7:00-8:00 a.m. EST.]
* 1/1: Day the first woman was ordained an Episcopalian priest in the U.S.
(1977). [Rev. Jacqueline Means]
* 1/1: Day Pope John Paul II exhorted Christians to respect Nature, to
preserve natural resources, and to stop environmental destruction (1990).
[Citing Genesis, the Pope said that, because responsibility for Creation was
entrusted by Deity to humankind, the ecological crisis is a moral issue of human
responsibility. He believed the ecological crisis was caused by a lack of
respect for life. He said that it implicates planetary peace as well as the
quality of life of all. He was concerned about the depletion of the ozone layer,
massive urban concentrations, vastly increased energy needs, industrial waste,
the burning of fossil fuels, unrestricted deforestation, and the use of certain
types of herbicides, coolants and propellants. He also expressed concern about
genetically-modified plants and animals. He exhorted governments to cooperate
internationally, and to internally adopt internationally-accepted standards, to
ensure preservation of the environment.] [This was expressed in "Peace with
God the Creator, Peace with All of Creation: Message of His Holiness Pope John
Paul II for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace".]
* 1/4: Day ethnic discrimination was outlawed world-wide (1969); day to mourn
all manifestations of racism. [Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination: signed/adopted 3/7/1966; entered into force 1/4/1969.]
[Text of Convention] [For more information, see
Anti Racism Information Service website;
Human Rights Watch website.]
* 1/6 (OC 1/19): Epiphany--Christian feast recalling the adoration of Child
Jesus by the Magi, and the beginning of Rabbi Jesus' ministry of love to
humanity - when He changed water into wine at Cana.
[See Glory Be prayer and
Epiphany prayers.] [a/k/a
Epiphany of the Lord, Three Kings Day, Theophany]
* 1/7: Orthodox Christian Christmas. [See
Thrice-Holy
Prayers and Jesus Prayer.]
[a/k/a Nativity of the Savior]
* 1/8: Death day of Galileo (1642), astronomer; day to mourn the persecution
of scientists by religious authorities. [Birthday 2/15/1564]
* 1/13: Death day of George Fox (1691), founder of the Quakers. Quakers
experience Deity within and practice egalitarianism, social activism, and
peacefulness. [Born 7/1624: exact date unknown]
* 1/15: Feast of the Black Christ. [Originated in Guatemala and celebrated by
Catholics in Central America and the Caribbean and immigrants and
African-Americans in the U.S. Pilgrims travel to the Church of the Black
Christ of Esquipulas annually during the week leading up to the feast.] [a/k/a
Feast of Christ of Esquipulas, Fiesta Del Senor de Esquipulas]
* 1/15 (Obs. 1/21): Birthday of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929), Baptist
preacher and non-violent advocate for the rights of African Americans.
[Death
day 4/4/1968]
* 1/15: First appearance of Our Lady of Banneux, Virgin of the poor, the
sick, and the suffering (Belgium 1933). [See
The Eternal
Blessed Mother.]
* 1/19: Theophany--Orthodox Christian celebration of the Baptism of Jesus.
See prayers and litany from the Great Blessing of Water.]
* 1/20: World Religions Day--Day to contemplate all religions as different
paths to the one universal Deity of many names and aspects.
* 1/29: Birthday of Vladimir Soloviev (1853), Orthodox Christian mystic who
bewailed humanity's alienation from Holy Wisdom and from Nature, Her
manifestation. [Death day 8/12/1900]
* 1/30 to 2/5 (OC 3/1 to 3/7): Carnival/Meat Fare--Christian time of
feasting, dancing, and revelry. [Ends on Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras, final day
before Lent.]
* 1/31: Birthday of Fr. Thomas Merton (1915), Catholic mystic and poet, who
found Deity in stillness and silence. [Death day 12/9/1968]
* 2/6 to 3/20 (OC 3/10 to 4/19): Ash Wednesday (fast day) and Lent--Christian
time of purification by self-reflection, peace-making, reparation for harm done,
and helping those in need. [On Ash Wednesday, a cross of
ashes is imposed on foreheads of Christians. They are reminded of their
mortality and exhorted to repent of their sins. Some observe a partial fast and abstain from meat on
Fridays throughout Lent.] [See prayers
for Ash Wednesday and
prayers for Lent.] [a/k/a
Great Lent]
* 2/11: First appearance of Our Lady of Lourdes, Lady of healing waters
(France 1858). [See
Memorare prayer.]
* 2/11: Day the first woman was consecrated an Episcopalian bishop in the
U.S. (1989). [Bishop Barbara Harris]
* 2/18: Death day of Michelangelo (1564), painter of the Sistine Chapel
(where Our Father is shown embracing Our Mother while reaching out to humanity).
[Photo] [Birthday
3/6/1475]
* 3/1: Day the production and use of landmines was outlawed world-wide
(1999); day to mourn their victims. [Protocol on Prohibition or Restrictions on
the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps, and Other Devices a/k/a Convention on Landmines
a/k/a Mine Ban Treaty, amending the 1980 Convention on Prohibitions or
Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May be Deemed
Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects: Treaty signed/adopted
10/10/1980; entered into force 12/2/1983; Protocol signed 12/3/1997; entered
into force 3/1/1999.] [The U.S., Russia, Armenia, Finland, Estonia,
and Latvia have not ratified the Protocol.] [There are between 60 and 70 million
landmines in the ground of 70+ countries. Landmines maim or kill approximately
26,000 civilians each year, including 8,000 to 10,000 children. In the name of
Jesus Christ, and for love of Jesus Christ, Christians should renounce the
production and use of landmines, and should demand removal and destruction of
all existing landmines.] [Text of
Convention] [For more information, see International
Campaign to Ban Landmines website; Adopt
a Minefield website.] [Text of
United Nations Charter, chapter V, article 26]
* 3/2: Christian feast of Blessed Mary, partner of St. Joseph and mother of
Blessed Jesus - honors her as nurturer, teacher, protector, and guide of all
mothers. [a/k/a Mothering Sunday]
* 3/8: International Women's Day--Day to mourn victims of gender-based
oppression and misogyny (past and present), make peace, and celebrate women's
empowerment. [For information on International Women's
Day, see United
Nations website; A history
of International Women's Day.]
