But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)Ever heard that Friday the 13th is considered as an unlucky day? Acccording to Wikipedia, 'an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. "It's been estimated that [US]$800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day". Despite this, representatives for both Delta and Continental Airlines say that their airlines don't suffer from any noticeable drop in travel on those Fridays."
As Christians, whatever the situation is, we should be firm and strong (through prayer too) in our faith (in Jesus Christ) and not go astray from the Word of God.
Below is a passage that I found through Google:
As Christians, whatever the situation is, we should be firm and strong (through prayer too) in our faith (in Jesus Christ) and not go astray from the Word of God.
Below is a passage that I found through Google:
According to traditional lore, Friday the 13th is unlucky.
The Christian interpretation has it that Friday is unlucky because it is the day of Christ's crucifixion. The 13 comes in with the number of apostles, plus Jesus, present at the Last Supper.
Following the deleterious dinner, Judas Iscariot, one of Christ's disciples, betrayed him with a kiss and handed him over to the Romans for 30 pieces of silver.
Believers shouldn't worry in any respect, said Bishop Michael Pfeifer, head of the San Angelo Diocese, which oversees Abilene's Catholic churches.
Believers shouldn't worry in any respect, said Bishop Michael Pfeifer, head of the San Angelo Diocese, which oversees Abilene's Catholic churches.
"Yes, there were 13 at the Last Supper, which would include Christ," Pfeifer said. "(But) the number 13 as being unlucky is never mentioned in the Bible and has nothing to do with our faith."
Indeed, Friday the 13th may not be as traditionally unlucky as one might expect.
The dire day doesn't merit a mention in E. Cobham Brewer's voluminous 1898 edition of the Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, according to About.com. One does find entries for "Friday, an Unlucky Day" and "Thirteen Unlucky."
"When the date of ill fate finally does make an appearance in later editions of the text, it is without extravagant claims as to the superstition's historicity or longevity," according to the Web site. "The very brevity of the entry is instructive: 'A particularly unlucky Friday. See Thirteen' -- implying that the extra dollop of misfortune attributed to Friday the 13th can be accounted for in terms of an accrual, so to speak, of bad omens."
"When the date of ill fate finally does make an appearance in later editions of the text, it is without extravagant claims as to the superstition's historicity or longevity," according to the Web site. "The very brevity of the entry is instructive: 'A particularly unlucky Friday. See Thirteen' -- implying that the extra dollop of misfortune attributed to Friday the 13th can be accounted for in terms of an accrual, so to speak, of bad omens."
"Superstition" comes from a Latin root "superstes," meaning "standing over," or "set above." Originally, the word meant something akin to "standing still in apprehension or awe," according to About.com.
In any case, it refers to an "irrational or nonscientific belief in the existence of certain powers" operating in the world "with positive or ill effects," according to the Web site.
In any case, it refers to an "irrational or nonscientific belief in the existence of certain powers" operating in the world "with positive or ill effects," according to the Web site.
Other origins range from Friday the 13th being the day the leader of the supposedly heretical Templar knights was executed to far more ancient vectors.
But Judas' betrayal in the Gospels created an indelible mark on both his name and the circumstances surrounding his transgression. The crucifixion of Christ on the Friday that followed simply melded the two aspects together into, some believe, a seriously unlucky day.
But in the life of the early Church community, there is no mention of 13 being used "in any negative way," Pfeifer said.
Christian faith is based on trust in God and has nothing to do with numbers, he said.
"Superstition is based on imaginary, or perhaps even evil tendencies that are linked sometimes even to the satanic, and the two do not go together," Pfeifer said.
But a person of faith "has nothing to fear from any number," he said.
But Judas' betrayal in the Gospels created an indelible mark on both his name and the circumstances surrounding his transgression. The crucifixion of Christ on the Friday that followed simply melded the two aspects together into, some believe, a seriously unlucky day.
But in the life of the early Church community, there is no mention of 13 being used "in any negative way," Pfeifer said.
Christian faith is based on trust in God and has nothing to do with numbers, he said.
"Superstition is based on imaginary, or perhaps even evil tendencies that are linked sometimes even to the satanic, and the two do not go together," Pfeifer said.
But a person of faith "has nothing to fear from any number," he said.
Not all things 13 have negative connotations, Pfeifer said.
"Interestingly, check the number 13 and see how often it had a positive influence in our own country -- 13 colonies -- and look up how the 13 was applied to other important points of our American history," he said.
And if one is willing to consider Good Friday, the date of Christ's crucifixion, to be an evil day, then it's hard to make sense of another belief, which says that getting a haircut on Friday the 13th will prevent headaches throughout the year.
Father Philip Lemasters, an Orthodox priest in Abilene, said faith has to do "with a personal God, with a capital 'G,'" and "explores our relationship with that God."
Such faith involves every dimension of who we are -- how we live, what we believe, how we treat others, and the ultimate purpose and destiny of our life, he said.
Superstition, conversely, seems much more one-dimensional to Lemasters, involving "at most the belief in impersonal forces or an odd assortment of laws."
"Interestingly, check the number 13 and see how often it had a positive influence in our own country -- 13 colonies -- and look up how the 13 was applied to other important points of our American history," he said.
And if one is willing to consider Good Friday, the date of Christ's crucifixion, to be an evil day, then it's hard to make sense of another belief, which says that getting a haircut on Friday the 13th will prevent headaches throughout the year.
Father Philip Lemasters, an Orthodox priest in Abilene, said faith has to do "with a personal God, with a capital 'G,'" and "explores our relationship with that God."
Such faith involves every dimension of who we are -- how we live, what we believe, how we treat others, and the ultimate purpose and destiny of our life, he said.
Superstition, conversely, seems much more one-dimensional to Lemasters, involving "at most the belief in impersonal forces or an odd assortment of laws."
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