In the Christian Community we “recognize” 7 holy festivals: Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Whitsun, St. John’s and Michaelmas. Only the two great festivals of Christmas and Easter have a preparatory time; Advent, and Passion-tide, each 4 weeks long. The idea of a period of preparation for the soul to contemplate the deep mysteries of Birth and Death as archetypaly given to us in the life of Christ Jesus is a common thread in most Christian Churches. But the Christian Community does not prescribe any specific practices or ceremonies during these times.

During Passiontide, the mood is solemn, the color is black, a vision of the crucifixion and death of Jesus is before us. In traditional churches, Lent is a time to contemplate our own sinfulness. Efforts are made to tame the bestial lower nature of man through fasting, penance and constant prayer. We feel responsible for the crucifixion of Christ because if we hadn’t fallen into sin, he would not have been required by Love to descend to our level, suffer death and ultimately provide a path for our redemption.

The Bible teaches that Christ descended into hell of his own free will, not because he deserved to be in that state, but because of his great love for the souls who had lost all awareness of their spiritual nature. He descended into hell because mankind had descended into hell. We had become so identified with our physical, materialistic nature, that we lost all memory or awareness of our divine nature. Such souls experienced eternal darkness.
From the Christian Community Creed: “The Christ Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate the death on the cross and was lowered into the grave of the earth. In death he became the helper of the souls of the dead who had lost their divine nature.”

This story is at the very root of the Christian faith. That one being was born on earth who by his Divine/human nature was able to overcome death. Christ Jesus united himself with the earth and was able to penetrate the darkness of oblivion and free those so lost, simply by revealing his own being to them. By revealing himself, he awakens the divine spark within man and can restore us to the heritage of a heavenly existence with him. If we truly meet the Christ and genuinely seek his healing presence, we will not be lost when we lay down our physical bodies.

So, in this time of preparing for the miracle of Easter and the resurrection of the earth, we strive to strengthen the divine spirit that lives within our sin burdened self. If Christ truly saw us as worthy of his incomparable sacrifice because we were made in the image and likeness of God, then it is our responsibility to strive to live up to his vision of us. This we can do by lifting our thoughts to spiritual truths, purifying our feelings by reading the Gospels and giving ourselves in deeds of love, as he gave himself for us. Some self-discipline can help strengthen these efforts, such as meditation, which Rudolf Steiner considers as one of the only truly free deeds a human being can perform. There is no compulsion by our physical nature to contemplate God, therefore meditation is an act initiated by our spiritual nature. This is a rich time for deep contemplation, inner purification and preparation to receive anew the gift of eternal life in Christ.

“When the weeks of Passion turn into a special time for practicing sacrifice in the human heart, then purity and depth are woven into the fabric of human life.” Emil Bock