* 3/12: Day Pope John Paul II, in the name of the Catholic Church, asked
Deity's forgiveness and apologized: to Christians of other denominations for
intolerance to them, to Jews for anti-Semitism, to peoples of all non-Christian
religions for intolerance and contempt for their religious traditions, to women for their humiliation and
marginalization, and to the poor and the powerless for indifference to them
(2000). [On the first Sunday in Lent in the Jubilee Year, as a part of the
liturgy of the Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Pope John Paul
II made this public confession with the aid of seven cardinals and bishops. See
Transcript of Confession and Request for Forgiveness.]
* 3/13: Birthday of Joseph Priestley (1733), Unitarian who found Biblical
basis for belief in a unitary Deity, and recognized Jesus to be Deity's Great
Prophet. [Death day 2/6/1804]
* 3/16 (OC 4/20): Palm Sunday--Christian feast marking Savior Jesus' entrance
into Jerusalem to teach love and justice for all humanity and to sacrifice
Himself for the liberation and redemption of all. [See
prayer from
the Liturgy of the Palm & Sanctus prayer.] [See
also
The Beatitudes.] [a/k/a
Passion Sunday, Sunday of the Passion]
* 3/16: Day Pope John Paul II expressed remorse for the failure of Christians
to prevent the murder of six million Jews during World War II (1998).
[This was
expressed in
"We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah".] [Pope Pius XII, who
became Pope in 1939, was silent about the Nazi persecution of Jews, other than a
1942 Christmas message that acknowledged that "hundreds of thousands of
persons...because of nationality or race, have been consigned to death".] [Pope
John Paul II also expressed sorrow for the suffering of Jews at the hands of
Christians in a note left at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on 3/26/2000.
However, Pope John Paul II planned to beatify Pope Pius XII, until protests
dissuaded him. And, in spite of protests, he beatified anti-Semitic Pope Pius IX
on 9/3/2000.] [For commentary on the controversy, see articles by
America magazine and
CNN.]
* 3/19 (some transfer to 3/31): Christian feast of St. Joseph, partner of
Blessed Mary and foster-father of Blessed Jesus - honors him as nurturer,
teacher, protector, and guide of all fathers.
* 3/20 (OC 4/24): Maundy Thursday/Last Supper of Savior Jesus--He washed the
feet of His male and female disciples, gave them bread and wine as His body and
blood, told them to love one another, and told of the Paraclete who would come
after Him.
[See Maundy
Thursday Collect and
The
Gospel Accounts of the Passover Seder: the Feet-Washing, the Love Commandment,
the Eucharist & the Paraclete.]
["Paraclete" means "Comforter" and "Advocate" and is identified with the Holy
Spirit. See Acts 1:5, 1:8, 2:4, 2:38. Christian mystics believe the apparitions
of Our Lady at Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima, etc., were manifestations of the Holy
Spirit as the Paraclete.] [a/k/a Holy Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday,
Christ's Passover Seder]
* 3/21 (OC 4/25): Passion Friday--Fast day to mourn the torture and killing
of Savior Jesus by civil and religious authorities, and to contemplate the
sacrifice made for the liberation and redemption of all.
[See Collect for
Good Friday, Compassion prayer,
and Prayer to Jesus
Christ.] [See also
prayers at the Stations of the
Cross.] [a/k/a Good Friday, Holy Friday, Great and Holy Friday]
* 3/22 (OC 4/26): Holy Saturday--Vigil remembering Savior Jesus in His cave
tomb. [Some fast during the day. In the evening, fire and water are blessed,
and the Holy Spirit is entreated to bring about regeneration and renewal.
Baptisms are then performed. At the climax of the ritual -- traditionally at
midnight -- the resurrection is proclaimed.]
[See Easter
Eve Collect,
Lighting of
the Paschal Candle,
Liturgy
of the Word Creation Readings, and
Thanksgiving Over the Water.] [a/k/a Easter Vigil, Easter Eve, Great and Holy Saturday]
* 3/23 (OC 4/27): Easter/Pascha--Christian celebration of Lord Jesus'
resurrection by the power of the Holy Spirit. [Eggs are blessed and
distributed.] [See
Gospel Accounts
of the Resurrection and
Easter Collect.] [a/k/a Great and Holy Paskha]
* 3/24 to 3/30 (OC 4/28 to 5/4): Easter Week/Bright Week--Christian
celebration of rebirth. [See
Prayer for Easter
Virtues.]
* 3/24: Feast of Gabriel, Angel of Truth.
* 3/25 (some transfer to 4/1) (OC 4/7): Annunciation Day--Christian feast
commemorating Blessed Mary's fiat - choosing to conceive Child Jesus by the
power of the Holy Spirit and to become catalyst of liberation and redemption.
[See Hail Mary prayer.] [a/k/a Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, Annunciation of the Lord]
* 3/26: Day production and use of biological weapons was outlawed world-wide
(1975); day to mourn their victims. [Convention on the Prohibition of the
Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and
Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction a/k/a Biological Weapons Convention:
signed 4/10/1972; entered into force 3/26/1975.] [Russia and Cuba are believed
to currently have biological weapons research programs in spite of the Treaty's
prohibition. Both have ratified the Treaty.] [In the name of Jesus Christ, and
for love of Jesus Christ, Christians should renounce the production,
acquisition, and use of biological weapons, and should demand destruction of all
existing weapons.] [Text of
Convention] [For more information, see U.N.
Disarmament of Weapons of Mass Destruction website; Biological
and Toxin Weapons Convention website; Sipri
Chemical and Biological Weapons Project: Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention
Mainpage; Chemical and Biological
Weapons Nonproliferation Project website; Monterey
Institute of International Studies Chemical and Biological Weapons Resource Page;
Federation of American Scientists
(FAS)
Chemical and Biological Arms Control Program website.] [Text
of United Nations Charter, chapter V, article 26]
* 4/1: Day that same-sex marriage was first legally recognized (2001).
