Our (B.C.) Pagan Heritage

17 February, 2023

Our Pagan Heritage

Our Lord came into a pagan, fallen world and has brought us light so we can walk straight on a path leading to life.  February has a meaning pointing most starkly to our Godless, pagan roots from which our Savior has cut us loose.   The name of the month derives from the decadent practice of child sacrifice through “februation”  (Latin  februatio, from the Greek februatus, past participle of februare – “to purify,” from februa).

Thanks be to God for deliverance from our Godless human heritage!  Let us turn away from our tendency, via for example abortion, to drift back to our natural pagan roots.

Will Durant, in volume 3 of his Story of Civilization, writes about Rome’s calendar:

“The year began with the coming of spring, and the first month, Martius, more the name of the god of sowing; next came Aprilis, sprouting, Maius, month of Maia, or perhaps of increase; Iunius, month of Juno, or possibly of thriving; then Quinctilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, and December, named from their numerical order in the year; then January for Janus, and February for the februa, or magic objects by which persons might be purified. The year itself was called annus, ring; as if to say that in reality there is no beginning and no end.”

Efforts have been made, from time to time, by various reformers to scrap the old names and install new ones which trumpet more sanctified symbols.  But long-standing, deep-rooted tradition is hard to extract and discard.

Indeed, He delivered us from such damnable, pagan sacrifices.  Sacrifice, to be sure, was necessary to be offered to a holy God by disgusting, filthy human beings, but nothing could satisfy His righteous indignation but the blood of our Savior.

17 Feb., 2023