SAN DIEGO — Easter will be celebrated on Sunday, April 5, this year.
What is Easter?
Easter is the solemnity celebrating the Resurrection of the Lord, when Jesus rose from the dead after his death by crucifixion on Good Friday. It is not only the most important liturgical celebration of the year, but also commemorates the core of the Christian faith: Jesus’ victory over sin and death, which opened for us the possibility of eternal life with God.
Just how significant is this celebration?
In his First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul puts it bluntly: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. … If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all” (1 Cor 15:17-19).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is similarly emphatic, explaining in Paragraph 1169 that Easter “is not simply one feast among others, but the ‘Feast of feasts,’ the ‘Solemnity of solemnities.’”
The Catechism explains, “The Resurrection above all constitutes the confirmation of all Christ’s works and teachings. All truths, even those most inaccessible to human reason, find their justification if Christ by his Resurrection has given the definitive proof of his divine authority, which he had promised” (Paragraph 651).
Where is it found in the Bible?
Accounts of Jesus’ resurrection can be found near the conclusion of all four Gospels — the 28th chapter in Matthew’s, 16th chapter in Mark’s, 24th chapter in Luke’s, and 20th chapter in John’s.
Why isn’t Easter celebrated on the same day every year?
The date of Easter is based on the solar and lunar cycles. Each year, it takes place on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. This means that it can be as early as March 22 or as late as April 25.
When does Easter begin and end?
Easter isn’t just one day. It’s actually a 50-day liturgical season that starts at nightfall on Holy Saturday (April 4 this year) with the Easter Vigil, a beautiful liturgy that begins outside the church with the blessing of a blazing fire that is used to light the Paschal Candle.
The candle, which represents the risen Christ as the “Light of the World,” will stand in the sanctuary throughout the Easter season. Outside of the Easter season, the Paschal Candle resides next to the baptismal font, symbolizing the light of Christ received at baptism. During funerals, it is placed next to the coffin or cremated remains, symbolizing our hope in the resurrection.
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, when Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven 40 days after his resurrection, falls during the Easter season. Though traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, many dioceses (including San Diego) transfer it to the following Sunday. This year, that will be Sunday, May 17.
The Easter season concludes with Pentecost, 50 days after Easter Sunday. (“Pentecost” originates from a Greek word meaning “50th.”) This solemnity, which will be observed on May 24 this year, commemorates the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles in Jerusalem.
What is the Easter Octave?
Christ’s momentous victory over death is not limited to a one-day celebration, but extends over eight joyful days. The eight days from Easter Sunday to the Sunday that follows are regarded as the Octave of Easter. (“Octave” is derived from a Latin word meaning “eight.”)
All eight of these days are classified as solemnities, the highest rank of liturgical feasts. In fact, liturgically, the eight days are treated as a single day, as if Easter Sunday itself were stretched out to last a full week. The Masses during the octave include the Gloria, and we are dismissed with a double Alleluia.
What is Divine Mercy Sunday?
The second Sunday in the Easter Octave (April 12 this year) has been known by many names, including “Low Sunday,” “Quasimodo Sunday” and “White Sunday” (Dominica in albis). But, for the past 26 years, it has been more widely known by another name.
In the Year 2000, Pope St. John Paul II officially declared it Divine Mercy Sunday, fulfilling a request made by Jesus when he appeared to the Polish nun and mystic St. Faustina Kowalska in Poland during the 1930s.
What’s special about Divine Mercy Sunday?
According to St. Faustina, Jesus said, “The soul that will go to confession and receive Holy Communion (on Divine Mercy Sunday) shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.” That includes the time that one would have to spend in Purgatory.
Additionally, Pope John Paul granted a plenary indulgence to the faithful who participate in devotions held in a church or chapel for Divine Mercy Sunday, as well as for those who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding “a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus,” such as “Merciful Jesus, I trust in You.”
The usual conditions for plenary indulgences apply. These include going to confession, receiving Communion, and offering a prayer for the intentions of the pope. These conditions can be fulfilled within 20 days of performing the indulgenced act. The person seeking the indulgence also must perform the indulgenced act “in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin.”
Indulgences can be gained for oneself or for a soul in Purgatory.
A wealth of information about the Divine Mercy devotion can be found at thedivinemercy.org.