[Same-sex marriage has been legalized in the Netherlands (2001), Belgium (2003),
Spain (2005), Canada (2005), South Africa (2006), and Norway (effective in 2009). It
has also been legalized in the U.S. states of Massachusetts (2004),
California (2008) (?), and Connecticut (2008). Many countries recognize same-sex civil unions
or domestic partnerships (e.g., Denmark (1989), Norway (1993), Sweden (1995),
Hungary (1996), Iceland (1996), France (1999), Germany (2001), Portugal (2001), Finland (2002), Croatia (2003), Israel (2004), Luxembourg (2004), New Zealand (2004), the United
Kingdom (2004), Switzerland (2005), Andorra (2005), Slovenia (2005), the Czeck
Republic (2006), and Uruguay (2008)). In the
U.S., Hawaii (1997),
California (1999), Vermont (2000), D.C. (2002), New Jersey (2004), Maine (2004), Connecticut
(2005), Washington (2007), New Hampshire (2008), and Oregon (2008), have legalized same-sex civil unions or adopted same-sex domestic
partnership laws. However, some U.S. states have passed constitutional
amendments banning same-sex marriage (e.g., Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, Missouri,
Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North
Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, and Kansas), and others have statutes or
judicial decisions banning same-sex marriage. A federal statute (Defense of
Marriage Act -- 1996) bans same-sex marriage under federal law and allows states
to not recognize same-sex marriages contracted elsewhere.] [For more information, see the
Wikipedia website.] [Christian denominations
that perform same-sex marriage ceremonies include the Metropolitan Community
Church, the Unitarian Universalist Association, the United Church of Christ, and
the Ecumenical Catholic Church. Some Episcopal churches, Presbyterian churches,
and Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) meetings also perform same-sex
marriage or blessing ceremonies.]
* 4/7: World Health Day--Day to pray for healing of all those chronically and
seriously ill; day to advocate for adequate health care for all.
[Day the World
Health Organization (W.H.O.) was founded in 1948.] [For information on
World Health Day, see World
Health Organization website; UN
Dag Hammarskjold Library website.] [For information on the World Health
Organization, see World Health Organization
website.]
* 4/11: Day Pope John XXIII called for world peace, recognition of human
rights, and justice under law (1963). He recognized that peace will only be
realized when social justice is realized. [The Pope believed that it is the
function of government to create a juridical order, in harmony with the moral
order. He recognized that each person is vested with rights and duties that are
universal, inviolable, and inalienable. The Pope said that each person has: the
right to live, the right to the means necessary for life, the right to freedom
of speech, the right to pursue the profession of choice, the right to an
education and to receive information about public events, the right to religious
freedom, the right to found a family, the right to work, the right to a just and
living wage and work conditions conducive to family life, the right to own
property, the right of meeting and association, the right to emigrate and
immigrate, the right to participate in public life, and the right to legal
protection of these rights. He indicated that government, with due regard for
the equality of all, has a duty to accommodate the rights and duties of all,
preventing the rights of some to impede the rights of others. Government must be
particularly concerned with the welfare of the weak, minority groups, and
refugees. The Pope believed that governments should, in their international
relations, also act with truth, justice, and respect. He also believed that
wealthier countries should aid the poorer ones. He encouraged countries to work
together through the United Nations and other international entities. The Pope
condemned the arms race and the development of nuclear weapons, and said that
disarmament is necessary for world peace. He disapproved of war, recognizing
that weapons of mass destruction could not serve justice.] [This is expressed in Pope John XXIII抯 Encyclical on Peace on
Earth.]
* 4/22: Earth Day--Day to honor the Earth and to meditate on Deity
manifesting as Mother Earth. [a/k/a International Earth Day, National Earth Day]
[For information about
Earth Day activities, see Earthday Network
website; Envirolink website; U.S.
government website for Earth Day; U.S.
E.P.A.
website for Earth Day.]
* 4/22: Day the world's nations guaranteed asylum to those persecuted in
their homelands on account of their ethnicity, religion, or political opinion
(1954). [Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees: signed 7/28/1951;
entered into force 4/22/1954.] [Text
of Convention] [For more information, see
United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees website; Human
Rights Watch website.]
* 4/28 to 4/30: Rogation Days--Christian days of prayer for bountiful crops,
sustainable development, and healing of environmental abuses. [See
prayers for Rogation Days.] [See also
A Song of Creation.]
* 4/29: Day production and use of chemical weapons was outlawed world-wide
(1997); day to mourn their victims. [Convention on the Prohibition of the
Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons a/k/a Chemical
Weapons Convention: signed 1/13/1993; entered into force 4/29/1997.] [Russia and
Ethiopia are believed to currently possess chemical weapons in spite of the
Treaty's prohibition. Both have ratified the Treaty.] [In the name of Jesus
Christ, and for love of Jesus Christ, Christians should renounce the production,
acquisition, and use of chemical weapons, and should demand destruction of all
existing weapons.] [Text of
Convention] [For more information, see U.N.
Disarmament of Weapons of Mass Destruction website; Organisation
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons webpage; Sipri
Chemical and Biological Weapons Project: Chemical Weapons Convention Mainpage;
Chemical and Biological Weapons
Nonproliferation Project website; Monterey
Institute of International Studies Chemical and Biological Weapons Resource Page;
Federation
of American Scientists (FAS) Chemical and Biological Arms Control Program
website.] [Text of United
Nations Charter, chapter V, article 26]
* 5/1 (OC 6/5): Ascension Day--Christian feast marking Lord Jesus' ascension
into Heaven. [See
Ascension Prayer.]
[See also The
Good Shepherd & Psalm 23.] [a/k/a Ascension of the Lord]
* 5/1: Christian feast celebrating the sacred marriage of Blessed Mary and
St. Joseph. [Also honors St. Joseph as the Laborer.]
* 5/1: Birthday of Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881), Catholic mystic and
evolutionary who experienced the union of consciousness with all Nature.
[Death
day 4/10/1955]
* 5/1: Day Pope John Paul II affirmed that capitalism must be tempered by
social justice and restrained by human rights and environmental laws (1991).
