The End of the Last Month of the Lunar Year

by Fr. Mark Wojdelski, FSSP

(This is part of a series of articles, and will make little sense without the introductory articles: (1) , (2), (3), and (4).  There are more than four articles in the series, but the first four are very important to understanding the conceptual framework.  Here also is a link to the complete calendar for reference. (“complete” lunar calendar)

Surrounding the 26th day of Adar, the day which corresponds to the fourth Sunday of Lent (also known as Laetare Sunday), we have two biblical dates:

And in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison; and he spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. (Jer 52:31-33)

And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison; and he spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. (2 Kgs 25:27-29)

The discrepancy between the two dates is often interpreted as the decree being issued on the twenty-fifth day of the month and the execution of the decree taking place on the twenty-seventh day, i.e. on the third day. It is of mild interest to note that at Mass on the Saturday of the third week of Lent (25 Adar) we have the story of Susanna, read in its entirety. (Dan 13) This story is not extant in Hebrew or Aramaic so we must rely on the Greek text, in which the husband of Susanna is called Joachim (Ἰωακ(ε)ίμ), which is the standard way to render Jehoiakim (יהֹויָקִים , yehoyaqim) into Greek. However, this is also the way “Jehoiakin” (יְהֹויָכִין , yehoyakin) is rendered into Greek. Several venerable and ancient writers even equate the two men, i.e. they believed that the husband of Susanna was the same as the last legitimate king of Judah (Joachim/Jehoiakin) who was exiled. This is not a common opinion, but it would make these days especially meaningful, connecting Joachim in exile with his wife Susanna. Like Queen Esther, there is no indication that Susanna had children and may have still been a virgin. Recall Esther herself was chosen as the new queen, but we are told: “the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins.” (Esth 2:17)

The fourth Sunday of Lent (Dominica in mediana)¹ is interesting, not only because it is the Sunday within the week of “mid-Lent” beginning on the previous Wednesday, the exact midpoint of Lent, but because it forms a thematic pair with the fourth Sunday after Easter, which we’ve looked at previously here.

The epistle of the Mass for Laetare Sunday begins with a contrast between the two sons of Abraham, the first, Ishmael, born of the slave-girl and the second, Isaac, the son of the promise, born of the free woman, Sarah. The gospel reading is the miracle of the feeding of the 5000. It seems that there is meant to be a contrast set up here between the carnal and the spiritual. Ishmael represents the carnal, while Isaac represents the spiritual. We will see this same theme again with Jacob and Esau his brother, who sold his birthright for some soup. In like manner, the multiplication of the loaves, while a spectacular miracle, did nothing for those who experienced it unless they received the deeper spiritual meaning, that the Eucharist that this miracle prefigures will have within it all sweetness, just as the manna in the desert did,

“Instead of these things you gave your people the food of angels,

and without their toil you supplied them from heaven with bread ready to eat,

providing every pleasure and suited to every taste.

For your sustenance manifested your sweetness toward your children;

and the bread, ministering to the desire of the one who took it,

was changed to suit every one’s liking. (Wis 16:20-21)

We should not forget this fact about the manna, namely, that for the just, it gave delight to the palate, but to the wicked, it just provided something to complain about, because it probably tasted terrible, or at least very bland, giving the Israelites reason to complain. Likewise, the Eucharist worthily and devoutly received disposes one to receiving spiritual delights, but a lukewarm or (God forbid) sacrilegious communion will only further harden the soul in vice until eventually the sacraments are abandoned completely. We pray that this never happens to anyone who has been called to new life in Christ.