This year Easter will be an extra special for me!
My son, "Little King" (5yr), being sent to Catholic School, has a new understanding on the meaning of Easter and what it represents.
Without being urged, coerced, prodded, etc.... Out of the clear blue, our son told his Mom and I that he was giving up his video games for lent. The important thing was he knew why he should make sacrifice for Lent.
Our little monster then asked what I was giving up for lent. Talk about being one upped by a 5yr old - I was speechless!
For some reason when I think about this, being a Momma's boy, makes me swallow hard!
My Mom, Esther, who passed away about 10 yrs ago, being Italian/Sicilian was named after Easter. Her birth name was Pasqualina, which in Italian means Easter. Buona Pasqual!
I do my best to NOT be like some parents who constantly brag about their children. But I could not be more proud of my "Little King"!
The below story and links on the meaning of Easter was reposted from Answers.Com -
Easter, like the spring season it graces, is associated with birth, renewal and fertility.
Easter marks the Resurrection of Jesus three days after his Crucifixion. Sandwiched between the 40 preparatory days of Lenten penitence and the seven weeks of Eastertide, it is the most important and most joyous holiday on the Christian calendar.
In 2007, Easter falls on April 8 for both the Western Church and the Eastern Church.
The Easter timeline runs as follows:
- Shrove Tuesday, aka Mardi Gras
- Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent...
- Lent — 40 days, excluding Sundays
- Holy Week, the last week of Lent, consisting of:
- Palm Sunday
- Maundy Thursday
- Good Friday
- Holy Saturday
- Easter Sunday
- Easter Monday
- Eastertide, the 50 days leading up to Pentecost...
- Pentecost
Though the New Testament contains no reference to an annual feast celebrating the Resurrection, the practice was well-established by the second century. Early churchmen were divided on whether to hold a feast on 14 Nisan (the date of the Biblical Pesach, which morphed into the name for Easter in many languages) or on the following Sunday; disputes and excommunications ensued in this Quartodeciman controversy until the Council of Nicea in 325 decided it must fall on a Sunday.
Eventually the date was formulated roughly as "the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the vernal equinox." This can range between March 22 and April 25.
According to the eighth-century theologian the Venerable Bede (who came up with the dating system of AD and BC), Easter is named for Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. She is associated with the egg and with the hare, both symbols of procreation that have been enduringly incorporated by the church in the form of Easter eggs and the Easter bunny who brings them.
How to celebrate Easter:
Attend an Easter vigil, when baptisms take place, Alleluias are said for the first time since the beginning of Lent and the Paschal candle is lit.
Decorate your home and church in white and gold, the colors of Easter.
Wear new clothes to represent a new beginning, especially an Easter bonnet.
Hide decorated Easter eggs for children to find, to represent coming out of the womb/tomb (i.e., Easter's intertwined themes of fertility and resurrection).
Take part in an Easter egg roll. The White House first hosted one during the administration of Rutherford B. Hayes.
And Happy Easter to you, King. I'd love to know what you think of this essay by a vicar in England. Have a good holiday.
ReplyDeleteLike your blog --same template as mine --same faith --though I think you are Catholic and i am not --and never was.
ReplyDeleteand I agree with you about the Easter symbolism in chicks, bunnies, eggs, etc. --important to teach along with the deepest meanings. (saw your comment on mudville --why do we read him --the guy is bitter bitter about believers--says it's just evangelicals but they aren't as bad as he says --just because they don't approve homosex and abortion as he does --the cardinal virtues of his liberal faith.)
I do understand the people who find new faith in Christ and embrace a lot of legalism and pass it along in their home schooling because they don't have teaching to moderate their views.
Thanks for telling me you'll be responding to the essay. And anytime you want to respond to why you took down that 4/1/07 post about CPN, Pho and me, I'm always reading. :) Thanks.
ReplyDeleteBarb, thank you for the kind words.
ReplyDeleteYes Mudhead is quite foolish. Getting ready to respond to another attack on Christianity by Jill at "Write likes she pukes".
Please read on -
Jill,
When I saw your comment, I expected it to be something like this before I clicked the link.
I was hoping you would be better than to participate in the annual Easter attack on Christianity. But should have known better in light of your Jesus Peeps post. Knowing how you, as Hickman pointed out, have the ability to twist and turn the most miniscule of subjects back to being jewish.
Sorry Jill, but even as hard as you try, everything in this world is NOT about being jewish. Yes, each person should be proud of their faith, but the way you attempt to “force” yours on everyone, is no better than the far right Evangelicals that do the same. So, you are no better than the ones you criticize.
Personally, I do not believe it is my place to say anything about how anyone comes to terms with how they accept or do not accept God, Jesus, Allah, or any other divine entity. I have many long time friends and have no idea what religion they are, and really don’t care. They do not force theirs on me and nor do I on them.
