Easter

Easter is the celebration of the resurrection or rising of Christ to heaven. Easter Sunday reminds us of the open door for relationship with God through Jesus, His Son. It bears witness to God’s enduring promise of eternal life. Easter is a time of hope and assurance. It is humanity’s turning point from destruction to glory and salvation. The Roman Catholic, Anglican and Greek Orthodox Churches commemorate the resurrection of Christ with the Easter Mass, which includes special prayers, psalms and hymns.

Easter has been called a movable feast because it doesn’t fall on a set date every year, as most holidays do. Instead, Christian churches in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21st. Therefore, Easter is observed anywhere between March 22nd and April 25th every year.

Significance of Easter

Some say the word Easter is derived from Eostre (also known as Ostara), an ancient Anglo-Saxon Goddess. She symbolized the rebirth of the day at dawn and the rebirth of life in the spring. In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew), the Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter. In addition to Easter’s religious significance, it also has a commercial side. Over the centuries various folk customs and pagan traditions, including Easter eggs, bunnies, baskets and candy, have become a standard part of this holy holiday. Many ancient cultures viewed eggs as a symbol of life. Early Christians looked at the connection eggs had to life and decided eggs could be a part of their celebration of Christ’s resurrection.

Spiritual Significance of Easter

To appreciate the inner significance of Easter, we must understand the symbology of the egg, the crucifixion, the resurrection and the Christ. The resurrection becomes a spiritual practice in daily life. Christ is not the only Son of God. We are all sons of God in our divine nature. Every time we refuse to listen to our divine nature, we crucify the Christ. Every time we want our will to prevail over Divine Will, there is a minor crucifixion. But every crucifixion must be followed by Resurrection. To resurrect, we must allow Divine nature to control the earthbound nature, and thus raise ourselves to the spiritual level. Our knowledge of matter has become instinctive, but not so our knowledge of spirit. When that happens we will resurrect into spiritual life. To accomplish this resurrection, mind must be trained to co-operate with the spirit. We must be bold and frank enough to own up our misdeeds, vices, and defects. Man himself prevents his coming into direct communication with Divine nature. Each man has a different mode of doing this. But each who advances at all finds of his inner life, a new self-rises before him. But there are some that are not strong enough to come out of the rut. They have to struggle hard to break that heavy obstacle which resists all change. Spiritual rebirth or resurrection is the spiritual birthright of every human being endowed with soul and spirit, whatever his religion may be.

Egg symbolizes immortality. The hen lays an egg and from the egg comes the chick, which grows into another hen. An egg is potentially capable of giving birth to a chick. But in its exterior, such potentiality is not evident. Man too, is capable of becoming a God, but matter is like the shell of an egg. We have to transcend the limitations of matter to be reborn. The resurrection of Christ is also the great proof of His divinity. Christ’s resurrection gives the hope of our own restoration from the grave.

Some ways to practice Resurrection in our daily lives

• Open your heart, mind, and soul to the pain of the world, with Compassion.
• Pray regularly for others as part of your devotional activities.
• Forgive others.
• Accept God’s grace in your life and see it in the world around you.
• Bring hope to someone in despair and bring healing to those in conflict.
• Work for justice, freedom, and equality.
• Feed the hungry and stand up for the oppressed.
• Regularly practice silence, it will rejuvenate your soul.
• Spiritual teachers can point you on the path of resurrection, showing you texts and mentors to jump-start your journey.
• By respecting the mystery of God, human nature, and the natural world, you bear witness to the beautiful nature of renewal and rebirth.