By Olusola Adeyegbe
The Christian calendar unfolds like a journey walked with intention.
Each season slows our pace, draws our attention, and gently shapes who we are becoming. From the quiet threshold of Pre Lent to the radiant light of Pentecost, the path leads through discipline, joy, surrender, and renewal, as living experiences that form everyday life.
Pre-Lent and the Call to Begin
Pre-Lent marks the quiet shift from ordinary time to intentional living.
Fat Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras, is the final pause before restraint. Traditionally, it was a day to use up rich foods before fasting began. Pancakes, laughter, and community carried a deeper meaning. Gratitude before discipline. Joy before sacrifice.
Ash Wednesday follows with soberness. Ashes on the forehead speak plainly: we are mortal. We need mercy. Lent begins not with perfection, but with honesty.
Prayer deepens. Fasting refines desire. Self-examination clears the ground for renewal.
Holy Week
Holy Week draws us into the final movements of Christ’s earthly life.
Palm Sunday opens the way. Crowds rejoice. Palms wave.
Holy Monday confronts fruitlessness. The fig tree reminds us that faith must bear fruit, not only appearance.
Holy Tuesday calls for vigilance. Jesus teaches with urgency. Truth is spoken without dilution.
Spy Wednesday turns our attention to betrayal. Quiet. Calculated. Costly. It warns how easily loyalty erodes.
Maundy Thursday centers on love in action. Feet are washed. Bread is broken. Power kneels. Service becomes the measure of greatness.
Good Friday is silence and sorrow. The Cross stands. Love gives everything. Nothing is held back.
Holy Saturday waits. Trust in the Almighty holds sway even when all seems still.
The Easter Triduum: The Heart of the Faith
The Triduum gathers Holy Thursday evening, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday into one sacred movement.
These are the holiest days of the Christian year. They carry us from table to cross to tomb, and finally to light. Death does not have the last word. Waiting is not wasted. Resurrection is coming.
Easter and the Unfolding Joy
Easter Sunday proclaims victory. Life defeats death. Hope rises.
The joy does not end in one day. The Octave of Easter stretches the celebration across eight days. In Orthodox tradition, Bright Week removes fasting entirely. Joy is allowed to be full.
Resurrection reshapes everything.
Ascension and Pentecost: The Mission Continues
Forty days later, Ascension Day reminds us that Christ’s work is complete, but ours is not. Heaven opens. Responsibility remains.
Pentecost commemorates the Spirit’s presence. Courage descends. The Church is born. Fear gives way to boldness. Witnessing begins.
This is where the journey leads. Not to ritual alone, but to transformation.
From indulgence to discipline. From discipline to surrender. From surrender to power. From power to service.
May we walk these seasons attentively. May our lives bear real fruit. And may our resolve to follow the Word proclaimed by Jesus continue to form us into people of love, courage, and quiet faithfulness.
Amen.
