HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA!

Beginning with Ash Wednesday, we began a journey together that brought us, ultimatly, to the cross and then the empty tomb. For forty days our churches were sparsely decorated and focused upon penitence. No alleluias were sung and the general tone was reflective rather than exuberant. But now....for the next 50 days we joyfully sing "alleluia! Christ is risen".

The history of Easter has its origins at the beginning of Christianity with the remembrance of Jesus' saving actions upon the cross and then his glorious resurrection. St. Paul says: "O death, where is your sting?"

The Feast of Easter was well established by the second century. But there had been dispute over the exact date of the Easter observance between the Eastern and Western Churches. The East wanted to have it on a weekday because early Christians observed Passover every year on the 14th of Nisan, the month based on the lunar calendar. But, the West wanted that Easter should always be a Sunday regardless of the date.To solve this problem the emperor Constantine called the Council of Nicaea in 325. The question of the date of Easter was one of its main concerns. The council decided that Easter should fall on Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. But fixing up the date of the Equinox was still a problem. The Alexandrians, noted for their rich knowledge in astronomical calculations were given the task. And March 21 was made out to be the perfect date for spring equinox.The dating of Easter today follows the same. Accordingly, churches in the West observe it on the first day of the full moon that occurs on or following the Spring equinox on March 21., it became a movable feast between March 21 and April 25.Still some churches in the East observe Easter according to the date of the Passover festival.

So, for the next 50 days let your faith be exuberant like the faith of those first disciples who ran from the tomb to tell one another: Alleluia...he is risen just as he said.