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The Passover and
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The Passover And Other Feasts
The Easter Celebration

Catholics like all Christians prepare for the great Easter celebration with six weeks of penance and prayer called the Lenten time. It reaches its climax in Holy Week, the sacred days of Thursday, Friday and Saturday before Easter Sunday.

Interestingly Jewish tradition encouraged a period of preparation for major religious observances. Since many of the early Christians were Jews, it was only natural that they carry this celebration of Jesus’ resurrection known as Easter. It is the major feast of Christianity.

The length of the Lenten season varied through the years. In the last thousand years it is generally 40 days based on the Jewish Scriptures. The Scriptures tell us Moses fasted for 40 days on Mt. Sinai before receiving the Ten Commandments. Elijah fasted 40 days on this journey to Mt. Horeb. Jesus fasted 40 days in the desert. Therefore, Lent is a time of personal devotion, fasting, and a reflection of one’s life with God.

In order to understand Catholics and their celebration of Easter, we will examine certain symbols and customs during this most sacred time.

Ash Wednesday
In Biblical times the action of sprinkling oneself with ashes was a sign of repentance for sin. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent when they are marked on their foreheads with ashes as a sign of repentance for their sins. The priest says “Remember, man that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Gen 3:19) as he puts the ashes on the person’s forehead. The ashes are made from the burning of the palm branches from last year’s Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday
On this day, Palm branches are blessed by the priest and distributed to the people either before or during the Mass. Normally, there is a solemn procession with people (the laity) and clergy. It commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem before his arrest and death. During the Mass, the gossip story of Jesus’ final days is read.

Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday
(The Triduum)
These are the holiest days of the year and should review as on continuous liturgy. These three days recall Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist (Holy Communion), the Priesthood, His suffering and death and His Triumphant resurrection from the dead.

Holy Thursday
It commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his apostles, when Jesus first gave them the Eucharist. It also commemorates Jesus’ washing the feet of His apostles as a sign of service and humility. Normally the pastor will wash the feet of 12 men and women in remembrance of Jesus’ command to his followers. After the Holy Thursday Mass, the tabernacle (the place where the holy hosts are kept) is empty. The altar is bare and the Sacred Hosts are kept in a “repository” in another part of the Church.

Good Friday
It commemorates the death of Jesus by means of scriptures, prayer, the singing or reading of the passion of Jesus, along with the veneration of the cross (the faithful will kiss the cross) and Holy Communion. To maintain a spirit of prayer and reflection, many people keep the radio and television off. Usually all sport programs and others are cancelled in the observance of this special day.

Holy Saturday — (Easter Vigil Mass)
It is a day of prayer in preparation for the Easter celebration, which begins on the evening of Holy Saturday with the Easter Vigil Mass. The Mass is very solemn and dramatic. It is at this Mass that new converts are received into the Church after months of study and prayer.

The Blessing of the New Fire reminds the people of Christ’s eternal light. This fire, which represents Christ, is used to light the Easter Candle and all the other candles of the congregation.

The Easter Candle comes marked with a cross cut or traced into it before it is lighted. Then the priest traces the Greek letters alpha and omega (Christ is the beginning and the end of everything) and then the numerals of the current year. Then, the Easter Candle is lighted representing Christ as the light of the world.

The Holy Water is blessed for the Church and congregation’s uses. Many people will take holy water for home use.

There are many parts to this beautiful Mass. Because of space, I have mentioned some of the significant parts.

Easter Sunday Masses are like the usual with one exception, namely, the congregation is asked to renew their baptismal vows.

In conclusion, the Hebrew Celebration of the Passover is the theological and liturgical background to the Church’s Easter celebration. For the Jews, the Passover is the celebration of being saved from slavery when the angel of death struck the first born of the Egyptians but passed over the homes of the Jews which were marked with the blood of the Lamb. The remembrance of this act of God is the heart of Judaism. For Christians, the Easter celebration is the resurrection of Christ. His triumph over death, and His faithful followers. Both Passover and Easter celebrate FREEDOM.