The great day is finally here: Easter, the most important day of the Christian calendar. More important even than Christmas.
What happened on this day?
Was Jesus’ resurrection a real, historical event?
How does the Church celebrate this day?
Is Easter a pagan holiday?
Here are 8 things you need to know.
1. What happened on Easter?
Among other things:
- The women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body.
- They saw angels, who told them he wasn’t there.
- They went to tell the apostles, who initially didn’t believe them.
- Peter and the beloved disciple rushed to see the tomb and found it empty.
- Mary Magdalen, in particular, had an encounter with the risen Christ.
- So did the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
- So did Peter.
- So did all the apostles except Thomas (who would have one later).
- Jesus had risen from the dead!
To read about the events in the New Testament, you can use these links:
2. Was Jesus’ Resurrection a real, historical event or something else?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
639 The mystery of Christ’s resurrection is a real event, with manifestations that were historically verified, as the New Testament bears witness.
In about A.D. 56 St. Paul could already write to the Corinthians:
“I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. . .”
The Apostle speaks here of the living tradition of the Resurrection which he had learned after his conversion at the gates of Damascus.
3. What is the significance of the empty tomb?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
640 . . . The first element we encounter in the framework of the Easter events is the empty tomb. In itself it is not a direct proof of Resurrection; the absence of Christ’s body from the tomb could be explained otherwise.
Nonetheless the empty tomb was still an essential sign for all. Its discovery by the disciples was the first step toward recognizing the very fact of the Resurrection.
This was the case, first with the holy women, and then with Peter. The disciple “whom Jesus loved” affirmed that when he entered the empty tomb and discovered “the linen cloths lying there”, “he saw and believed”.
This suggests that he realized from the empty tomb’s condition that the absence of Jesus’ body could not have been of human doing and that Jesus had not simply returned to earthly life as had been the case with Lazarus.
4. What significance to the post-Resurrection appearances of Christ have?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
641 Mary Magdalene and the holy women who came to finish anointing the body of Jesus, which had been buried in haste because the Sabbath began on the evening of Good Friday, were the first to encounter the Risen One.
Thus the women were the first messengers of Christ’s Resurrection for the apostles themselves. . . .
642 Everything that happened during those Paschal days involves each of the apostles – and Peter in particular – in the building of the new era begun on Easter morning.
As witnesses of the Risen One, they remain the foundation stones of his Church. the faith of the first community of believers is based on the witness of concrete men known to the Christians and for the most part still living among them.
Peter and the Twelve are the primary “witnesses to his Resurrection”, but they are not the only ones – Paul speaks clearly of more than five hundred persons to whom Jesus appeared on a single occasion and also of James and of all the apostles.
643 Given all these testimonies, Christ’s Resurrection cannot be interpreted as something outside the physical order, and it is impossible not to acknowledge it as an historical fact.
5. What significance does Christ’s Resurrection have for us?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
651 “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”
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.
658 Christ, “the first-born from the dead” ( Col 1:18), is the principle of our own resurrection, even now by the justification of our souls (cf Rom 6:4), and one day by the new life he will impart to our bodies (cf Rom 8:11).
6. How do we commemorate this day?
The big celebration of Easter was on the evening of Holy Saturday. It was the Easter Vigil Mass. Consequently, Easter Sunday celebrations–at least as far as the Church is concerned (as opposed to all the egg hunts and baby ducks and marshmallow peeps)–is more restrained.
According to the main document governing the celebrations connected with Easter, Paschalis Solemnitatis:
97. Mass is to be celebrated on Easter Day with great solemnity.
It is appropriate that the penitential rite on this day take the form of a sprinkling with water blessed at the Vigil, during which the antiphon Vidi aquam, or some other song of baptismal character should be sung.
The fonts at the entrance to the church should also be filled with the same water.
7. What is the role of the “Paschal [i.e., Easter] candle”?
Paschales Solemnitatis explains:
99. The paschal candle has its proper place either by the ambo or by the altar and should be lit at least in all the more solemn liturgical celebrations of the season until Pentecost Sunday, whether at Mass, or at Morning and Evening Prayer.
After the Easter season the candle should be kept with honor in the baptistry, so that in the celebration of Baptism the candles of the baptized may be lit from them.
In the celebration of funerals, the paschal candle should be placed near the coffin to indicate that the death of a Christian is his own passover.
The paschal candle should not otherwise be lit nor placed in the sanctuary outside the Easter season.
8. Is Easter a pagan holiday?
Absolutely not!
Here’s a video I did on precisely that subject:
Hi Jimmy,best Easter wishes…
Thanks for your comments and indeed Easter is not a pagan holiday just as you have said but a great historic moment of each Christian believer,which cannot be understood through human intellect and wisdom without the illuminations of our minds by the power of the Holy Spirit,the helper promised by Jesus to all the believers as the one to be with the believers all through the ages of time as he leads and enlightens them in God’s ways in man’s life.
Unfortunately,many have tried to comprehend God’s ways in man’s life without accepting the promptings and life in the spirit,which happens to be gate keeper to God’s way of doings.
