Lent 1

Reader 1: God spoke to Moses saying: "You shall keep the Festival of Shavuot for the Lord your God, contributing a freewill offering in proportion to the blessing that you have received from the Lord."

Reader 2: In Jesus' day, the Festival of Shavuot required every male in Israel to travel to the Temple of Jerusalem. There he offered God the first ripe fruits of this land. It was a time of thanksgiving for the goodness of the land. On Shavuot, it was said, Heaven decided the fate of the trees and crops, so the people prayed for good harvest, for abundant fruit on their trees and vines.

Reader 1: From ancient times the celebration of Shavuot included decorating the synagogues and homes with green plants, branches, trees and flowers. This was a reminder of the first fruits taken to the T…