I don’t particularly like holidays. I think it’s great that we have a brief time of remembrance or reverence or honor. It’s great to have a reason to hide eggs, go door to door collecting candy, eat all day or throw presents at one another.

My first observation is that it just seems to me that only a handful actually embrace the moment and meaning of the holiday or event. My second observation is, in the fact, we must have a designated day to remember, honor, celebrate etc. Why can’t I celebrate my birthday every day? Why can’t I eat turkey and the fixings for dinner tomorrow night? Who came up with these “rules” regarding when we can celebrate, what we should honor and remember and where and how we do these things? I really want to set off fireworks on my birthday and eat that turkey on Independence Day — after all, even Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird!

I notice in the Bible there were certain designated times as well. Passover being one of the major ones. The Day of Atonement, The Feast of Trumpets and The Feast of Tabernacles just to name a few. These were all religious celebrations ordained and ordered to take place. Then we have the traditional, what we call Christian holidays; Resurrection Sunday and Christmas (again, both have their designated dates and times and rules for celebration or recognition).

I’m in favor of days of remembrance and times of honor and celebrations, but what if we could learn to appreciate our freedom all of the time? Honor our veterans all of the time? What if we could learn to do these things without rules or designations? Where I’m going with all of this is simple: Why don’t we celebrate all of the time?

We can give thanks for the resurrection, give thanks for the birth of Christ, pause and remember the death of Christ, all on a daily basis. We can honor our veterans, celebrate our independence, pause in memorial, without it being a “day.” What about our faith? If we became so used to praying, so devoted to studying the bible, so in communication with God that it all became second nature. Devotion in, self-discipline for, practice of and commitment to our faith. Faith is not a holiday. Having faith is not something that somebody else can control or tell you how to use or when to have it. Your faith is yours.

Faith in Christ and relationship with God through Christ is something that can be practiced anytime, used anytime, and celebrated anytime and anywhere. We don’t have to wait until Sunday. We don’t have to have a crisis. We don’t have to be abundantly blessed. Your faith in Christ is part of who you are and is something that in time and with effort can become something you practice, use and celebrate at all times.

REV. BARRY VASSAR can be reached at fitzgeraldmemorial@gmail.com