Maybe it is along the lines, they go to their heaven and I go to mine, how we get there is each persons own journey. Each person, alone, needs to choose their path.
As I have said before, maybe your attacks on Christianity stem from you searching for the truth. The truth Jesus, along with the wholeness and acceptance, Christianity will bring you. You can come back anytime; there is always a place for anyone who accepts Jesus into their life.
What do I think?
As a whole, I think the article is garbage, as is pretty much most of the subtle anti-Christian stuff you post.
As for Jesus being crushed by an empire, this is only half true.
The jews, offended by someone claiming to be the Son of God, were the instrumental cause of the Roman Empire crucifying Jesus. The Pharisees waged a campaign against Jesus, much like the way many today still attack Christianity.
Why did they have, the money hungry Judas, betray Jesus? Because they believed his teaching to be blasphemous, when in fact they were hypocrites.
Pilate, the Roman Emperor did not want to kill Jesus, in fact he turned to Christianity, asked for and received forgiveness. Pilate also ended up going crazy, many believe this is because of his action against Jesus. You may be forgiven, but there are consequences for your actions.
The Feast of Easter was actually a Pagan Roman Holiday. The Romans then used it to appease the anger among the Christians at the time.
The Gospel of Mark Chapter 15 bears this as true -
Pilate again asked them, "What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?" They cried out again, "Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they cried out exceedingly, "Crucify him!"
Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified.
Had the jews, who were not brave enough to do it themselves, not used the Romans to crucify Jesus for them, he would have had to met his fate in some other horrible way. Jesus was sent by God to suffer for us and take on the sins of the world.
So guided by the Hand of God, Jesus used the jews as tools to accomplish his task. Even with being used, you guys still think you are the chosen ones - Hah!
This article from the Vicar, which obviously you agree, is in correct on many terms. His reference - Jews also want to discourage the idea that Easter has a Jewish significance precisely because Christianity is seen as a perversion of Jewish theology. All too often, Christianity has hijacked the Hebrew Scriptures and twisted their meaning. The idea that Christians might have hermeneutic designs on their beloved Passover feels like one more insult in a succession of historic insults.
It would be more accurate to say that the jews, have taken on their own perversion of jewish theology. To get your facts straight, you may want to read the Book of Daniel or the 53rd chapter in the Book of Isaiah both from the Old Testament.
Oh wait, many in the Jewish religion have BANNED the reading the Book of Isaiah Chapter 53 and the Book of Daniel. Why Jill? Why would pieces and parts of the Old Testament, which is God’s Word, be banned? Correct me if I am wrong, but does not the jewish faith view the Old Testament as accurate.
Would this be maybe because in the Book of Daniel it is accurately predicted when Jesus would come? And because the Book of Isaiah states you will deny him?
So once again Jill, you “murmur” your intellectually vacuous and bigoted opinions on Christianity. Which are nothing more than a backhanded slap at Christianity under the guise of "what if" or "what do you think about this"?
Jesus, who gave forgiveness to the very people that led him to be killed and those that killed him shows Christianity, is a religion of love, peace and acceptance.
Whereas the actions of the jews, with views like yours, could lead one to believe judaism is a religion of hate, anger, revenge and non acceptance. My friends of jewish heritage, have showed me, through their actions and words it is not, obviously they are not like you.
Anyone can become Christian, only those with the right blood can be true jews. I have been told by my friends of jewish ancestory, that someone can convert but without jewish blood, they will never be accepted as truly jewish.
I am sure you agree, don't you?
Do you believe the jews led Jesus to be crucified by the Romans in acts of vengeance and hate?
Moses Maimonides, recognized as Judaism's most esteemed halachic (legal) authority, in his "Letter to Yemen", felt crucifying Jesus was just punishment for his teachings.
I do find it amusing how you portray yourself to be so accepting, yet it appears you are only accepting of those with the same beliefs or ideology as you.
What are your feelings on, I Thessalonians 2: 14-16, which reads; For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men…
Any feelings on how the jews mocked Jesus as he was hanging on the cross?
From Matthew 27:35-44 -
Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!' In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ‘He saved others,' they said, ‘but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
I would love to know what you think about the articles at these links -
http://www.slate.com/id/2088417/
http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news1299/han.html
Regarding the missing post - you were answered before. I will repeat it again for you.
After learning it was incorrect, I removed it. I know, as usual, you want to try and “create” something and sensationalize this. But a mistake was made, and it was removed. Damn, you guys got me on April Fool’s - you guys are slick.
Here is a thought, since I have twice answered about this “missing” post to you, why don’t you give legitimate answers, instead of dodging, to the series of questions I have asked you about local democrats.
Or is it easier to take pot shots at Christianity?
KING
Thanks for your opinion, King.
ReplyDelete