March
March
To walk in a formal military manner with measured steps at a
steady rate is the basic meaning of "march," but other types of
non-military popular movements may also be called "marches." In
democratic countries, marches may be utilized to effect social or
political changes and some independent thinkers "march to the beat of a
different drummer." If such persons have a charismatic personality,
they may be the leaders of a new movement for better or for worse. The
name of the third month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, however,
is not named for this kind of "march." Rather, it is named for the
Roman god Mars, the second-ranking god after Jupiter, the father of
Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome. The name of this god of war and
of vegetation has also been given to one of the planets that revolve
around the sun which has a red appearance. Because there seems to be
some evidence of water on Mars, whether now or in the past, there is
speculation that some form of life may also have existed there.
Previously, before two additional months were added, this month of March
was the first month of the year. It is the month when days become
longer and plants are revived. New life is evident in the leaves of
trees, the flowers that bloom and the renewed energy of both animals and
human beings. In some areas where the month begins with rough,
boisterous weather and ends calmly, it is said that "March comes in
like a lion and goes out like a lamb." It is our hope that for the
nations of the world, this month will be the beginning of new life, of
vegetation rather than war and more lamb-like than lionish.
(834)
The Secrets of "Nym"
This message is based on a chapter with the above title in a
book by Richard Lederer entitled "Crazy English." It begins as
follows: "Somebody once defined a synonym as a word you use when you
can't spell the word you really want. What a synonym really is, of
course, is a word with the same, or nearly the same, meaning as another
word, such as 'big' and 'large' or 'small' and 'tiny.' Somebody
else once quipped that a great many poems seem to have been written by a
prolific Irish genius named Ann O'Nymous. Here the pun is on the word
'anonymous,' and when a work is anonymous, its creator's name is not
revealed. In 'synonym' and 'anonymous,' the common element is 'onym,'
a Greek root that means 'word' or 'name,' and many words
about words themselves contain this root." Among the words considered
in that chapter are: "antonym" ("a word that is opposite in meaning
to another word"), "homonym" ("a word spelled and pronounced like
another word, but of different origin and meaning"), "pseudonym"
(literally, "false name," the "pen name" used by some writers
instead of their real name; Mark Twain, for example, instead of Samuel
Longhorne Clemens) and "acronym." An "acronym" (literally, "high
word") is a word formed from the initial letters of a name ("WAC" for
"Women's Army Corps") or by combining initial letters or parts of a
series of words ("radar" for "radio detecting and ranging").
Etymology, which deals with the origin and development of words, is a
very interesting area of study for those interested in the meaning of
words. (835)
No/Know/Noh
A couple of the main problems for students of English are related
to the many irregularities related to spelling and pronunciation. For
example, the two-letter word "no" is simply a negative, the opposite
of "yes." But if a "w" is added to the end of the word, the
pronunciation changes. "Now" denotes the present time. And if a "k"
is added to the beginning of that word, the pronunciation reverts to
the same as it was before. To "know" means to understand. The
problems for students of Japanese are quite different. Although the
pronunciation of the Japanese syllabic symbols is always the same, there
are thousands of Chinese characters which are also used. These
characters have at least two different pronunciations in Japanese and
some of them have many more. Also, the same pronunciation may be used
for many different characters with very different meanings. In my
dictionary, there are five different characters pronounced "noh." The
meanings include "a brain," "a purse," "agriculture," "pus" and
"ability." The character meaning "ability" is also used for a
traditional, unique Japanese drama developed in the 14th century. In
this classical play, there are only male participants, even though they
may take feminine roles. There are many different kinds of wooden masks
used in the symbolic pantomimes by the actors in elaborate costumes.
Their acting and dancing is accompanied by singers, or chanters, with a
unique vocalization and by three drummers and a bamboo flute player. If
someone asked me when I first arrived in Japan, "Do you know Noh?" I
would have said "No," but now I do know Noh. (836)
Sunday/Sonday
Most countries throughout the world divide time periods into
weeks with seven days. That's an odd number, but in the Bible, it is
considered a sacred number, a perfect number. According to the Biblical
account of the creation of the world, found in Genesis, chapter 1, God
created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. That
became the basis of one of the Ten Commandments given through Moses in
Exodus, chapter 20, which stated that people should work six days and
rest on the seventh day, which was called the "sabbath", meaning "rest".
