Easter Sunday is a time for reflection
Today, Easter Sunday, is the holiest day of the year for Christians. It is the day all faithful believe that Christ rose from the tomb, thus demonstrating that he has conquered death.
Easter is also a major holiday in Western countries that brings families together to worship and celebrate that joyous occasion.
“The name Easter comes from Eostre, an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess, originally of the dawn. In pagan times an annual spring festival was held in her honor. Some Easter customs have come from this and other pre-Christian spring festivals. Others come from the Passover feast of the Jews, observed in remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt,” reads another passage.
“The word paschal (pertaining to Easter) comes through Latin from the Hebrew name of the Passover. The French word for Easter — Paques — comes from the same origin,” reads a 1977 newspaper editorial.
People love to celebrate the holiday with Easter egg hunts, bunny-festooned parties and feasting.
All of that is well and good. But those who don’t look for the deeper meaning of Easter are missing out on a wonderful story and the answers to some of life’s greatest mysteries.
The real meaning of Easter is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. A common greeting is “He is risen!” and the traditional response is “He is risen, indeed!” The origin of this greeting is Luke 24:34: “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
The best place to find the real meeting of Easter is in the New Testament. That is where the truth is to be found. Each of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, brings enlightenment. The Acts of the Apostles and letters of Sts. Peter and Paul and others bring further knowledge. It’s all there, translated into just about every language in the world.
The risen Christ brought to the world hope, faith and love. It is time for families to gather in religious observances to share the message of renewal and hope.
If humanity would only heed that message, this world would be a better place to live.
So, on this Easter Sunday, let us renew our hope and faith by putting priorities in order and living our lives on principles that really matter.
Have a blessed and very holy Easter Sunday.