[Pope John Paul II rejected communism and totalitarianism, as well as
consumerism and unbridled capitalism. He reaffirmed the fundamental rights of
workers to their own labor, to dignity in work, to reasonable working
conditions, to humane working hours, to a just and living wage, to a family
life, to associate with other workers for their collective good, and to
participate in a democratic process of governance under the rule of law. He
indicated the government has an obligation to seek full employment of all
workers through its economic policies, to provide social security for those
unable to work, and to provide unemployment insurance and retraining for the
unemployed. He also reaffirmed the right to private ownership of property,
including technology, but cautioned that the government should not favor the
wealthy over the poor. Rather, it is the responsibility of the government to
protect all people, but especially the poor and the vulnerable, from
exploitation by rich and powerful companies, particularly in times of economic
and industrial change. He also indicated that governments should not allow
companies, in the name of capitalism, to exploit the natural resources of the
Earth irresponsibly and destroy the environment.] [Expressed in Pope John Paul II's Social
Encyclical, issued on the 100th Anniversary of Rerum Novarum, the
Social Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, which it strives to reinterpret.]
* 5/1: National Day of Prayer--Day to pray for freedom of expression, freedom
of religion, and separation of religion and government throughout the world. [Freedom
of expression, freedom of religion, and separation of religion and government is
guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. For text and information on
the First Amendment, see
Cornell
University's Legal Information Institute website;
First Amendment Online website and
1st Amendment.com website. For
domestic organizations that advocate for freedom of religion, see
Americans United for Separation of
Church and State website and
American
Civil Liberty Union website. For information on religious freedom in
countries around the world, see U.S.
State Department's International Religious Freedom Report;
Human Rights Watch website; and
Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or
Belief website.]
* 5/8: Christian feast of St. Julian of Norwich (d. 1419) - mystic who
believed Deity to be Father and Mother, everywhere in everything.
* 5/11 (OC 6/15): Pentecost/Whitsunday--Christian feast celebrating the
descent of the Holy Spirit upon the male and female disciples of
Lord Jesus; honors Her as the Paraclete, Grace, Wisdom, Justice, and
Providence.
[See prayers for Pentecost.] [Christian mystics identify the Holy Spirit
(Hebrew "Ruach") with Holy Wisdom (Hebrew "Hokhma"), who aided the Heavenly
Father in Creation of the Universe. See Genesis 1:1-2; 1:26-27; Job 38:4-11;
38:28-30; Psalm 104:24-30; Proverbs 3:19-20; 8:22-31; Wisdom of Solomon 8:2-6;
8:21-9:4; 9:9-11; and Ecclesiasticus 1:1-5; 24:1-6. Because Jewish mystics consider Ruach and Hokhma to be
feminine, Christian mystics consider the Holy Spirit to be feminine. However,
most mainstream Christians consider the Holy Spirit to be masculine.] [a/k/a Holy Pentecost]
* 5/12 (OC 6/16): Day of the Holy Spirit--Christian celebration of the Holy Spirit.
[See prayers to the Holy
Spirit.] [Wisdom of Solomon
7:22-27 describes Holy Wisdom (Hokhma) -- the Holy Spirit: "In Wisdom there is a
Spirit intelligent and holy, unique in its kind yet made up of many parts,
subtle, free-moving, lucid, spotless, clear, invulnerable, loving what is good,
eager, unhindered, beneficent, kindly towards humanity, steadfast, unerring,
untouched by care, all-powerful, all-surveying, and permeating all intelligent,
pure, and delicate spirits. For Wisdom moves more easily than motion itself, She
pervades and permeates all things because She is so pure. Like a fine mist, She
rises from the power of Deity, a pure effluence from the glory of the Almighty;
so nothing defiled can enter into Her by stealth. She is the brightness that
streams from everlasting light, the flawless mirror of the active power of
Deity, and the image of goodness. She is but one, yet can do everything; Herself
unchanging, She makes all things new; age after age She enters into holy souls,
and makes them Deity's friends and prophets...."]
[a/k/a Whitmonday, Whit Monday, Monday of the Holy Spirit]
* 5/18: Trinity Sunday--Christian celebration of the one universal Deity as
Holy Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit Mother, and Holy Christ Child.
[See
Trinity Sunday Collect.] [Christians consider the Trinity to be a singular Deity
with three distinct aspects - not three Deities. Christian mystics refer to
the Holy Spirit as "Mother" and consider the Holy Spirit Mother to be
coequal with the Holy Heavenly Father and the Holy Christ Child. However, most mainstream
Christians do not.]
* 5/18: Day Fr. Matthew Fox nailed his own 95 Theses to the door of the
church where Martin Luther nailed his theses, to spur an eco-egalitarian
Christian reformation (2005). [A mystic, theologian, and
teacher of Creation Spirituality, he recognizes Deity to be Mother and Father,
immanent and transcendent.] [See
Matthew Fox's 95 Theses.]
[See also Friends of Creation Spirituality
website, Creation
Spirituality website, and
Creation Spirituality Communities website.]
* 5/22 (some transfer to 5/25): Corpus Christi--Christian day for veneration of Christ Immanuel in
the Host - divine immanence in the grain. [See
Hail Divine Child
prayer.]
* 5/22: Day to mourn Pope John Paul II's edict barring women from the
priesthood in the Catholic Church (2004). [See Pope John
Paul II's
Apostolic
Letter on Holy Ordination. On 11/18/1995, the Vatican declared
that the Church's ban on women's ordination was an infallible teaching. See
New York Times article. However, Catholic women still advocate for women's
ordination. See the Women's
Ordination Conference website and the
Women Priests website.]
* 5/25: Day Pope John Paul II reaffirmed the Catholic Church's commitment to
ecumenism (1995). [He asked for mutual forgiveness and reconciliation amongst
the various Christian denominations, in spite of continuing differences and a
painful past. He called for continuing dialogue, cooperation, and solidarity in
the service of humanity.] [This was expressed in Pope John
Paul II's Encyclical on Commitment to
Ecumenism.]
* 5/31: Christian feast of Our Lady, Queen of Heaven.
[See Queen of Heaven
prayer.]
* 6/6: First appearance of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Compassionate
Mother who answers all pleas (France 1830). [See
Mother of Perpetual
Help prayer.]
* 6/13: Christian feast of St. Anthony (d. 1231), guardian of the poor and
the powerless, and guide of social justice activists.
* 6/16: Birthday of Fr. Sergei Bulgakov (1871), Orthodox Christian mystic who
believed the one universal Deity to be Father and Mother, Spirit and Matter.
