timing of last supper

Calypso1977

did you guys see this?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110418/wl_uk_afp/britainreligionchristianseaster 

mica178

I've heard a lecture saying the same thing.  It makes sense.  The question is: does it matter?  Would you change anything if the actual date of the Last Supper changed?  Can we accept that there are things that we celebrate now that were probably celebrated at different times in the past (e.g. Thanksgiving, Lincoln's actual birthday)?

doctabroccoli

I've often wondered how so much stuff could happen within less than 24 hours.  Does it matter?  Probably not.  But I have to admit that it's always been a curiosity of mine.

Meg1036

I was just going to post this!

I think it makes a lot of sense, in terms of giving enough time for things to happen between the last supper and the cruxifiction.  I also think its really cool when people study the events in the bible using other historical documents and sources to add a somewhat modern understanding to the events.

I also agree with Mica though...it won't matter in terms of our celebration.  I definitely cannot see the church changing the way holy week is observed or fixing Easter to a single calendar date.  We already know that Jesus was not born on December 25, but that hasn't changed Christmas.

doctabroccoli

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_timing-of-last-supper?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:a37bb210-db4c-4777-a278-d76b2b2d9b19Post:26b496a7-ba52-41e5-a884-b4ee8593b67c">Re: timing of last supper</a>:
[QUOTE]I was just going to post this! I think it makes a lot of sense, in terms of giving enough time for things to happen between the last supper and the cruxifiction.  I also think its really cool when people study the events in the bible using other historical documents and sources to add a somewhat modern understanding to the events. I also agree with Mica though...it won't matter in terms of our celebration.  I definitely cannot see the church changing the way holy week is observed or fixing Easter to a single calendar date.  We already know that Jesus was not born on December 25, but that hasn't changed Christmas.
Posted by Meg1036[/QUOTE]

Lol, yes, they repeatedly like to point it out on Bones that he was born in March.

Calypso1977

oh, it certainly wouldnt change anything, but i like the idea of easter being a fixed date every year. 

bibliophile2010

I actually like how Easter floats through the calendar -- it forces me to really contemplate Easter, Lent, etc. each winter and spring. I would also be totally weirded out if Easter wasn't on a Sunday. I *do* like it when Easter and Passover correspond (they often do, but not always). I think there is something poetic about alignment with our Jewish roots.

I love it when people try to use history to debunk religion, but the findings don't have that result.

mica178

I wouldn't mind if Easter was set as the third Sunday or April or something.  But I like that it's on a Sunday.

I love it when people try to study religious stories and either find supporting or inconclusive evidence.  I like some of the mystery, and I like seeing evidence that the events happened as described.

Calypso1977

yeah, i do like the sunday aspect.  it would seem weird to go to church on easter wednesday, plus you know they'd never make easter a holiday, so we'd have to take vacation in order to have the day off.

but a set sunday like thanksgiving is a set thursday is good.

Meg1036

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_timing-of-last-supper?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:a37bb210-db4c-4777-a278-d76b2b2d9b19Post:51c32ed3-68bb-4f69-8f1c-d90b417cfec7">Re: timing of last supper</a>:
[QUOTE]I love it when people try to use history to debunk religion, but the findings don't have that result.
Posted by bibliophile2010[/QUOTE]

I don't think that's what happened here. I'm sure you didn't mean it that way, but you make it sound like people studying the bible are looking to disprove; it many cases (and I feel this is one of them), I feel like they're trying to understand it, not debunk it.

mica178

I think bibliophile was referring to those History Channel shows where they try to prove or disprove the validity of the shroud of Turin or the resurrection, not the real date of the Last Supper.

Meg1036

Makes more sense, thanks Mica.  Those things are a matter of faith, and are honestly going to be impossible to prove or disprove either way, and it's a fool's errand to do so.

