EASTER — TRIUMPHANT RESURRECTION OF JESUS OVER DEATH

BIGGEST SEASON OF THE YEAR — LASTS 50 DAYS.

Liturgically speaking, the Feast of The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is the biggest Feast of the year.  Why?  Because, even if Jesus had suffered and died on The Cross for us, He would not have been God if He had not conquered death by rising from the dead.  He created death, therefore, He could not be held by death.  He had to show us what would be the fruit of our following Him in obeying His Commandments, suffering, and dying with Him:  rising to Eternal Life with Him.  As St. Paul said: 

“[11] For whether I, or they, so we preach, and so you have believed. [12] Now if Christ be preached, that he arose again from the dead, how do some among you say, that there is no resurrection of the dead? [13] But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen again. [14] And if Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” 

“[20] But now Christ is risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep:  [21] For by a man came death, and by a man the resurrection of the dead. [22] And as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. [23] But every one in his own order: the first fruits Christ, then they that are of Christ, who have believed in his coming. [24] Afterwards the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God and the Father, when he shall have brought to nought all principality, and power, and virtue. [25] For he must reign, until he hath put all his enemies under his feet.  [26] And the enemy death shall be destroyed last: For he hath put all things under his feet.”

(taken from www.drbo.org:  St. Paul’s 1st Letter to the Corinthians) 

God made each one of us for Himself, not for anybody else.  He made each one of us to be a Saint — to live forever with Him in Heaven.  It will be totally our fault if we do not live, as we should:   obeying His Commandments and discerning and fulfilling His Specific Plan for each one of us, thus, living and dying holily with Him, so that we can be happy with Him forever in Heaven.  Jesus opened Heaven for us by paying the price for Adam’s sin of pride and disobedience.  We need to obey God in all things and, thus, receive the reward for our obedience by going to Heaven, and Jesus has shown The Way.

As with the Feast of ChristMass, the Feast of Easter actually lasts 7 days, so, we are allowed to eat meat on Easter Friday, as if it were Easter Sunday.  Then, the Easter Season lasts 50 days, so, let’s try to pray the Easter Sequence each day and, if we do not already pray the “Angelus” each day, consecrating each 6 hours of waking hours to God, then, let’s start this wonderful, powerful habit by praying the “Regina Coeli” each day. 

When Catholics greet each other, especially during the first few days of the Easter Season, they can say: 

V/.  CHRISTUS RESURREXIT!
R/.  VERE RESURREXIT!

V/. CHRIST IS RISEN!
R/.  INDEED HE IS RISEN!

Check out many other languages for this greeting at:  http://www.americancatholictruthsociety.com/articles/heisrisen.htm.   You will hear them playing the Easter Sequence (listed below).  Also, take a look at their documentation page — what a reading list for real Catholics!

EASTER SEQUENCE:

IN LATIN:

Victimae paschali laudes immolent Christiani.  Agnus redemit oves:  Christus innocens Patri reconciliavit peccatores.  Mors et vita duello conflixere mirando:  dux vitae mortuus, regnat vivus.  Sepulcrum Christi viventis, et gloriam vidi resurgentis:  Angelicos tests, sudarium, et vestes.  Surrexit Christus spes mea: praecedet suos in Galilaeam.  [Credendum est magis soli Mariae veraci Quam Judaeorum Turbae fallaci.]  Scimus Christum surrexisse a mortuis vere:  Tu nobis, Victor Rex, miserere.  Amen.    Alleluia! 

IN ENGLISH:

To The Paschal Victim let Christians offer up their songs of praise.  The Lamb has redeemed the sheep:  Christ, Who Is without sin, has reconciled sinners to The Father.  Death and life have fought a huge battle, The Prince of Life was dead, but lives and reigns.  Tell us, Mary, what didst Thou see on Thy way?  ‘The Tomb of Christ, Who Is Alive, and I saw The Glory of His Rising; Angels standing as witnesses, the Shroud and Linen Cloth.  Christ, my Hope has risen:  He has gone to Galilee before Thee.’  Truly, we know Christ has risen from the dead:  O King and Victor, have mercy on us.  Amen.    Alleluia!

INSTEAD OF THE ANGELUS, THE REGINA COELI SHOULD BE PRAYED /SUNG AT 6:00 A.M., NOON, AND 6:00 P.M. UNTIL THE SATURDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

REGINA COELI

IN LATIN:

Regina Caeli, laetare. Alleluia.
Quia, Quem meruisti portare. Alleluia.

Resurrexit, sicut dixit. Alleluia.
Ora pro nobis, DEUM. Alleluia.

Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria. Alleluia.
Qui surrexit, DOMINUS vere. Alleluia.

Oremus.

DEUS, Qui per Resurrectionem FILII Tui DOMINI, nostri JESU CHRISTI mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta quaesumus, ut per eius Genitricem Virginem Mariam perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae.  Per eumdem CHRISTUM DOMINUM nostrum.  Amen. 

IN ENGLISH:

QUEEN of Heaven, rejoice.  Alleluia.
For He, Whom, Thou wast made worthy to bear.  Alleluia.

Hath risen, as He said.  Alleluia.
Pray for us to GOD.  Alleluia.

V/.  Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary.  Alleluia.
R/.  For The LORD hath risen indeed.  Alleluia.

Let us pray.

O GOD, Who through the Resurrection of Thy Son, our LORD JESUS CHRIST, hast vouchsafed to give joy to the whole world; grant us, we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of The Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of eternal life.  Through The Same CHRIST our LORD. Amen.

(Taken from:  http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/The%20Raccolta%20-%201910.pdf)

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