FROM THE PARISH PRIEST
 

Why the New Year Now?
by Fr. Romey Rosco

        We are accustomed to think of January 1st as the beginning of the year, and it certainly is the start of the "calendar" year.  But the Church has traditionally begun its new year on September 1st annually, computing the start of the year with the fall season, a custom common to the lands of the Bible going back centuries.  The harvest was in and it was the time for the new agricultural cycle – an appropriate time to begin a new year.

        For us today (no longer farmers), this tradition still makes a lot of sense.  Summer is over, school begins and we all settle into a new cycle that includes our most beloved holidays and feast days, as well as the four seasons: fall, winter, spring, and summer.

        How we face the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead depends on our spiritual and moral values, so don't miss out on all the church has to offer you and your family in the coming Church Year!  Attend services, enroll your children in Sunday School, joyfully follow the feasts, and humbly receive the Sacraments.  Make it a good year.

From The Weekly Bulletin, Vol. XXXIII No. 35, 27 August 2006
Sts. Peter & Paul Romanian Orthodox Church, Dearborn Heights MI

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