[Death day 7/12/1944]
* 6/24: First appearance of Our Lady of Medjugorje, Queen of Peace, Mother of
All Peoples (Yugoslavia 1981).
* 6/25: Day the first woman was ordained a Universalist minister in the U.S.
(1863). [Rev. Olympia Brown]
* 6/30: Vigil for peace, democracy, religious freedom, ethnic equality, and
the end of slavery and genocide in Sudan. [About
the Darfur crisis] [For more information, see
CNN website; Global
Security website; Human
Rights Watch report: Sudan;
U.S.
State Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2007: Sudan.]
* 7/1: Day the world's nations committed to stop proliferation of nuclear
weapons (1968); vigil to protest the production and use of all nuclear weapons
world-wide. [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: signed
7/1/1968; entered into force 3/5/1970.] [The U.S., the U.K., France, and Russia
have failed to destroy their nuclear weapons in spite of the Treaty's
requirement that they work towards disarmament. And the U.S. is even developing
a new nuclear weapon. The U.S. used 2 atomic bombs on Japan in 8/1945: over
270,000 civilians died from the bombs and radiation.] [In the name of Jesus
Christ, and for love of Jesus Christ, Christians should renounce the production,
acquisition, and use of nuclear weapons, and should demand destruction of all
existing weapons.] [Text of Convention] [For more
information, see U.N. Disarmament of Weapons of Mass Destruction website;
International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) website.]
[Text of United Nations Charter, chapter
V, article 26]
* 7/1: Day endangered species became internationally protected (1975); day to
celebrate all the world's creatures. [Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora: signed/adopted 3/3/1973; entered
into force 7/1/1975.] [Text
of Convention] [For more information, see U.N.
Environmental Programme CITES website; World
Wildlife Fund website;
EarthJustice
website.]
* 7/2: Visitation Day--Christian feast marking St. Elizabeth's recognition of
Blessed Mary's divine destiny as catalyst for human liberation and redemption.
[See
Magnificat prayer.]
* 7/10: Day Pope John Paul II acknowledged the evil of sexism and apologized
for the Catholic Church's past oppression of women (1995); day to mourn the
continued subordination of women by the Church. [See
Letter to Women.]
[See also Catholic
Perspective on: Women in Society and in the Church. And see the Catholic
feminist response:
"Feminist Christology"
by Elizabeth Johnson;
"Heart of Flesh: A Feminist Spirituality for Women and Men" by Joan
Chittister O.S.B.;
"Equality: A Radical Democratic Ekklesial Vision" by Elisabeth Sch乻sler
Fiorenza;
"Feminist Theologians Speak Encouragement to Women"; and the
Catholic Network on Women's
Equality website.]
* 7/11: Day Srebrenica, Bosnia, fell to attacking Serbs (1995), beginning a
massacre of thousands of civilians because of their ethnicity and religion;
vigil for true peace, justice, religious tolerance, and respect for the human
rights of all in the Balkans. [Though it was declared a U.N. "safe haven,"
Srebrenica, Bosnia, was attacked and fell to Christian Serb aggressors on
7/11/1995. 8,000-15,000 civilian Muslim Slavs were killed there from
7/12-7/17/1995 because of their ethnicity and religion. On 8/2/2001, Bosnian
Serb General Radislav Krstic was convicted of genocide for his part in the
massacre.] [For more information, see
Report
of the Secretary General Pursuant to General Assembly Resolution 53/35 (1998);Human Rights Watch report:
Serbia-Montenegro;
Human Rights Watch report: Bosnia-Herzegovina;
Human Rights Watch report: Croatia;
U.S. State Department International Religious
Freedom Report for 2007: Serbia;
U.S. State Department International Religious
Freedom Report for 2007: Montenegro;
U.S. State Department International
Religious Freedom Report for 2007: Bosnia-Herzegovina;
U.S. State Department International
Religious Freedom Report for 2007: Croatia.]
* 7/12: Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne (1690); vigil for true peace,
justice, religious tolerance, and equal rights for all in Northern Ireland.
[The
Battle of the Boyne, which marked the defeat of Catholic James II by Protestant
William III, occurred on 7/12/1690. Following this defeat, the law discriminated
against Catholics. Protestants annually celebrate their victory over Catholics
on this date, providing an impetus to civil strife. Catholics and Protestants
committed to peaceful coexistence, power-sharing, and disarmament by signing the
Good Friday Peace Agreement on 4/10/1998.] [For a history of the conflict, see CAIN Web Service: The Northern Ireland Conflict 1968 to the
Present; BBC News website: The Troubles;
CNN News website.]
* 7/16: Birthday of Mary Baker Eddy (1821), founder of Christian Science, who
honored Deity as Father-Mother God. [Death day 12/3/1910]
* 7/22: Christian feast of St. Mary Magdalen, disciple and priestess--Savior
Jesus made her His priestess by purifying her seven times; she anointed Him in
preparation for His sacrifice and witnessed His torture, death, and
resurrection.
* 7/26: Christian feast of St. Anna, mother of Blessed Mary and grandmother
of Blessed Jesus; guide of grandmothers and elderly women.
* 8/2: Feast of the Black Madonna. [a/k/a Feast of the Virgin of the Angels]
* 8/5: Day that six women were excommunicated for failing to renounce their claims to
the priesthood (2002). They had been ordained Catholic priests without Vatican
authority on 6/29/2002. [See
Declarations
issued by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.]
* 8/6 (OC 8/19): Transfiguration Day--Christian feast celebrating the
revelation of Lord Jesus as the Cosmic Christ and friend to all humanity.
[See
Transfiguration Day
Prayer.] [See also
The Lord's Prayer & Hail Holy Father prayer.] [a/k/a
Transfiguration of the Lord]
* 8/10: Remembrance day for Nicholas of Cusa (d. 1464) - Christian mystic who
believed all Creation to be the unfolding of Deity. [Birthday & death day
unknown]
* 8/11: Christian feast of St. Clare of Assisi (d. 1253), guide of
environmentalists.
* 8/12: Day Pope Pius XII proclaimed the theory of evolution to be consistent
with Catholic teaching and Christian faith (1950). [See Encyclical Humani
Generis.] Pope John Paul II concurred. [See
Message to Pontifical Academy of Sciences (10/22/1996).]
