(From Piero della Francesca, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
(Piero della Francesca's "The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.")
Easter is the big holiday for the Catholic Church.
It's when we celebrate Christ's return to life.
I enjoy the cultural trappings of this springtime holiday: pastel decorations; plastic eggs; and all. I'll get back to some of that in another post.
The Sunday of Sundays
Easter is when God's kingdom enters our time. It is what Saint Athanasius called the Sunday of Sundays, when Christendom celebrates Christ's victory over death. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1168-1171)I follow the Man who is God: who died in my place; descended to the abode of the dead; rose from the tomb; and lives today and forever. (Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-11; 1 Peter 4:6; Catechism, 631-635, 638-655)
By any reasonable standard, that's a big deal.
That first Easter marked the start of the new creation, the eighth day: a day of life and hope. We've been celebrating ever since. (Catechism, 349, 1166, 2174)
Related posts:
- "Jesus: Tortured; Executed; Buried - - -"
(April 18, 2014) - "An Empty Tomb"
(March 31, 2013) - "Palm Sunday: Technology, Symbols, Frond Folding, and My Family"
(March 24, 2013) - "The Man Who Wouldn't Stay Dead"
(March 11, 2012) - "We Won: Quite a While Ago"
(January 13, 2011)
No comments:
Post a Comment