Reflected Faith Series: The Meaning of Colours – part 2 Last month we looked at the changing of colours in the church’s vestments and altar cloths during March, April and May this year. This month of June sees them changing again, but this time for around 20 weeks. We start the month still in the season of Easter; strictly speaking, in the time after the Ascension. The first Sunday in June is the feast of Pentecost. This was and remains a Jewish Festival. At the time of Jesus, it was a joyful celebration of the first fruits of the Harvest, which was why all the apostles were gathered together in Jerusalem, as was expected of all Jewish men. As they gathered following Jesus’ Ascension, the Holy Spirit came upon them. This is what Christians celebrate at Pentecost, and therefore the colour is red. The following day the colour changes to green, and remains green until the 30th of October, the Feast of All Saints’ which will be white. This gives us approximately 20 weeks of ‘green’ with the occasional day in between of white or red to celebrate an apostle, saint or a specific feast day. So the question is ‘Why?’ Why so long? This time is often referred to as ‘Ordinary’ time. So what is ‘ordinary’ about it? I don’t know about your life but mine tends to go along fairly steady with just the odd up or down time. Most of my days are ‘ordinary’. In church lectionary terms this period of ‘X Sunday after Pentecost’ follows one main gospel’s teachings and miracles of Jesus. It’s almost like He gathers us together for a summer school and takes us up a mountainside and teaches us there. It’s a time for leaning and growth. 17
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