* 8/15 (OC 8/28): Assumption Day--Christian feast commemorating Blessed
Mother Mary rising into Heaven and being crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.
[See
Hail Holy Queen
prayer.] [Christian mystics believe she was transformed into Our Lady, the Paraclete
- the Holy Spirit - who appears
everywhere to comfort and aid those in need, and who advocates the cause of the
departed in heaven.] [a/k/a Assumption of the Virgin Mary]
* 8/17: Vigil for peace, justice, religious tolerance, and respect for the
human rights of all in Indonesia. [Since 1/1/1999, due to forced conversions to
Islam, there has been interreligious violence between Muslims and Christians in
Indonesia. Indonesia Independence Day is 8/17.] [For more information, see
Human Rights Watch report: Indonesia;
U.S. State Department International Religious
Freedom Report for 2007: Indonesia.]
* 8/22: Christian feast of Our Lady, Queen of Angels.
* 8/27: Birthday of Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) (1910), Catholic
nun who served the poorest of the poor and saw Deity in each person.
[Death day
9/5/1997]
* 8/28: Day of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s peaceful march on Washington,
D.C., for recognition of the rights of African Americans (1963). [Rev. King made
his inspiring
"I have a dream"
speech at this rally.]
* 8/28: Opening of the Second World Parliament of Religions (1993), attended
by members of all the world's religions. A Global Ethic was adopted that
condemns hatred, aggression, oppression, and environmental abuses committed in
the name of religion. [Text
of Global Ethic] [See also
website for the Parliament of
the World's Religions.]
* 9/3: Day gender discrimination was outlawed world-wide (1981); day to mourn
all manifestations of sexism. [Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women: adopted by U.N. General Assembly 12/18/1979;
signed 3/1/1980; entered into force 9/3/1981.] [Text
of Convention] [For more information, see WomenWatch:
United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women website; Feminist
Majority Foundation website; Human
Rights Watch website.]
* 9/3: Day Pope John Paul II beatified symbols of progressive religious
authority (Pope John XXIII) and autocratic religious authority (Pope Pius IX)
(2000). [Pope John XXIII instigated the reforms of the Vatican II Council in
1962, and advocated freedom of religion, peace, and social justice. Pope Pius IX
adopted the doctrine of papal infallibility at the Vatican I Council in 1870,
and rejected the doctrines of separation of church and state, freedom of
religion, and freedom of speech in his Syllabus of Errors in 1864.] [See
articles by
CNN
(about both) and
American Catholic (about Pope John XXIII.]
* 9/6: Day Latin American Catholic Bishops espoused Liberation Theology
(1968). They believe that the Gospel requires Christians to aid the poor and
oppressed in the struggle for economic and social justice. [The Second Latin
American Bishops Conference was held in Medellin, Colombia on 9/6/1968.] [See a
"Liberation
Theology Chronology"; "A
Concise History of Liberation Theology" by Leonardo and Clodovis Boff; and
"Is there a Change in Paradigm
in Liberation Theology?" by Jose Maria Vigil.]
* 9/8 (OC 9/21): Birthday of Blessed Mary, catalyst of liberation and
redemption. [See
Hail Mother of God
prayer.] [a/k/a Nativity of the Virgin Mary]
* 9/8: Death day of Mother Ann Lee (1784), mystic and founder of the Shakers,
who worshipped with ecstatic dance and song, and believed Deity to be Father,
Son, Mother, and Daughter. [Birthday 2/29/1736]
* 9/9: Christian feast of St. Joachim, father of Blessed Mary and grandfather
of Blessed Jesus; guide of grandfathers and elderly men.
* 9/10: Birthday of Thomas Thayer (1812), Universalist who believed Deity to
be at work in evolution and continuing Creation. [Death day 2/12/1886]
* 9/13: Day Israelis and Palestinians committed to peaceful coexistence
(1993); vigil for true peace, justice, religious tolerance, and equal rights for
all in the Middle East. [Declaration of Principles was signed by Israel & the
PLO on 9/13/1993.] [The
History of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict]
* 9/15: Day the first woman was ordained a Congregational/Unitarian minister
in the U.S. (1853). [Rev. Antoinette Blackwell]
* 9/17: Christian feast of St. Hildegard von Bingen (d. 1179)--mystic who
sang praises to the Holy Spirit as Grace (Caritas) and Wisdom (Sapientia). She
recognized the Holy Spirit to be the feminine aspect of the Holy Trinity, and
found Her everywhere in Nature.
* 9/19: Appearance of Our Lady of La Salette, Mother of the Harvest (France
1846).
* 9/21: International Day of Peace--Day to demonstrate for peace with justice
throughout the world. [a/k/a U.N. International Day of Peace]
[For more information on the International Day of Peace, see International
Day of Peace website and International Day
of Peace Vigil website.]
* 9/29: Feast of Michael, Angel of Protection, and Uriel, Angel of Justice.
* 9/30: Christian feast of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), Soul of the Universe,
and source of faith, hope, and love. [See
Hail Holy Spirit
prayer.]
* 9/30: Birthday of Elhanan Winchester (1751), Universalist who exhorted
people to lives of personal ethics and social reform. [Death day 4/18/1797]
* 10/2: Feast of the Guardian Angels; day to honor one's personal guardian
and guide.
* 10/4: Christian feast of St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226), and Animal
Blessing Day. [See
Prayer of Saint Francis.]
* 10/11: Opening of Vatican II Council, during which the Catholic Church
committed to ecumenism, freedom of religion, and social justice (1962).
[The
Council met from 10/11/1962 to 12/8/1965.] [For information about the Vatican II
Council and its aftermath, see
Wikipedia article
and
National Catholic Reporter articles. See also
Documents of the Vatican II Council.]
* 10/12: Day the first woman was ordained a Methodist minister in the U.S.
(1880). [Rev. Anna Howard Shaw]
* 10/13: Final appearance of Our Lady of Fatima, Lady of Oracles and Miracles
(Portugal 1917).
* 10/15: Christian feast of St. Teresa of Avila (d. 1582), mystic who loved
Deity passionately.
* 10/18: Day the Clean Water Act was enacted (1972); day to give thanks for
the water we drink. [Pub. L. 92-500, 86 Stat. 896, 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.]