Today also, Jews continue to rest on the sabbath, the seventh day of the
week. In the Christian Church tradition, however, the day for rest and
worship was changed to the first day of the week, to commemorate the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead on that day. In both the
Romance languages of Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese and in
Japanese, the names of the days of the week are derived from the sun,
moon and the five planets of Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn in
that order. Interestingly, there are two English words with three
letters beginning with "s" and ending with "n" that are both pronounced
"sun". The one spelled with a "u" denotes the bright, shining star at
the center of our solar system. The one spelled with an "o" denotes a
male child. Since in the New Testament, Jesus Christ is called the "Son
of God", Christians may consider Sunday, the first day of the week as
the "day of the Son" rather than "the day of the sun." Christians
believe that both of these "suns" shine forth light into the world.
(021)
Caesar
Julius Caesar is the name of the Roman statesman and general who
succeeded in establishing a dictatorship known as the Roman Empire in 44
B.C. In March of that year, he was stabbed to death in the senate house
by an opponent. In the ancient Roman calendar, the 15th day of March
was called "Ides" and it is said that Julius Caesar had received a
forewarning from a soothsayer to "Beware the Ides of March." That
saying has become a classic warning of impending and certain danger.
Although Caesar was originally a family name, it came to mean "emperor."
It is from this name that the German "kaiser" and the Russian "
czar," or "tsar," were derived. "Caesarean section" denotes a
surgical operation to extract a fetus from a uterus for there was a
legend that Julius Caesar was born by that method, but a "Caesar salad,"
consisting of tossed greens, anchovies, croutons and grated cheese
with special dressings and an egg is not related to the Roman emperor.
It was the rushed response to a sudden crowd of tourists at "Caesar's
Place," a restaurant in Mexico, operated by Caesar Gardini. There were
both advantages and disadvantages to be included in the empire ruled by
the Caesars. In Jesus' day, many Jews were opposed to paying taxes
that went to Rome, while others were willing to do so. In the Gospel of
Matthew, chapter 22, verses 15-22, there is a story of how Jesus
responded to the question of paying taxes to Caesar asked by
representatives of groups in favor of it and opposed to it. After
noting that the coins which would be used to pay the taxes bore the
image of Caesar, he replied: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to
God what is God's." According to the story of creation in Genesis,
chapter 1, human beings were created in the image of God, so it is
ourselves we should give to God. (837)
Patrick
A number of English words begin with the letters p-a-t-r-i,
derived from the Latin word for "father." A "patriarch" is the male
leader of a family or tribe and a system of social organization in which
descent and succession are traced through the male line is called a
"patriarchy." A "patrician" was a member of a noble family in ancient
Rome and may denote an aristocrat, or a person of refined manners today.
"Patrimony" is the property inherited from one's father and a person
who gives support to some organization may be called a "patron." A
"patriot" is a person who loves, supports and defends his "fatherland."
The names "Patrick" and "Patricia" are both derived from this
root and a man named Patrick became famous as the patron saint of
Ireland. As a youth in Wales, he gave little thought to religion until
he was captured by Irish pirates and sold as a slave in Ireland.
