Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!
Here are 7 facts about Easter everyone should know!
1. For many centuries, Christians have had an amazing way of greeting each other! One would say “Christ is Risen” and the other would respond with “He is Risen indeed!” What a beautiful way to remind ourselves of the great season that we are in and the incredible work which has been accomplished for us! Feel free to greet people around the Church in this way! If you are feeling extra adventurous, you could always try the Latin “Christus surrexit, - surrexit vere, alleluia”... but Fr. Greg and I would probably be the only ones to respond!
2. Easter isn’t a simple holiday, it is an entire Season! The liturgical season of Easter lasts for 50 days! It is the second-longest season on the Church calendar. Each year, Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox and ends with the celebration of Pentecost.
3. The word Easter holds meaning! “The word ‘Easter’ comes from Old English, meaning simply the ‘East.’ The sun which rises in the East, bringing light, warmth, and hope, is a symbol for the Christian of the rising Christ, who is the true Light of the world.”
4. The Octave of Easter! The period of Easter Sunday until Divine Mercy Sunday (or, the second Sunday of Easter) is called the Octave of Easter. The Resurrection is such a grand ecent in our lives that we celebrate Easter Sunday for 8 days! This is the first phase of the Easter season and an extension of the Easter celebration. Eastertide is considered the period of time after the octave of Easter.
5. Divine Mercy Sunday! We celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday on the second Sunday of Easter. Jesus expressed His desire for a feast celebrating his mercy and told Sr. Faustina that it was to be the Sunday after Easter. “Jesus said to Sr. Faustina one day: ‘Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy’ (Diary, p. 132). Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity at the dawn of the third millennium.”- St. John Paul II, Divine Mercy Sunday Homily, April 22, 2001
6. The Easter Season includes the Feast of the Ascension! The feast of Christ’s Ascension into Heaven falls on the 40th day of Easter. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (665-667): “Christ’s ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus’ humanity into God’s heavenly domain, whence he will come again (cf. Acts 1:11). . . Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, precedes us into the Father’s glorious kingdom so that we, the members of his Body, may live in the hope of one day being with him forever. Jesus Christ, having entered the sanctuary of heaven once and for all, intercedes constantly for us as the mediator who assures us of the permanent outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”
7. The Easter Season concludes on Pentecost! The prefix pente- means 50. We celebrate Pentecost on the 50th day and it is the conclusion of the Easter season!