On the other hand, I find things like determining the day of the last supper, or determining which historial flood Noah was in, etc. to be really cool.

bibliophile2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_timing-of-last-supper?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:a37bb210-db4c-4777-a278-d76b2b2d9b19Post:d83f97ff-e834-43a4-b020-fce3bc319764">Re: timing of last supper</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: timing of last supper : I don't think that's what happened here. I'm sure you didn't mean it that way, but you make it sound like people studying the bible are looking to disprove; it many cases (and I feel this is one of them), I feel like they're trying to understand it, not debunk it.
Posted by Meg1036[/QUOTE]

No I agree -- my original comment was a train-of-thought reference to one (throwaway) line of the article that the OP linked where some commentators note the subtle differences between John's gospel and the synoptic gospels and how that must mean it was all made up. Instead, this guy has an alternative theory that makes it more likely that this might have actually gone down in a particular way.

I was a history major way back when, so I encountered a lot of theories that X couldn't have possibly happened because of historical fact Y, but with futher investigation, they become more likely/possible/plausible. History and science actually make my faith stronger, even though there are many non-religious people in both fields who feel the opposite. Or what Mica said, because her thought was much more coherent.

bel138

I wish we could just get it together with the Orthodox so everyone could celebrate Easter on the same day. This year and last year with the dates corresponding has been nice for family celebrations. It's harder when it's not the same day.

bibliophile2010

I can get on board with that, bel. When I think of it, it always does strike me as strange that the two groups can't agree on how to calculate Easter, when they have so much other stuff in common.

clearheavens

Bel and biblio brought up a good point that not all Catholics use the same calendar.  The Eastern Rite Catholics (and Orthodox) use the Julian calendar and the Roman Catholics and Protestant churches use the Gregorian calendar.

For example, the Roman Catholics according to the Gregorian calendar celebrate Christmas on 12/25 and the Eastern Catholics (and Orthodox) according to the Julian calendar usually on 1/7.

It so happens that this year, the Latin Rite and Eastern Catholics both will be celebrating Easter on 4/24 this year.  This coincidence happens about once every 4 years.  It's good for Eastern Catholics in the US coming from Europe and Russia for celebrating and visiting family.

You can read more about these calendars from the article I pasted below.

At the present time, there are three Christian church calendars in use throughout Christianity. There are:

(1) the Gregorian or Western Calendar which is utilised by the Roman Catholic Church, the majority of their Byzantine or Uniate Rites, and Protestant Churches

(2) The Julian Calendar still utilised my most Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. This was the original calendar utilised by all Christian Churches since it was the calendar of the Roman Empire

(3) The Revised Julian Calendar utilised by some of the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches today.

The pivotal point of the calendar reckoning is the celebration of Holy Pascha (Resurrection Sunday or Easter as referred to by most western Christians). From the feast of Holy Pascha, all other church feasts are determined: The Holy Nativity (Christmas), The Ascension, The Feast of Pentecost, etc.

The Julian calendar, as the original calendar, always had Holy Pascha occurring after Passover, in order to follow the Holy Scripture. The Roman Catholic Church revised their calendar for themselves and all of Western Europe. Quite often, Holy Pascha occurs before the Jewish celebration of Passover commences. However, usually, every four years, both the Julian and the Gregorian Calendars agree on the celebration date for Holy Pascha. In the Julian Calendar, the Feast of the Holy Nativity usually occurs on the 7th of January; in the Gregorian Calendar, it is celebrated on the 25th December. In Europe, Orthodox Christmas is still referred to as "Little Christmas" and is still a celebration within European families (Roman and Protestant).

The Revised Julian Calendar celebrated the Holy Nativity on the 25th December and Holy Pascha according to the Julian Calendar. This calendar was originally composed as a compromise to the Eastern Christian peoples who now lived and work within Europe, the United States, and other English Speaking countries as well as to the needs of Eastern Christians who intermarried with Western Christians. It permitted Eastern Christians not to feel too out of place when celebrating the Nativity or Christmas with the western friends and family members.

bel138

Byzantine Catholics are included in Eastern Catholics.