[Text of statute]
[See also EarthJustice
website.]
* 10/24: Feast of Raphael, Angel of Healing.
* 10/24: Day the first woman was ordained a Presbyterian minister in the U.S.
(1956). [Rev. Margaret Ellen Towner]
* 11/1: All Saints Day--Day Christians remember all the virtuous dead, known
and unknown.
* 11/2: All Souls Day--Day Christians remember all the beloved dead.
[See
Collect from the Mass for the Dead & All Souls Day Prayer.]
* 11/2: Day the first openly gay man was consecrated an Episcopalian bishop
(2003). [Bishop Gene Robinson]
* 11/3: Christian feast of St. Martin of Porres (d. 1639), healer and
advocate of social equality and inter-ethnic harmony; guide of healers and human
rights activists.
* 11/7: World Community Day--Day for celebrating the unity behind diversity
and remembering we are all one people - all children of the one universal Deity
of many names and aspects.
* 11/7: Anniversary of the first Re-Imagining Conference, where worship of
Holy Spirit Wisdom was introduced to mainstream Christianity
(1993). [This conference was organized by the Women's
Ministry Unit of the Presbyterian Church USA. 24 other Christian churches and
organizations also participated. 2200 Christian leaders, scholars, clergy, and
laity attended the conference between 11/4/1993 and 11/7/1993 to address the
problem of patriarchy in the church and in society. Following the conference,
there was a backlash against its organizers, who were accused of heresy.]
* 11/8: Birthday of Dorothy Day (1897), activist for peace, economic justice,
and workers' rights. [Founder of the Catholic Worker Movement.] [Death day
11/22/1980]
* 11/9: Birthday of Fr. Thomas Berry (1914), Catholic priest,
eco-theologian, and cosmologist, who advocates for deep ecology and
eco-spirituality. [He believes the Universe, our Solar
System, and planet Earth, in themselves, and in their evolutionary emergence,
constitute the primary revelation of the ultimate Mystery from which all things
emerge into being.] [See Thomas Berry's
Twelve Principles
for Understanding the Universe and the Role of the Human in the Universe Process.]
[See also Thomas Berry's website.] [And
see Thomas Berry's
Earth Spirituality and the "Great Work" and
Thomas Berry
and a New Creation Story.]
* 11/10: Birthday of Martin Luther (1483), Christian reformer who rejected
blind obedience to religious authority and recognized the priesthood of all
believers. [Death day 2/18/1546]
* 11/11: Death day of Lucretia Mott (1880), Quaker preacher and non-violent
advocate for the rights of women and African Americans. [Birthday 1/3/1793]
* 11/12: Birthday of Sr. Juana Ines de la Cruz (1651), Catholic nun and
feminist poet. [Death day 4/17/1695]
* 11/20: Remembrance day for Meister Johannes Eckhart (d. 1328), Christian
mystic. He taught the four ways of the mystic's journey - the creating,
positive, negating, and transforming ways. [1260-1328: Birthday & death day
unknown]
* 11/20: Fast for an Abundant World Harvest--Day to fast and commit to action
to help prevent deaths from malnourishment world-wide. [a/k/a Fast for a World
Harvest] [For more information, see the
Oxfam
America website.]
* 11/26: Death day of Sojourner Truth (1883), Christian preacher and
non-violent advocate for the rights of women and African Americans.
[Born 1797:
exact date unknown]
* 11/27: Thanksgiving Day--Day to give thanks for the abundance of our land
and for our food, clothes, shelter, and health.
* 11/28: Day the Women's Ordination Conference opened, advocating the
ordination of women priests in the Catholic Church (1975).
[See Women's Ordination Conference
website.]
* 11/30 to 12/24 (OC 11/28 to 1/6): Advent/Festival of Lights--Christian
vigil for the birth of the Cosmic Christ. Advent candles are lit.
[See
Advent Evening Hymn
and
Collects for Advent.] [a/k/a
Christmas Lent]
* 12/1: World AIDS Day--Day to pray for healing of all those suffering with
AIDS and HIV. [For information on World AIDS Day, see World
AIDS Day website. For information about the global fight against AIDS, see UNAIDS
website.] [For information on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, see Human
Rights Watch website.]
* 12/6: Christian feast of Old St. Nicholas/Santa Claus, who leaves gifts for
all good children.
* 12/8: Christian feast celebrating St. Anna's conception of Blessed Mary.
* 12/10: Birthday of John Murray (1741), Trinitarian Universalist who
believed that Jesus died to save all humanity, not just Christians. [Death day
9/3/1815]
* 12/10: Day the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted, and
fundamental rights were recognized world-wide (1948). [The U.N. General Assembly
adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (U.D.H.R.) in Resolution 217
A(III). See Text
of Declaration. For more information on the history of the U.D.H.R., see Franklin
& Eleanor Roosevelt Institute website. The U.D.H.R. is generally
recognized as binding customary international law. In 1966, the concepts of the
U.D.H.R. were expanded and drafted into two binding international treaties with
enforcement mechanisms. The Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) is enforced by the Human Rights Committee (see
Human
Rights Committee website; University
of Minnesota Human Rights Library website) and the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights (see Office of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights website; Human
Rights Watch website). The Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
(Text of Covenant)
is enforced by the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights(see
Committee
on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights website).] [a/k/a International
Human Rights Day]
* 12/12: First Appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of God and Mother
of the Oppressed, at the former shrine of Aztec Moon Goddess Coatlicue (Mexico
1531).
* 12/14: Christian feast of St. John of the Cross (d. 1591), whose suffering
- for advocating church reform - generated mystical union with Deity.
* 12/15: Day the Bill of Rights became part of the Constitution, guaranteeing
fundamental rights to all (1791). [Text
of Bill of Rights] [For more information about the Bill of Rights and the
U.S. Constitution, see U.S.
