On the Importance of Easter

easterlights.jpg

Even though most of us Westerners tend to naturally make a huge deal about Christmas (for good reason!), sometimes we can forget that Easter is a very important feast and Church season too. In fact, technically, it is Easter that is the high point of the liturgical year, not Christmas. Of course, Christmas and Easter are not in competition, and are on the same team, since both celebrate important components of the mystery of our redemption by Christ.

Have a look at what the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar says about Easter and the Easter season:

- The fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost are celebrated in joyful exultation as one feast day, or better as one “great Sunday.” These above all others are the days for the singing of the Alleluia.

- The Sundays of this season rank as the paschal Sundays and, after Easter Sunday itself, are called the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Sundays of Easter. The period of fifty sacred days ends on Pentecost Sunday.

- The first eight days of the Easter season make up the octave of Easter and are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord.

- On the fortieth day after Easter the Ascension is celebrated, except in places where, not being a holy day of obligation, it has been transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter

- The weekdays after the Ascension until the Saturday before Pentecost inclusive are a preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

As you can see, Easter is a very important time in the liturgical year. In fact, every day of the Octave of Easter (today included) is celebrated as a solemnity. So, enjoy the Easter season. Feast. Celebrate. Yell out those “Alleluias” at Mass and during Morning and Evening Prayer with gusto, and celebrate the resurrection of Christ like…well…like it’s Christmas!

“Easter Lights” image from christmas-decorations-gifts-store.com

This entry was posted on March 28, 2008 at 12:32 am and is filed under Easter, Liturgical Year. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “On the Importance of Easter”

  1. Jason S Says:
    March 28, 2008 at 12:53 am

    I like to joke “Easter is like our Christmas.”

  2. Dr. Acula Says:
    March 28, 2008 at 6:29 pm

    I’ve always wondered why there aren’t any “Easter Carols.”

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