Easter

We now have entered the Easter season. The word Easter comes from Middle English and has no significant value to Christianity. The season itself, however, has roots in our Jewish past and should be celebrated in that context.

The Jewish feast forever transformed by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the Passover, the commemoration of the delivery of the people from slavery in Egypt. The culmination and end point of the season can be found in the celebration of Pentecost, related to the Greek word for 50, which occurs seven weeks after Easter. Tradition holds that God gave the law to Moses on Mount Sinai on Pentecost.

As we enter this Easter season, we should reflect on why we take 50 days to celebrate this season while we only take 40 days to observe Lent. What does this say about how Christians should view the role of suffering and deprivation? What are we now working toward and looking forward to? How will you celebrate the Easter season?

related topics: Pentecost

you also may like our study of the Gospel According to John
The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth, a 25-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines the Fourth Gospel’s view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, with special emphasis on the institution of the sacraments of the Church as the means by which Christians are purified and made holy. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary, and takes a closer look at the way in which Jesus relates to individual men and women. Click here to view a sample of the first lesson.

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