I attended Easter vigil last night presided by a prophesor priest at one of our institutions around and organized by the neocatecuminato group and I was touched with the humilty of this presiding priest,something which later turned to be a subject of many people discusions,but something strongly came out clearly,that these priests believe that man’s salvation is a strategy that must bring all the stakeholders on board and not a one man stage show and which is characterised by the humilty adorned by the prophesor priest,ever consulting the lay at each and every stage despite all his academic prowess.
I teach some students who are mixed in religion,the muslims and the Christians,but something has be a great challenge to me,I share with them scriptures every morning before we start off our Mathematics lessons,and it is my brothers Muslims students who have always been keeping my bible all through in their lockers and if torned,they mend it believing that through that they are going to gain God’s favour upon their studies and indeed what’s happening i cannot even explain.
I am an untrained teacher taking standard eight (an examination class) in Mathematics and all eyes have been at our performance in every exam we do.I took over the class from the mean score of 39 and last week it stood at 67,something which am ever asked in our exams analysis meetings to explain to the administration on how I have been able to improve the Mathematics standards within the upper primary I teach,but I always lack what to say because even to me,these are just God’s doing.
One muslim candidate approached me last month for further private tuition at home having transfered their child from one of the biggest schools around and now within just one month,the performance have improved alot and which have earned me a further tuition in the same family,of their daughter in form three.
I was in that family recently for that private tuition,and I was asking the boy how he managed to score 89% in a current exam and he told me that it was interesting that the morning prior to that exams,God prompted him to revise some of the sums,in the areas he was had problems in before and I taught him of which he did and just to get into an exams room,all the questions he revised were in the exams exactly the way we did them.This prompted,his father to ask him which God he meant that showed him or prompted him to that and after a five minute silence,with the father insisting,he said Allah.
The mystries of the empty tomb symbolizes many things,i.e we can only be able to understand the Easter mystries by emptying our minds of all that we think we know about it for the spirit of God to create in our minds new conceptions about it.
I remember having struggled with this student to drop all the crammed concepts / ways of solving mathematics,he was drilled on from his former school,as limiting his thinking and to face the exams with an open mind,something which has always put me on the wrong side with my boss whenever she tries to dictate to me how to teach mathematics,which includes encouraging pupils to cram formulars contrary to my hard stand telling the pupils not to cram formulars but to learn to interprete the formulars to enable them triger the creative intelligence in them,something which has been bearing enourmous fruits for me having been tagged a rogue teacher to be monitored and sucked should the mean scores in mathematics falls.But glory be to God who’s ever faithful since the performance has been steadily on the rise,with this end term examination maths results showing the last pupil had 56% having done the exams unwell and unable to sit for other papers.
It’s only with the empty tomb,that our mind,the revelations of God’s mystries begin to unfold to us,having got to an area where we acknowldge that we have ran out of ideas and acknowledge,something which exactly happened at the empty tomb the morning Mary Magdalene went there.
Easter is real and I always say my life is ever a pass over from one aspect to the other,the same to translation of knowlede and understanding in light of the holy spirit.
God’s blessings and Love,
Maurice.
Dear Jimmy,
Thank you so much for all your wonderful letters, lessons, etc that you share with those who are fortunate enough to be in your secret info club! I benefit from and share them with my Sisters here at the monastery. I esp am grateful for your video that you shared today on “Is Easter a pagan holiday?” of course I knew it wasn’t but now I have the words and the correct info to tell people why and I will share your video!
Happy Easter to you, too!
God bless you and all your work,
Sr. Mary Agnes
Jimmy,
I’ve listened to you on Catholic Answers and just came into full communion in the Catholic church last night at the Easter Vigil. However, after being an Evangelical Christian for well over 30 years, I find I’m lost in Mass. Are there any books you know of like “Not that I’m a Catholic, Now What?”
Thank you for your help.
And your last two posts on Easter were just excellent!!
Joyfully in Him,
Pam Lynn
Dear Jimmy,
Thank you for the video clip with explanations.
A+!
My son introduced me to you, and I am thankful that he did!
By the way, I love your bookcase (filled with books) behind you in the video clips.
Have a great Easter!!
Jennifer
“However, after being an Evangelical Christian for well over 30 years, I find I’m lost in Mass. Are there any books you know of like “Not that I’m a Catholic, Now What?”
First of all, congratulation for entering the Church. As for being lost at Mass, a good missal would probably help. These can be found at any good Catholic bookstore. As for what to do, next, I am not sure to what you refer: on-going catechesis, Church history, Catholic Bible study, etc? There are many excellent books and blogs and websites available, such as Jimmy’s and Catholic Answers. If you want in-depth information on philosophical issues, there is Ed Feser’s blog. One really good place to start is the EWTN library and their on-line videos and tv shows.
I don’t know of a place where the newly received can hang out on the Internet as a group, but, perhaps, you could start one, with a mature, orthodox priest monitoring the site. Perhaps, other people can chime in with suggestions for sites, books, etc. You do have to be careful, however, because there are some sites on the Internet claiming to be Catholic that are really extremist sites for either end of the spectrum. Until you have a solid foundation in the Faith, these can be hard to spot. Learn to ask questions.
The Chicken