Saturday, January 14, 2023

Being an ass

Am in a feel-like-hibernating mood. Must be January causing it. And a bit of apathy. Sitting around instead of doing stuff.

Rev Richard Coles is a vicar who used to be a pop star. He was in the Communards with Jimmy Somerville I believe. He's also an author including some crime fiction (I have one on my kindle waiting to be read) and a frequent television appearer. The relevance here is that, on Twitter, he often mentions what obscure religious day it is.


Today is the Feast of the Ass, "commemorating the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt. In the Middle Ages it was a grand do with a procession, a play, and then a panto donkey would stand next to the altar and after Mass the priest would bray thrice at the congregation."

I think we've all known some priests who bray with much less reason.

The feast day has been commemorated in several countries over the years with the issuing of special stamps. Here's an old one from Luxembourg with a modern message.

Today's politicians, including those who make a big show of their Christian faith, find it convenient to forget that Jesus and his family were refugees who sought refuge in a foreign country.


7 comments:

Kathy G said...

This was a new religious commemoration to me, but I like it. Thanks for the education.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I heard an interview with Rev. Cole once on CBC radio about his interesting journey from rock star to clergyman.

Liz Hinds said...

Pleasure, Kathy.

He's written a book about it too, Debra.

Boud said...

I follow him on Twitter. Nice guy. He's known sorrow. That's a feast day I didn't know.

And yes in the US too,there are so-called Christians who refuse to acknowledge that the Holy Family were refugees from death threats. Also that they were brown people, not blond blue eyed white folk.

Chuck Pergiel said...

I am just wondering if maybe people migrated to northern regions so they could spend a month inside not doing anything and not talking to anybody. Recharge their batteries, so to speak.

Liz Hinds said...

He does seem nice, Boud.

I could do with a bit of recharging, Chuck.

Ann said...

I'm not familiar with him or the feast of the ass. How interesting.