<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder The accounts of Jesus suffering, death, and resurrection, while always central to Christian teaching, are at the forefront beginning with this Palm Sunday and continuing through Holy Week. Joining with countless other clergy and congregations around the world, I will be leading my churches through the Passion accounts according to the four Gospels. Maundy Thursday includes special consideration of Christ giving us his body and blood in Holy Communion. Good Friday is the most somber of Christian holy days as we hear again the Word and the sermons focusing on Jesus' atoning death. We will use Holy Saturday as a special day of individual repentance and confession before beginning the Vigil of Easter and then continuing with our Sunrise Service at Martin Dies State Park and our Festival Services at Faith and St. Paul on Easter morning. Today's questions deal in one way or another with Lent and Holy Week. Q: I was talking with a non-Christian friend who is French. He asked me to translate a word into English and the word turned out to be Calvary. I soon started looking up Calvary in my Bible. However, it was not mentioned. Only Golgotha was named. Are Golgotha and Calvary the same place? If so, why in the Bible is it referred to as Golgotha but we always refer to it as Calvary? A: I checked several translations and "Calvary" only appears in the King James Version, and this only in Luke 23. The other Gospels use "Golgotha." Calvary ("calvaria") is how "skull" was translated in the Latin Bible (Vulgate) and came to English via that route. Golgotha is a phonetic spelling of the Hebrew word. Matthew, Mark, and John all use Golgotha in the Greek, then use the common Greek word "kranion" (which we recognize from "cranium") to explain it to their non-Hebraic readers. Luke uses "Kranion" only---no Golgotha---and so is normally translated "Skull," except, as I found, in the King James and maybe some Bibles I don't own. Q: I attended Catholic grade school and high school, but could not recall how the rule against eating meat on Ash Wednesday and each Friday in Lent began. Could you please tell me why we don't eat meat during Lent? A: Fasting during Lent started in the Church's early days. Actually, a Friday fast was common among many Christians long before the Lenten season was codified. This is because just as each Sunday was a feast day in celebration of the Lord's resurrection, so each Friday became a commemoration of his suffering and death. Fasting is not necessarily total abstinence, but only may be giving up certain things. The Roman Catholic Church placed meat on the list of prohibited foods. This was later modified to exclude fish or seafood in general. The rigors of the prescribed fasts are not nearly so strong as they once were: Meat has often been banned for the entire forty days (excluding Sundays) of the Lenten season. Later, some have moved that to exclude everything except fish or only to exclude red meat. Even in areas without a large Catholic population, it's interesting to see how often restaurants offer fish as their special on Fridays. This is not only during Lent, but throughout the year. Q: Regarding fasting: In what ways do Christians demonstrate their sympathy with others? Can you be a true believer if you do not offer practical help to others? A: Fasting is not so much a way for Christians to "demonstrate sympathy" as it is to strive under the Holy Spirit to discipline the unruly self, to recall Christ's own fasts and sacrifices on our behalf, and to focus on the enormity of our sin and our need for repentance. In the Lenten season, fasting is tied with "almsgiving" (giving to the poor) and prayer. Obviously, none of these are wrong during the rest of the year, but are given special emphasis prior to the commemoration of Christ's suffering and death. Your question almost answers itself: A true Christian demonstrates sympathy. We don't only "feel" someone's pain; rather, the love of Christ dwelling in us moves us to do something about it. However, since our sinful human nature is at constant war with the new creature we are made in Holy Baptism, the external disciplines of fasting, alms, and heightened prayers are part of the Christian response against the "Old Adam" which continues to plague us. I cannot tell you how to demonstrate your sympathy, since I don't know what you have, nor what those around you need. Certainly someone who has your concerns will find a God-pleasing outlet for your desire to love your neighbor as yourself. One idea is provided also in today's final question and answer. Q: Where do we get the term "Maundy Thursday"? A: This is Thursday of Holy Week, when the church remembers the institution of the Lord's Supper. From the account of the Upper Room in John 13:1--15, some have called it the Day of Food Washing. "Maundy" may come from the Latin of John 13:34, where Jesus gives the disciples the new "mandatum" or commandment to love one another. Another idea is that it comes from the ancient custom of carrying gifts to the poor in hand baskets (known as "maunds") on that day. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1999 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.