Christians have their way of perpetuating the ancient feasts of the Israelites.

Friday, 8/2/13

The Old Testament reading from Leviticus listed the yearly feasts the Israelites were to observe. In line with Jesus saying he “had come not to destroy, but to fulfill” we see how Jesus brought those those Old Testament feasts to marvelous fulfillment for us..

The first feast mentioned in Leviticus came at the spring harvest when farmers brought in their first sheaves of wheat, and when the Israelites celebrated their first Passover. Jesus was to transform that Passover into the Eucharistic meal on Holy Thursday.

The second feast mentioned came after seven weeks when the Israelites became God’s people at their covenant ceremony at Mount Sinai. For us that fiftieth day came when we were made God's people at  Pentecost with the Spirit coming down on the first Christians.

We celebrate the Atonement, our becoming One with God, at each valid confession.

The Israelites celebrated their feast of Booths in November every year. It had them leaving their houses for a full week, setting up palm frond booths for living in the streets of Jerusalem.  Every evening they went in groups to the Court of the Gentiles where temple people acted out reminders of their people’s forty years in the desert.

When the temple people were pouring water over the altar simulating the water flowing from the rock struck by Moses, it was then that Jesus cried out, "If anyone thirsts let them come to me!

When the people were lighting the great torch that stood for the cloud of fire that led them through darkness, Jesus called out, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will  not walk in darkness."