National Archives & Records Administration website and the Bill
of Rights Institute website. For information on organizations that advocate
for enforcement of rights and liberties in the Bill of Rights, see
Center
for Constitutional Rights website; American
Civil Liberties Union website.] [a/k/a Bill of Rights Day]
* 12/15: Death day of Fr. Pavel Florensky (1943), Orthodox Christian mystic
who taught that Holy Wisdom is Our Mother, the Holy Spirit, third part of the
Holy Trinity. [Birthday 1/21/1882]
* 12/15: Day the Catholic Church silenced Fr. Matthew Fox for teaching
Creation Spirituality (1988); day to mourn the silencing of all religious
dissenters and reformers. [He was ordained a priest
in the Catholic Church in 1967. Due to his controversial teachings, he was
forbidden to teach theology by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI)
in 1988, and he was dismissed from the Dominican order in 1992. He was received
into the Episcopal Church in 1994, and continues to teach and write.]
* 12/16 to 12/24: Christmas Novena/Las Posadas--Christian remembrance of the
journey of Blessed Mary and St. Joseph to Bethlehem and their taking refuge in a
cave-stable. [See
Christmas Novena
prayer.]
* 12/17: Day the Clean Air Act was enacted (1963); day to give thanks for the
air we breathe. [Pub. L. 88-206, 77 Stat. 392, 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.] [Text of statute]
[See also EarthJustice
website.]
* 12/23: Birthday of Joseph Smith (1805), founder of the Mormon Church
(Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). He promoted a religion that was
egalitarian and communitarian, and worshipped Deity as a Heavenly Father and
Heavenly Mother. [Death day 6/27/1844]
* 12/24 eve: Mother Night--Christian vigil for the laboring Blessed Mary.
[See
Christmas Carols.]
* 12/25 (OC 1/7): Christmas--Christian celebration of Blessed Mother Mary
giving birth to Child Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. [See
Christmas Carols.] [a/k/a Feast of the
Nativity]
* 12/28: Day the first woman was ordained a Catholic priest (without Vatican
authority) (1970). [Mother Ludmila Javorova was ordained by Catholic Bishop Felix
Maria Davidek in Czechoslovakia. Her ordination is not recognized by the
Vatican.] [See Wikipedia
article on Ludmila Javorova. See also "Out of the Depths: The Story of
Ludmila Javorova, Ordained Roman Catholic Priest" by Miriam Therese Winter.]
* 12/28: Day the Endangered Species Act was enacted (1973); day to mourn
those creatures already extinct. [Pub. L. 93-205, 87 Stat. 884, 16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.] [Text of statute] [See also EarthJustice
website.]
[The Christian holy scripture is the Bible, which includes the Old
Testament (the Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament (the Gospels of Jesus and the
Letters of the Apostles). Some denominations also recognize the Old Testament
Apocrypha as a canonical or instructive text. Christian beliefs are reflected in
the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed. Some denominations also recognize the Athanasian Creed. Christians believe in the existence of one Deity manifested as
a Trinitarian Godhead, and believe in the divinity and humanity of Christ
Jesus.) Christians follow the Ten Commandments and Jesus' instruction: to love
Deity with all one's heart, soul, and mind; and to love one's neighbors
throughout the world as oneself. Christian communal worship occurs on Sunday for
most denominations, though some denominations hold communal worship on Saturday
or other days. Christians attend churches to hear Biblical readings and
interpretation, and to partake of the Eucharist/Lord's Supper. While theological
and ritual differences exist among the various denominations, it is not the
intent of this calendar to prefer one over another. Rather, it is our intent to
be inclusive and ecumenical.]
[Christianity encompasses mystic Christianity (also known as Christian
mysticism or the Wisdom Tradition), based on the Wisdom Literature of the Bible
and writings of Christian mystics. Christianity also includes progressive social
interpretation: the Social Gospel (embracing social justice), Liberation
Theology (embracing social equality, economic justice, and empowerment of the
oppressed), and Feminist Theology (embracing gender equality, empowerment of
women, and recognition of the femininity of the Holy Spirit), and is sometimes
called Liberal Christianity, Progressive Christianity, Humanistic Christianity,
and Vatican II Catholicism. Christianity also includes environmentalist
interpretation (Creation Spirituality, deep ecology, and Christian stewardship).
Christianity also is reflected in ethnic interpretation (such as Celtic
Christianity and Hispanic Christianity) and in the interfaith dialogue of
ecumenism.]
[This Christian calendar is an ecumenical calendar (interfaith calendar). It
includes Eastern Orthodox holidays, Catholic holidays, Episcopal holidays, and
Protestant holidays. Thus, it constitutes an Eastern Orthodox Christian
calendar, a Catholic calendar, an Episcopal calendar, and a Protestant calendar.
Not all Christian denominations observe all the Christian holidays reflected in
this calendar. For example, while Eastern Orthodox Christians, Catholics,
Episcopalians (Anglicans), and some Protestants celebrate the feasts of many
saints (saints days or feast days), they do not recognize all the same saints.
And some Protestants do not recognize saints. Dates for Christian holidays may
vary from denomination to denomination, with Eastern Orthodox dates at variance
with Catholic, Episcopal, and Protestant dates because of the difference between
the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Holiday dates may also vary because of a
difference between a traditional date and a recent Church reform.]
[Please note: Because this calendar is an interfaith calendar, the term "God"
is used only when referring to a male Deity. The term "Deity" is used to refer
to a gender-neutral Deity or a Deity that encompasses both male and female
characteristics.]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
About the Feminine Aspect of Deity...
Biblical & Apocryphal Sources:
The Suppression of Asherah
The Feminine Holy Spirit
Eloah/Hokhma/Shekhinah/Ruach/Holy Spirit as
Supernal Co-Creatrix
Eloah/Hokhma/Shekhinah/Ruach/Holy Spirit as Life & Bounty
Eloah/Hokhma/Shekhinah/Ruach/Holy Spirit as Wisdom & Understanding
Eloah/Hokhma/Shekhinah/Ruach/Holy Spirit as Justice & Mercy
Non-Biblical Sources:
Conceived by the Holy Spirit: The Apostles' Creed
Writings of St. Hildegard of Bingen
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Permission to use and distribute these excerpts is granted for non-commercial
purposes, provided the following information is included:
Excerpted from
THE MYSTIC'S WHEEL OF THE YEAR 2008
A Multifaith Calendar Reflecting Eco-Egalitarian Spirituality
2007 Page Two, Inc.
info@WheeloftheYear.com
www.WheeloftheYear.com
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