Easter is new life! Easter is the story of Jesus rising from the dead as a sign of hope and promise for all who live in Christ. Easter this year will be with no Eucharist for most in our parish and world, but that does NOT mean it will be without Jesus. He is risen! He is alive!
This Easter is a time to revisit some traditions of Easter in our Church. Easter Sunday did not exist in the early church. What is celebrated today as Easter occurred during the night hours preceding dawn on Sunday, the Easter Vigil. Maybe this year you could watch our abbreviated Easter Vigil service from your homes on Holy Saturday night at 8:00pm. It will be better than movies or games, and even though we will be limited on many of the beautiful rituals that normally take place, there will still be some, and at all Easter Masses, you will be able to renew your baptismal promises.
There are many traditions that you might consider revisiting as you stay at home. During the middle ages in Europe, people in their new Easter clothes would take a long walk after Easter Mass. This was a kind of procession preceded by a crucifix or the Easter Candle. This tradition was condemned by Protestant reformers, but the tradition evolved into the Easter parade. Maybe have an Easter parade through your neighborhood.
The egg has become a popular Easter symbol. I fondly remember dying eggs as a family with those cool PAAS tablets that would sizzle in water. The egg is a natural symbol, not only of new life and creation, but also re-creation and resurrection. In ancient Egypt and Persia, friends exchanged decorated eggs at the spring equinox, the beginning of their new year. These eggs were a symbol of fertility for them because the coming forth of a live creature from an egg was surprising for people of ancient times. Christians adopted this tradition, and the Easter egg became a religious symbol. It represented the tomb from which Jesus came forth to new life. The bright colors of Easter eggs celebrate life, and the Germans originated the decorating of trees with plastic colored eggs. So color some eggs, decorate your trees and maybe prepare some baskets of eggs and goodies and deliver them to some porches of neighbors and family.
Easter bunnies are part of pre-Christian fertility symbolism because of their reputation to reproduce rapidly. Easter lilies with their white trumpet, blasts the joy of Resurrection and the purity of life in Christ.
So many ways for us to celebrate Easter and revisit some traditions and create your own. WE are one in the love of Jesus, who suffered death, but rose to new life. Share the goodness of life with others and pray for renewed joy. He is alive!
He is risen! Alleluia!!!