Working for six years as a herdsman, he felt an increasing awareness of
God and after his escape, he resolved to return to the land where he had
found his faith to share it with the Irish pagans. To prepare himself
for this task, he visited various monasteries and deepened his spiritual
understanding. When he returned to Ireland about 432 A. D., he was
vigorously opposed by druid priests who repeatedly captured him, but he
always managed to escape. Traveling throughout the country, he made
many converts and founded monasteries, schools and churches. Saint
Patrick is now recognized as the Father and Founder of the Church in
Ireland. On his feast day, March 17, the biggest annual parade in New
York City is held as over 100,000 people walk along Fifth Avenue in
front of St. Patrick's Cathedral. (838)
Holy Week
Something that is set apart for a sacred purpose may be called
"holy." Those who believe that a shrine or temple is the "house of
God"consider it a "holy place." Christians consider the church,
where God is worshipped and where believers experience communion with
God, a "holy place"and the writings which are considered the basis of
the Christian faith (the Bible), a "holy book. And this week preceding
Easter Sunday is called "holy week." During this week, the final days
of Jesus' life, as recorded in the four Gospels in the New Testament,
are recalled. The week begins with "Palm Sunday,"the day Jesus
entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, the symbol of humility, while
crowds of people welcomed him waving branches from palm trees, the
symbol of victory (John 12:12-16). Nowadays, in some churches, palm
branches, or fronds, are given to those who gather to worship on Palm
Sunday. The hymns chosen to sing on that day, the scripture readings
and the sermon are all related to that "Triumphal Entry"into
Jerusalem. Most of the people who shouted "Hosanna! Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord!"as he entered the city had a
misconception of what would happen during that final week of Jesus'
life, the first "holy week." Many were hoping that he would incite
and lead a rebellion against the Roman government and establish an ideal
kingdom in fulfillment of certain Old Testament prophecies. As the week
continued, it became clear that Jesus was not the kind of "messiah"
those people desired. Rather, he was willing to give up his life for
the benefit of others and left us an example to follow (Philippians
2:5-11). (839)
A Good Example
An important element in attaining one's goal is to have a good
example to follow. This is true in art, music, drama, sports,
woodworking, preaching, learning to speak a different language and in
many other areas. If we have a good example to copy, we are able to
make better and more rapid progress than if we had none, whether we aim
to write beautiful Chinese characters or to speak a foreign language
fluently. It is very important in ethical or moral areas also for
children and young people to have good examples to follow. As the
English author, Samuel Johnson, wrote: "Example is always more
efficacious than precept." At the last meeting of Jesus with his
disciples, which is remembered during this Holy Week in the Christian
Church, he took off his outer clothing, wrapped a towel around his waist,
poured water in a basin and began washing his disciples' feet and
drying them with the towel. This was the customary work of a servant
for guests in that day and area. Then he said to them: "'You call me
'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now
that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should
wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do
as I have done for you'"(John 13:13-15). Jesus taught his disciples
not only with words, but also with his example, for "actions speak
louder than words." Christians believe Jesus was the Son of God, but
the example he left us to follow was one of humility. He emphasized
serving others rather than dominating them; the most effective preachers
are those that show their faith by deeds rather than simply by words.
(840)
A New Beginning
In the normal course of events, that which has a beginning also
has an ending. Often, the end of one event becomes the beginning of
something new, as the end of one year marks the beginning of a new year.
In Christian Churches, during the week before Easter the final days of
Jesus' life are solemnly recalled, including his Last Supper with his
disciples, his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, his betrayal by one
of his disciples, his arrest and trials before Jewish and Roman
authorities and, finally, his crucifixion. It may seem strange that the
day of his death is called "Good Friday" in English. This may be a
corruption of an earlier term, "God's Friday," or it may imply the
good result that Christians attribute to Jesus' sacrificial death. At
the time of his death, his disciples were sorrowful and completely
disheartened, for their Lord, who they hoped would establish a new
kingdom, had been betrayed, condemned and killed. How then, can the
revivification of those depressed followers a couple of days later be
explained? Not only did their sadness change to joy, but they were
energized to share their joy with others in very practical ways. The
Biblical account of Jesus' resurrection from the dead seems
unbelievable, but for those who do believe, it becomes a new beginning,
which has changed the course of human history. For Christians, the day
of Jesus' resurrection, the first day of the week, has become a holy
day and Easter Sunday is the high point of the year. In John 20:29, the
resurrected Jesus said to the doubting Thomas: "Because you have seen
me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed." (841)
The Secrets of "Nym"
No/Know/Noh
Sunday/Sonday
Caesar
Patrick
Holy Week
A Good Example
A New Beginning
Virgin Islands
05/03/02
05/03/06
05/03/09
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05/03/15
05/03/18
05/03/22
05/03/24
05/03/26