Now when are we? A look at liturgical calendars in the Christian tradition

Picture from here

The major feasts of the Christian community known as The Church are behind us in this liturgical year.  We are well and truly forging along in The Green Season.  This time (as marked above) is known as The Green Season because green vestments are the norm in this period - and it is a substantial period.  It is the 'Ordinary' period of community life.  Given the connotation of Green in our culture at this period of history, it is fitting to have to face our greenness Sunday in and Sunday out if we are part of a community which supports a vestment-ed clergy.  

Christians keep track of these events through liturgical calendars and the net has quite a few for us to use.  I like the Cyberfaith one.  It is clear and concise and one can move around it to check the right Sunday/week and get the best information.  Just a caution though.  This is a Roman Catholic calendar in the Western tradition of Christianity.  The Eastern tradition has a different calendar.  As well, the feasts and fasts marked on Cyberfaith relate to Roman Catholic practice so Anglican practice, for instance, will differ.

Most of the Western tradition are using a common lectionary these days so unified liturgical calendars go hand in hand with this.  

So to-day is the 11th Sunday in ordinary time. 

In the Anglican Calendar for Australia, we have two favourites of mine to remember this week.

To-day, we remember Antony of Padua.

On Tuesday, we remember Evelyn Underhill.

A poem from here.

 

The Lady Poverty

I MET her on the Umbrian hills,

Her hair unbound, her feet unshod:

As one whom secret glory fills

She walked, alone with God.

I met her in the city street:

Oh, changed was all her aspect then!

With heavy eyes and weary feet

She walked alone, with men.

Evelyn Underhil

Related Reading:

  

Saint Antony of Padua; The Miracle Worker (1195-1231) 

 

The Chronicle of Saint Antony of Padua

Saint Antony of Padua Portuguese Theologian Giclee Poster Print, 42x56

Mysticism

Practical Mysticism

Fruits of the Spirit (Treasures from the Spiritual Classics)

 

Evelyn Underhill: Essential Writings (Modern Spiritual Masters Series) 

 

The Spiritual Life 

 

The Ways of the Spirit 

 

The Cloud of Unknowing 

 

Worship 

 

Concerning the Inner Life 

 

Evelyn Underhill Mystic and Author Giclee Poster Print by Howard Smith, 18x24 

 

Radiance: A Spiritual Memoir by Evelyn Underhill 

 

The Life of Evelyn Underhill: An Intimate Portrait of the Ground-Breaking Author of Mysticism 

 

An Anthology of the Love of God from the Writings of Evelyn Underhill 

 

The Making of a Mystic: New and Selected Letters of Evelyn Underhill 

 

Water at the Parliament of the World's Religions

There has been a long delay on contributing to this blog - it has been brought about by a combination of busy-ness when I have been up and about and debilitating ill health.  Apologies!

This video is from a series on the Parliament of the World's Religions website relating to the Melbourne Parliament held in December 2009.  I was the keynote speaker at the Melbourne Plenary held on Tuesday 8 December.  The theme of the Plenary was Water.  You can see some of what I said around about the 17th minute of this 30 minute video.  You will see quite a variety of speakers and performers.  It was a colourful, multicultural, multifaith event.

Melbourne Plenary 8 Dec from Parliament of Religions on Vimeo

Related reading:
 
A Global Ethic: The Declaration of the Parliament of the World's Religions 

Dawn of Religious Pluralism: Voices From the World's Parliament of Religions, 1893 

 
The World's Parliament of Religions: An Illustrated and Popular Story of the World's First Parliament of Religions, Held in Chicago in Connection with the Columbian Exposition of 1893 


 
World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored & Explained


The Illustrated World's Religions: A Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions


The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions


God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--and Why Their Differences Matter


Tao I: The Way of All Life
 

Tao Te Ching: A New English Version (Perennial Classics)

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BELL RINGING: THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION FOR FAITH GROUPS

Dear One and All,

Come to-morrow and ring my chimes!!!

Well, actually the invitation is on behalf of All Saints Anglican Church, Mitcham, who is hosting this Climate Change Bellringing Event.

Here is some information  and here too about the above event being held world wide but, in particular, at All Saints Anglican Church, Whitehorse Road, Mitcham,  Melbourne to-morrow at 3pm.  Coffee and eats will be available.

Church bells will ring 350 times on December 13th, 2009 as part of the largest inter-denominational faith protest of the century. The International Day of Climate Action for Faith Groups event will include churches, synagogues, and mosques from around the world, ringing bells, sounding chimes and beating drums, in a global call for an ambitious and binding agreement in Copenhagen.

“We envisage a chain of chimes and prayers stretching in a time-line from the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific – where the day first begins and where the effects of climate change are already felt today – to northern Europe and across the globe,” explains the World Council of Churches website.

The global event is designed to encourage all faiths to mobilize parishes, congregations and members in a call for urgent action against climate change while creating a global symphony of bells, drums and prayer that will hopefully reach the ears of world politicians.

Bells, chimes and drums will sound 350 times to symbolize the safe upper limit of CO2 in the atmosphere, currently we are at an average of 388ppm and a peak of 390ppm.

ALL SAINTS MITCHAM 

IS SITUATED AT THE CORNER OF 

MAROONDAH HIGHWAY (WHITEHORSE ROAD) 

AND 

EDWARD STREET, MITCHAM.  

PICTURE OF CHURCH BELOW SO YOU CAN RECOGNISE IT.  

Related reading:

A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions
Climate, Water, Fate & Faith Climate Change & the History: Climate Change and the History
Faith groups launch climate initiative.(NATION): An article from: National Catholic Reporter
Earth in the balance: the faith community will need to step up its role as protectors of creation.(ENVIRONMENT): An article from: Sojourners Magazine

Miss Eagle is winging her way to the Northern Territory

The McDonnells: a stunning backdrop to The Alice

Miss Eagle is spreading her wings to-morrow and is off to the Northern Territory for three weeks.  Will be having a couple of days in Alice Springs and then off to my old stomping ground of Tennant Creek which is situated on the western fringe of my spirit country, the Barkly Tableland.  There is a vital element missing from the map:  the Tropic of Capricorn which is about one hour driving time north of Alice Springs.  Tennant Creek is 504 kilometres (5 hours driving time north of Alice).  However, while both are Arid Zone towns they are vastly different.  I recall once leaving Alice at a particularly dry time when one could not see one natural blade of green grass.  One got to Tennant and, by comparison, it was a tropical oasis.

Sunset from the Gold Stamp Battery, Tennant Creek

I have included a map, dear Networker, so that you can get an idea of of distance.  From Tennant Creek to Darwin is approximaely 1000 kilometres; depending on how heavy your foot is travel time is anything from 7 to 10 hours.  There used to be no speed limits in the NT outside the towns.  However, a few years ago  highway speeds were given 130kph limits.  Now, how well these are enforced is open to conjecture.  The long straight Stuart Highway from Mataranka south to the NT/SA border is ideal for cruise control!  Population is sparse in the NT and a significant proportion is Aboriginal - meaning there is regular contact with the most ancient culture on the whole planet: languages, nations, attitudes, and - sadly - socio-economic differences of major proportions.

Currently, there are many undercurrents in the NT due to the abhorrent Intervention.  I will be keeping my eyes open and trying to be sensitive to views, black and white, around me.  But please remember I am kicking off my sojourn in the place where Samson and Delilah was filmed - and that was realistic.