“On the first day of the week”
“Easter is the most joyful day of the year because ‘the Prince of life, who died, now reigns immortal’” [1]
The responsorial Psalm says “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” (Ps. 118:24) “Jesus rose from the dead ‘on the first day of the week.’ Because it is the ‘first day,’ the day of Christ’s Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the ‘eighth day’ following the Sabbath, it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ’s Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord’s Day.” [2]
What is the festival of Easter? “Easter, in Latin Pascha, signifies passing over.” [3] The Jewish people at the time of Jesus’ death and resurrection were preparing for the Passover. The Passover was the holy day in which they remembered when God sent the final plague and killed all the first born in Egypt. Only first born of those families who used the blood of a spotless unblemished lamb and spread it over the door posts were spared. “After the death of Jesus, the apostles introduced the same festival into the Church in grateful remembrance of the day on which Jesus, the true Easter Lamb, took away our sins by His blood, freed us from the angel of eternal death, and passed us over to the freedom of the children of God.” [4]
Where do eggs and bunnies come from as symbols for Easter? The ideas of eggs and bunnies are folk customs in different areas. For example, one tradition was that during Lent people fasted from eggs. People stopped eating eggs during Lent, but the chickens kept laying eggs, so the people would try and find places to store them. Then on Easter they would go out and “find” all of their eggs that they had placed all over their farms and lands. It was also to “remind the faithful that although the time of fasting is now ended, they should not indulge in gluttony, but thank God, and use their food simply for the necessary preservation of physical strength.” [5] For bunnies, it is the time of the year when bunnies will breed, and create new life. In the Church, we celebrate the new lives of those that are brought into the Church on Easter.
What is meant by the Alleluia sung in Easter time? “In English Alleluia means Praise the Lord, and expresses the joy of the Church at the Resurrection of Christ, and the hope of eternal happiness which He has obtained for us.” [6]
This great feast of Easter is the center of our liturgical year.
What is the Liturgical Year? “The celebration throughout the year of the mysteries of the Lord’s birth, life, death, and Resurrection in such a way that the entire year becomes a ‘year of the Lord’s grace.’ Thus the cycle of the liturgical year and the great feasts constitute the basic rhythm of the Christian’s life of prayer, with its focal point at Easter.” [7] The goal of the Christian is to live the Life of Christ. Through the liturgical year we see and hear Christ, but also walk with Him through His life. We accompany Him as He journeys back to the Father and thus by accompany Him, it is He who accompanies us on our journey to Heaven, to the Father. We are not alone on this journey; we walk with Our Blessed Mother and all the Saints before us and our now with Christ in glory.
Why is Easter the center of the liturgical year? Easter is the pinnacle of the Christ’s life. Every season, solemnity, and feast we celebrate during the year directs our whole life to Easter Sunday. “Joy is never lacking during any part of the liturgical year, because the entire cycle is related in one way or another with the Easter solemnity. It is in these days, though, that this joy is particularly made manifest. By the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ we have been saved from sin, from the power of the devil and from eternal death. Easter reminds us of our supernatural birth at our baptism, when we were made children of God, and it is the guarantee of our own resurrection.” [8]
How does our liturgical year breakdown? The liturgical year follows a structure of the life and mysteries of Jesus Christ from the Incarnation, birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Following this pattern the liturgical year breaks down as follows (The bold is the major time of the season. The list below contains feasts within each season as well.):
Advent (4 weeks)
Christmas Season (5 weeks)
Christmas
Holy Family
Mary the Mother of God (New Year’s Day)
Epiphany
Baptism of the Lord
Ordinary Time (varies; 4-8 weeks)
Lent (Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. varies 5-6 weeks)
Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday)
Easter Vigil (The Resurrection)
Easter (Easter Sunday – Pentecost; 50 days)
Ascension
Pentecost
Ordinary Time (varies; about 6 months)
Trinity Sunday
Corpus Christi
Solemnity of Christ the King
During the liturgical year there are also Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials that the Church celebrates. These are in addition to weekly Sunday Masses. During the Liturgical Year, besides Sundays, we are obligated to go to certain Feast days. In the United States, we are only required to go to six additional days:
Christmas Day (December 25th)
Mary, the Mother of God (January 1st)
The Ascension (7th Sunday of Easter)
The Assumption of Mary (August 15th)
All Saint’s Day (November 1st)
Immaculate Conception (December 8th)
*If any of these fall on a Sunday then by going to regular Sunday Mass can count towards one’s obligation. Also, the bishop of the diocese can waive a day of obligation if He so deems it.
Why do we have “Cycle A, B, or C”? After the Second Vatican Council, the Church arranged the Lectionary “in two cycles, one for Sundays and one for weekdays. The Sunday cycle is divided into three years, labeled A, B, and C. For example, 2017 is Year A. 2018 is Year B, 2019 is Year C, etc. In Year A, we read mostly from the Gospel of Matthew. In Year B, we read the Gospel of Mark and chapter 6 of the Gospel of John. In Year C, we read the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of John is read during the Easter season in all three years. The first reading, usually from the Old Testament, reflects important themes from the Gospel reading. The second reading is usually from one of the epistles, a letter written to an early church community. These letters are read semi-continuously. Each Sunday, we pick up close to where we left off the Sunday before, though some passages are never read. The weekday cycle is divided into two years, Year I and Year II. Year I is read in odd-numbered years (2017, 2019, etc.) and Year II is used in even-numbered years (2018, 2020, etc.) The Gospels for both years are the same. During the year, the Gospels are read semi-continuously, beginning with Mark, then moving on to Matthew and Luke. The Gospel of John is read during the Easter season. For Advent, Christmas, and Lent, readings are chosen that are appropriate to the season. The first reading on weekdays may be taken from the Old or the New Testament. Typically, a single book is read semi-continuously (i.e., some passages are not read) until it is finished and then a new book is started. The year of the cycle does not change on January 1, but on the First Sunday of Advent (usually late November), which is the beginning of the liturgical year. In addition to the Sunday and weekday cycles, the Lectionary provides readings for feasts of the saints, for common celebrations such as Marian feasts, for ritual Masses (weddings, funerals, etc.), for votive Masses, and for various needs. These readings have been selected to reflect the themes of these celebrations.” [9] If a person were to go to Mass every day for three years they will hear almost the entire Bible.
[1] Fr. Gabriel, Divine Intimacy, vol. II, 153, pg. 122
[2] CCC 2174
[3] Fr. Goffine’s, The Church’s Year, pg. 254
[4] Fr. Goffine’s, The Church’s Year, pg. 254
[5] Fr. Goffine’s, The Church’s Year, pg. 255
[6] Fr. Goffine’s, The Church’s Year, pg. 255
[7] CCC Glossary, pg. 886
[8] Fernandez, In Conversation with God, 2, 48.1
[9] http://www.usccb.org/bible/liturgy/