April 9, 2023
Easter Sunday
by Fr. Boniface Endorf, O.P
Dear St. Joseph Parish Family,
Happy Easter! Today our Lord has risen and our salvation is secured! Today Christ has defeated sin and death, and they no longer have dominion over us. Today the path to eternal life, to our true homeland in heaven, lies open before us in Christ; therefore, our hearts should rejoice because the fulfillment of our deepest desires is possible in Christ. Life now has a happy ending!
So important is what Jesus won today that we celebrate Easter as an Octave—a day that lasts 8 days. From this Sunday through the next, every day is Easter. It is 8 days because a week is 7 days, so the 8th day is the movement beyond time itself into eternity, which is open to us because of what Christ achieved today. That is why the baptismal font is 8 sided, because baptism is the sacrament that first joins our lives to Christ, our souls to His victory today.
Mass Tidbit:
The Easter Vigil is the most important Mass of the year. It starts with an Easter fire on the steps of the Church and from that fire the Easter Candle is lit. That candle represents the light of Christ entering the world. Thus when processing into the church after the candle is lit, we all hold baptismal candles representing our union with that light in baptism, and a chant is sung to the light of Christ. A deacon or priest then sings the Exultet, proclaiming Christ in the light of the candle. Many readings follow while the church is still dim, signifying the light of Christ growing through the Old Testament period. At the Gloria, the lights turn on as enter Christ’s presence to us in the New Testament. After the readings, we baptize the catechumens, whose baptismal candles are lit for the first time. Everyone then reaffirms their baptismal promises. From there we have the Eucharist, where our communion with Christ continues as we take into our souls His very Body. The whole Christian life is thus relived at this most important Mass.
Have a blessed Easter Octave,
Fr. Boniface
