An Introduction to Red Letter Days

Why this title for this blog?

A "red letter day" is, of course, a day of significance. Though the origins of this phrase are not entirely clear, they go back at least to the Middle Ages, and probably further still. In the early editions of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) in England, the major holy days of the church calendar were printed in red ink. (Those italicized instructions found throughout the BCP were also printed in red in earlier Prayer Books, hence the name rubric, which means "red.") Though these days are no longer printed in red in the 1979 BCP, they are still designated as days of significance, and the Prayer Book commends them to be "regularly observed throughout the year" (see BCP pg. 16, under "Holy Days"; see also the Calendar on pages 19-30, in which the major holy days are in bold print). This blog is a modest attempt at such regular observance.

Why bother observing holy days?

Since New Testament times, Christians have ordered their lives by marking time, setting aside days and hours for prayer and worship. Most ancient and primary is the observance of Sunday--the day of Creation and of Resurrection; the Lord's Day--as a day of corporate worship. But Christians also began to order the whole year around their understanding of what God had accomplished in Christ. As the Rev. Julia Gatta has written:

While baptism initiated us into Christ's own life, we grow as participants in that life through the annual celebration of its key moments: Christ's birth, death, or ascension, for example. These events, while belonging on one plane of history, are considered "mysteries"--not because they are inscrutable, but because they have eternal significance and infinite depth. Precisely because the whole mystery of Christ is so vast and multifaceted, the major feasts and seasonal celebration of the particular events of Christ's life are spread across the year.

In addition to the "Feasts of Our Lord," such as the Annunciation or the Transfiguration, other "Major Feasts" commemorate saints such as the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Apostles, and others. In recalling the lives of these followers of Jesus, we may find strength and wisdom for our own pilgrim journey. By marking time through the observance of these holy days, we are regularly reminded that we are God's people. In the unceasing busyness of modern life, we may come, by grace, to experience God's presence: here in us today, in the saints of old, and in the promised future.

What should I expect to find on this blog, and how should I use it?

For various Holy Days listed in the Calendar of the BCP (and occasionally for days of 'optional observance') a blog entry will be posted (either on or before the day itself). Posts will generally have the same format: the Collect, Psalm, and Readings appointed for the day, a brief meditation, and a closing prayer. These "propers" are actually the ones appointed for the celebration of the Eucharist on the day (see BCP, beginning page 922); there are additional readings appointed to be read on these days for the Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer (see BCP, beginning page 996).

For those wishing to use this blog as a way of observing these holy days, it is suggested that you set aside about fifteen minutes at a time convenient for you to be undisturbed. It may be helpful to begin with some silence to quiet yourself in God's presence. Begin by praying the opening Collect, and then proceed to pray the Psalm and read each of the Bible readings. It is hoped that the meditation and closing prayer may serve as an opportunity for God to invite you deeper into the readings and how they and the saint or event observed may intersect with your own life. And, of course, feel free to comment.

Occasionally, I use this blog for an additional bit of theological reflection, either pertinent to the season or to some current happening in the life of the church.

These posts, finally, are offered to the glory of God, with a prayer that they may be a blessing to others along the way.

Peace of Christ,
Clay+

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.
~Ephesians 2:19