Easter changes everything

 

Pic: Moira Lynott

Easter Sunday 5 April 2026

[see, also, Blog for today, Easter Saturday- Where O Death is your sting?]

Meditatio:

‘ but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead’ (Acts 10:40-41)

 Commentary: It was early in the morning - cold and dark. Something extraordinary awaited the two disciples. The Gospels differ in detail, but they agree on the essential truth: the tomb was empty, and Jesus, who had truly died, had truly risen. There was no CCTV, no forensic reconstruction, no modern reporting. What we have is the testimony of those who saw, heard, touched, and were changed. And that testimony has carried the Church for two thousand years.

Where O death is your sting?

Holy Saturday

Yesterday, there was a funeral in a local church. Someone remarked of the deceased, “It was nice to be buried on the same day as Jesus was.” True. And, death comes for each of us. But it is not the end. What marks us out as a people set apart is our conviction that Jesus truly rose from the dead and is risen still. We believe what the world often dismisses as fanciful. We hope for what many have long abandoned. Even now, in this “valley of tears,” we live in the gift of eternal light. The darkness is overcome by the Light of Christ.

As we reflect today on the Lord’s Passion, we wait with joyful expectation for the spark that will be lit at the Easter Vigil this evening. We can hardly wait for sunset, when we will taste and sense the joy of the Risen One on this holiest of nights. From a single flame, light will spread from candle to candle. We hear the Deacon or priest sing out the  great Exsultet which includes the following verses:

This is the night when Jesus Christ
broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.

And again:

Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honour of God.
Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night.

Whether just after sunset or just before, this is the moment we have been waiting for. Our song is one of triumph over death. Death does not have the last word. In our Easter Eucharist we proclaim Christ crucified and risen. He is in our midst, and we rejoice.

Some day the Easter candle lit on the previous Easter will be lit for our passing from this world.

Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting? (1 Corinthians 15:55)

Why is there no mass today?

 Good Friday.

There is only one day in the entire year when the Roman Catholic Church does not celebrate Mass. At first this may seem surprising. If Good Friday commemorates the death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, why would the Church refrain from celebrating the Eucharist, especially since:

‘For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes’. (1 Cor 11:26) 

A threefold gift

 

Holy Thursday

The Easter Triduum opens with Holy Thursday. According to Catholic tradition — shared by Orthodox Christians and many high‑church Anglicans — this first day of the Triduum reveals a threefold gift at the heart of Christian life:

Waiting for the heavenly bread

 Jesus and the Jewish roots of the Eucharist #3

In the time of Jesus — as in every age — the Jewish people lived in hope. Many longed for a Messiah who would come in glory to liberate Israel: a prophet like Moses who would renew the covenant, lead the people forward, and even bring once more the manna from heaven. Some expected a royal figure who would reign over the nation and subdue its enemies.

Seeing the Eucharist through Jewish eyes

 

Picture: Ahawah Children's Home, Berlin; Passover Seder Table

Jesus and the Jewish roots of the Eucharist #2

Spiritually, we Christians are rooted in Jewish faith and spirituality. This can feel slightly disconcerting because it is difficult to disentangle the historical, tribal, and political threads that run through Jewish and Christian history. Yet one thing is clear: Jesus was Jewish—completely and faithfully so. The Gospels testify that He and His family observed the Law of Moses. In His teaching and His life, Jesus never allowed any legal precept to override the Great Commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (see Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37). In this, He fulfilled the Law.

An important work (Jesus and the Jewish roots of the Eucharist #1)

 

Six years ago we were in the throws of the first ‘Covid lockdown’.  At this time I read a very interesting book entitled:

Jesus and the Jewish roots of the Eucharist – Unlocking the secrets of the Last Supper’ by Brant Pitre. 

A priest friend of mine had recommended the work of Pitre in 2019. I got around to reading the book and, on 4 May 2020, I wrote the following on the inside cover:

“I read this gem of a book over a period of weeks – a lot of it during the ‘lockdown’ of 2020 (Covid19).  The book is well written and easy to follow.  It allows gaps in which the reader may draw their own conclusions after reflection and prayer.  The author demonstrates, persuasively, the prefiguring of the Eucharist in the writings and lived experience of the Hebrew people. The Bread of Presence and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary are inextricably linked and grounded in scripture. I highly recommend this book. Take and read!”

In the coming days, I will review and reflect on a few key ‘takeaways’ in the book.