Easter:
A Festival of Joy and Hope
by Jose Kurian Puliyeril
Easter, the great feast day of joy and hope, is the most important festival for the Eastern Christians in general and for the Orthodox Christians in particular, than any other festivals connected with the life and mission of Lord Jesus. The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, which took place on the third day of His crucifixion, is celebrated as Easter.
The origin of the English name 'Easter' is unknown. In Latin and in Greek it is Pascha. The term 'Easter' is another form of the non-Christian word 'Astarte' which was used for the Chaldean Goddess as a title to denote her as the queen of Heaven. It is also advocated by few that the name 'Easter' was used by the Anglo Saxon Priest Venerable Bede in the 8th century accepted from the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess Eostre. There is no doubt about the celebration of Easter is the principal festival of the Christian Church year, and it is the celebration of the Resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ on the third day of his crucifixion and burial. In the Acts of the Apostles (chapter12:4) the term Passover is used instead of Easter. The phrase 'Passover' signifies after the whole festival was at an end. In the post apostolic times the Christians observed the Passover as a continuation of the Jewish feast, but were not instituted by Lord Jesus Christ or it was not connected with the Lent.
In the Orthodox Church Easter is celebrated after the long preparation of the Lent of 50 days with rigorous prayers, fasting, meditation etc, during which period ten days are exclusively used to observe the Passion Week with solemn services of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Gospel Saturday. The Holy Church observes another 50 days followed by the Easter till Pentecost, the period known as Eastertide. Easter is central to the whole Christian year; not only does the centre ecclesiastical calendar of movable feasts depends upon its date but the whole liturgical year of worship is arranged around it. In the liturgical texts the emphasis is laid on its being the Christian Passover (the real and exact time of redemption)
Easter is so significant and important for the Orthodox Church, as it commemorates the beginning of the new immortal life. We must not try to identify our Lord's resurrection with the rising of Lazarus from death. Both the incidents are not the same or identical. Our Lord's resurrection gained Him a transformed body, though He had the flesh and body structure after the resurrection. (Though our Lord took food with His beloved Apostles after His blessed resurrection, His body could enter the room where the Apostles remained through the closed doors.) Our Lord attained victory over Satan and death and offered all of us the same. He has offered the transformed body for us, one and all, provided we lead a true Christian life. As long as we could follow a systematic sacramental life, we could have the transformed body when we would leave our earthly body in the world.
Our Lord resurrected body is enthroned in heaven, with the beauty and glory of a perpetual order. The perpetuity of the life of the Risen Lord is the guarantee of the perpetuity of the Christian Church. We the human beings are not perfect. But the Holy.
Church, which has the assurance from Lord God that the "the gates of hell shall not prevail against" can help us a lot to grow to perfection. Our Savior Lord Jesus Christ is the only role model for each and every one of us. We are trying to grow to the perfection of our Lord and Savior and the Holy Church is promoting and prompting us all for the growth. As and when the Holy Mother Church is providing us the Holy Sacraments, to improve our spiritual standards, it is the duty and responsibility of each individual to make use of the gifts and services provided by our Lord God through His Church, the real body of Christ. We must partake the Holy Sacraments and brighten our spirituality. Let us not forget our Lord's promise: "He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him".
We must long for the existence of the Holy Spirit in us. When the presence of the Holy Spirit is so strong and splendid, he who raised our Lord from the dead will quicken our mortal bodies and enable us to mould our lives in a style to wait for the Risen Christ as our hope and glory. God gives us abundant blessings to stay in His abiding presence. Let us not forget our Lord's promise "If any man loves me, my father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him".
In the early centuries of Christianity baptism was given to new comers to the religion on the Easter day and such catechumen were able to learn about the faith and religion during the 50 days ( or during the six weeks preceding the Easter). So in those days the blessing of the baptismal font was a ceremonial function towards the end to the Lent. The connection of the Easter with the baptism is of early date. During the first centuries the whole of lent was not only time of penance for the faithful, but also a period during which Catechumens (persons to be baptized) were prepared for baptism which was given once in a year on the day of Easter.
In the Orthodox Churches, during the Easter special services, there is a ceremonial procession around the church representing a fruitless search for the body of the Christ. Until recently in almost all churches the Easter services were conducted in between 2 am and 6 am. This practice might have been rooted in the Gospel narrative describing the resurrection of Christ. E.g.: St. John 20:1 "Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark."
Around the Christian observance of Easter as the climax of the liturgical performance of the Holy week, Good Friday many folk customs have collected which have been handed down from the ancient middle eastern and European pagan spring festivals brought into relation with the resurrection theme. These customs have taken a variety of forms, in which, for example eggs, formerly forbidden to be eaten during the Lent, have been prominent as symbols of new life and resurrection. Until recently our faithful in India used to have a boiled egg as the first item of food on Easter day. The hare or the rabbit is the symbol of fertility got wide popularity as the food on Easter day. The coloring or decorating of eggs and hiding them for children to chase for them are also popular in many areas.
May God Almighty fill our hearts with the peace, happiness, joy and hope of the Resurrection of our Lord God.
May God bless us all.
