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By Chiedu A. Onyiloha
Easter is the summit of all Christian celebrations. It is not simply one feast among others but the ‘Feast of feasts’, the ‘Solemnity of solemnities’ and the ‘Glorious mystery of glorious mysteries.’ St. Athanasius calls Easter ‘the Great Sunday.’ Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and it is celebrated on a Sunday on varying dates between March 22 and April 25, thereby becoming a Movable Feast. This festivity is preceded by the 40-day penitential season of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding at midnight on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. The Holy Week, commencing on Palm Sunday, including Holy Thursday, Good Friday and terminating with Holy Saturday; and the Octave of Easter, extending from Easter Sunday through the following Sunday.
The Solemnity of Easter draws its origins from the Jewish festival of Passover, or Pesach, from which is derived “Pasch”, another name for Easter. The early Christians, many of whom were of Jewish origin, were brought up in the Hebrew tradition and regarded Easter as a new feature of the Passover festival, a commemoration of the advent of the Messiah as foretold by the prophets. According to the New Testament, Jesus Christ was crucified on the eve of Passover and shortly afterwards rose from the dead. Easter, in the Christian tradition, celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those of Jewish origin celebrated the resurrection immediately following the Passover festival, which, according to their Babylonian lunar calendar, fell on the evening of the full moon; but Christians of non-Jewish lineage celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on the first day of the week, Sunday. These variations, notwithstanding, the central message of Easter is poignant: “We bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this day he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus” (Acts 13:32-33). The risen Jesus Christ conquered death and brought life to a hopeless people. Re-echoing this, Saint Paul rhetorically asks: “Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? Thank God, then, for giving us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 15: 55, 56).
Easter is a new ‘Paschal’ experience for Christians in relation to the Jewish Passover, which commemorates the exodus of Israelites from Egypt and their safe flight across the Red Sea, as espoused in the Book of Exodus (2:3-17). The Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes the spiritual import of the Jewish Passover to Christ’s Passover: From the time of the Mosaic law, the people of God have observed fixed feasts, beginning with Passover, to memorialise the actions of God, to give him thanks for them, to perpetuate their remembrance and to teach new generations to conform their conduct to them. In the age of the Church, between the Passover of Christ already accomplished once for all, and its consummation in the kingdom of God, the liturgy celebrated on fixed days bears the imprint of the newness of the mystery of Christ. In order to leave them with a pledge of his love and as well as sharers in his Passover, Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist as a memorial of his death and resurrection, and commanded his apostles to celebrate it until he comes again (Luke 22:7-20).
Jesus’ salvation is chiefly by the mystery of his passion and resurrection. The beginning of his suffering was when Judas, one of the Twelve, betrayed him (Mark 14: 43, 45). Jesus Christ asked Judas, “‘Am I a bandit that you had to set out to capture me with swords and clubs?” (Mark 14: 48). They took Jesus away and that was the genesis of his Passion. In all, he accepted the humiliation without any resistance for the sake of the salvation of the world. It was very early in the first day of the week and still dark when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb of Jesus Christ. What did she discover? An empty tomb. Running to Peter and John, she complained of the absence of his body in the tomb. Confusion and despair rent theair. What actually happened to the one who said to them: “I am the resurrection?” He had risen from the dead! Indeed, Jesus Christ rose from the dead!!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the best thing that ever happened to human civilization. Easter offers humanity light, joy and hope. Easter confirms the economy of salvation, the salvific pathway crafted by the Triune God for the wellbeing of the human race. In this sense, Saint Paul avers, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (I Cor. 15: 14). The Paschal season is also a period when the people of God remember the fulfilment of God’s promises of good tidings as captured in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
Significantly, Easter is the confirmation of Jesus Christ as the life, the way and the truth of the whole order of creation (John 14: 6). The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Jesus’ resurrection confirms the certainty of his divinity for he had said: “When you have lifted the Son of man, then you will know that I am he.” This sacred phenomenon is closely linked to the Incarnation of God’s son, and is its fulfilment in accordance with God’s eternal plan.
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Jesus Christ, through his resurrection, has delivered humanity from the shackles of sin, thereby affirming his victory over death and concupiscence caused by the disobedience of Adam and Eve to the word of God. Thus, Easter offers mankind a gateway to the grace of God as well as a new vista of life in Christ. This newness of life reinstates mankind in God’s grace, so that as Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so too men and women may draw life from God’s wellsprings of providence.
The holy season of Easter offers all the life of thanksgiving since Jesus has transformed death to life, especially for those who believe in him. He suffered death that is part of the human condition, and yet, despite his anguish, accepted it in a gesture of absolute and free surrender to the will of his Father. Jesus’ obedience has transformed the curse of death into a blessing for mankind.
Easter is a celebration of joy and hope for humanity and this is reflected in the Catholic Church’s ‘Preface of Easter’: “Father, all powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus, our Lord. We praise you with greater joy than ever on this Easter night (day) (in this Easter season),when Christ became our paschal sacrifice. He is the true lamb who took away the sins of the world. By dying he destroyed our death; by rising he restored our life. And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven We proclaim your glory and join in their unending hymn of praise”.
For men and women of goodwill, Easter is a season of the ‘Exultet,’ the commemoration of the redemption of humanity, mainly in the rendition of the “Great Alleluia” that marks the Paschal celebration. This joyous moment is expressed in the ancient sequence:“Sepulcrum Christi Viventis, et gloriam vidi resurgentis, Angelicus testes… Scimus Christum Surrexisse a mortius vere” (the tomb, the living did enclose: I saw Christ’s glory as he rose. The angels were attesting…. We know that Christ is truly risen from the dead). Thus, humanity should rejoice and be joyful, for Jesus Christ has reconciled the whole order of creation with his Father.
Nigerians and other citizens should be moved by the spirit of Easter and it calls for being joyful and hopeful in a way or manner that is consistent with the life of Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead. It requires all persons to be of good thoughts and right actions as spiritual resources needed to advance an egalitarian, just and prosperous society. Happy Easter!
• Dr. Onyiloha, Associate Professor of Religious Ethics and Contemporary Issues, writes from University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State
• Dr. Onyiloha, associate professor of Religious Ethics and Contemporary Issues, writes from University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State
