With the observation of Ash Wednesday on February 26th we have begun the Lenten season. When you come to worship you will undoubtedly notice the changes in the church’s “clothing”. The paraments are now purple and you might notice that the processional cross behind the altar is now draped in purple ribbons. This color purple is meant to identify two different themes.
The first is probably well known to you. For a considerable period of time purple has been used to reflect a penitential sense. We are urged to use these 40 days of Lent to consider the meaning of three special days; Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. These three days especially invite us to meditate upon the mystery of our redemption.
Perhaps much forgotten now is the other recognition that the color purple invites us to consider; purple was the color reserved for royalty. For the vast majority of human’s time on earth purple was a very difficult and expensive dye to acquire. That difficulty and expense led to reserving the color to rulers. Now, consider for a moment the kind of double irony encountered when the soldiers placed a purple cloak on Jesus as they mocked him. I say double irony because first, they thought they were acting ironically when they placed it on him and secondly, they had no idea who he really was.
We confront tremendous tension here. Which one do we focus on? Is it proper to focus on one or the other? Dare we only focus on one or the other?
Peace, Stan
The first is probably well known to you. For a considerable period of time purple has been used to reflect a penitential sense. We are urged to use these 40 days of Lent to consider the meaning of three special days; Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. These three days especially invite us to meditate upon the mystery of our redemption.
Perhaps much forgotten now is the other recognition that the color purple invites us to consider; purple was the color reserved for royalty. For the vast majority of human’s time on earth purple was a very difficult and expensive dye to acquire. That difficulty and expense led to reserving the color to rulers. Now, consider for a moment the kind of double irony encountered when the soldiers placed a purple cloak on Jesus as they mocked him. I say double irony because first, they thought they were acting ironically when they placed it on him and secondly, they had no idea who he really was.
We confront tremendous tension here. Which one do we focus on? Is it proper to focus on one or the other? Dare we only focus on one or the other?
Peace, Stan