Christians to remember their redemption on Easter

Macau Cathedral

Devoted Christians are set to gather together to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The celebration is a cornerstone of the Christian tradition, recorded in the New Testament. Observances of the death of Christ began last Sunday with the commemoration of Palm Sunday, the day that Christ entered Jerusalem, the site of his crucifixion only days later.

The devotees will remember Jesus’ crucifixion tomorrow, Good Friday, and will celebrate His resurrection on Easter Sunday.

This event is traditionally observed in Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Methodist churches.

In Macau, numerous masses and activities will be held to commemorate the event. One of these activities will be the washing of the feet, an act that Jesus performed for His disciples.

Speaking to the Times, Filipino priest Father Andy Vergara noted that the Catholic Church also recalls the Holy Eucharist of Jesus and the Institution of Priesthood – two significant elements of the Church – in its celebration.

The Holy Eucharist is a sacrament and a sacrifice in which bread and wine symbolizing the body and blood of Christ, sacrificed for mankind, is ritualistically contained, offered, and received.

“On Good Friday, we have the stations of the cross commemorating Jesus’ carrying of the cross on Calvary. We will do that at Penha Hill at 7:30 a.m.,” Father Vergara said.

Observations in the afternoon will continue, as the church will hold a veneration of the cross at the St. Joseph’s Seminary Chapel, the liturgy of God’s word and a holy communion.

At the Pastoral Care for Filipino Migrants Catholic Pastoral Center, the church will hold an activity in the evening of Good Friday on the reflection on the Seven Last Words of Jesus.

The priest added that Catholic churches also acknowledge the “blessing of water and fire,” in which they renew the baptismal promises made when they were christened.

When questioned on the significance of holding such activities, Father Vergara explained that the season is necessary to recall the redemption that Christ promised to humanity.

“Meaning to say Jesus redeemed humanity by suffering and [through his] death. Easter is very necessary to prove that Jesus rose from the dead and is victorious over sin and death,” the priest explained.

“The resurrection is what strengthens our faith. Without it our faith is nothing. […] This truly is a testimony of His work in the history of salvation of humanity. This is very significant to Catholic Christians because we recall how we are redeemed,” Father Vergara continued, adding that this time offers the opportunity for individuals to seek repentance.

According to the priest, a total of eight masses will be conducted by Filipino priests throughout the three-day observation.

Whilst the Catholic churches traditionally observe lent – a period of 40 days prior to Easter –  some protestants and evangelical churches do not observe lent, but simply celebrate the Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

An Indonesian church, Jesus Alive Ministry, had its Palm Sunday celebration last week followed by an “Easter barbeque.”

According to the church’s pastor, Beto Bebeto, the church will celebrate Easter this Sunday with its “Resurrection Sunday Celebration” as well as a Passover Breakfast before the service.

“This season is very important for us. While Christmas is important in reminding us how much God loves the world that He’s willing to sacrifice for us, this season actually reminds us how Jesus, our Lord and Savior, actually went through all that sacrifice,” he told the Times.

“We’d like to think Christmas is like a down payment, while this season is a celebration of us Christians having been paid in full by the blood of Jesus. Saved,” Bebeto added.

According to the pastor, the Easter season is about victory as Jesus defeated sins of the world, also “defeating people’s own shortcomings by God’s grace.”

“Particularly for our church, Jesus Alive Ministry, this is the reason we are around, to declare that our God’s not dead, Jesus is alive. So we are obviously always excited about this Jesus Alive season,” the pastor added.

Some believers shared their belief that the suffering of Christ is what strengthens them to pursue Christianity.

Easter celebrations in Spain

An evangelical devotee Joana Lambina noted that the death and resurrection of Christ is one of the fundamental reasons why she acquired such faith.

“It’s important for me because this is one of the reasons why I’m a follower of Him. It’s because of what He did on the cross for us. It reminds me of his love and it inspires and gives me courage to face troubles,” she explained.

Fidel Belo, a Catholic devotee, also shared that the observance of Easter is an act of embracing his religion.

As Catholics observe lent, Belo is amongst the many Catholics in the territory who had been avoiding meat, spices and other luxuries since Ash Wednesday.

The devotee noted that he is one of many who have been undergoing a fast by eliminating bad habits and certain types of food.

“For me I have to celebrate Easter because that’s a fundamental way for me to strengthen my faith and also to seal my identity as someone who belongs to the church,” Belo explained.

Easter FAQ

Why is Easter called Easter?

The naming of the celebration as “Easter” seems to go back to the name of a pre-Christian goddess in England, Eostre, who was celebrated at beginning of spring. The only reference to this goddess comes from the writings of the Venerable Bede, a British monk who lived in the late seventh and early eighth century.

Bede was so influential for later Christians that the name stuck when the Christian celebration was incorporated into the pagan equinox festival, and hence Easter remains the name by which the English, Germans and Americans refer to the festival of Jesus’ resurrection.

Why does the date of Easter’s celebration change from year to year?

Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. So, in 2018, Easter will be celebrated on April 1, but on April 21 in 2019.

Why is Easter held in spring?

Most major holidays have some connection to the changing of seasons when pagan or non-Christian festivals were amalgamated into the Christian calendar.

Easter falls in close proximity to another key point in the solar year: the vernal equinox (around March 20), when there are equal periods of light and darkness during a single day. For those in northern latitudes, the coming of spring is often met with excitement, as it means an end to the cold days of winter.

Spring also means the coming back to life of plants and trees that have been dormant for winter, as well as the birth of new life in the animal world. Given the symbolism of new life and rebirth, it was only natural to celebrate the resurrection of Christ at this time of the year.

What is the connection of Easter with Jewish Passover?

While the name “Easter” is used in the English-speaking world, many more cultures refer to it by terms best translated as “Passover” (for instance, “Pascha” in Greek) – a reference to the Jewish festival of Passover.

In the Hebrew Bible, Passover is a festival that commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, as narrated in the Book of Exodus.

It was and continues to be the most important Jewish seasonal festival, celebrated on the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

Some of Christ’s followers believed that they saw him alive after his crucifixion, an experience that gave birth to the Christian religion. As Jesus died during the Passover festival and his followers believed he was resurrected from the dead three days later, it was logical to commemorate these events in close proximity.

When did Easter become a festivity for children?

The celebrations of Easter and Christmas changed in the 19th century, when they became occasions to be spent with family. This was done partly out of a desire to make the celebration of these holidays less rowdy.

However, Easter and Christmas primarily became reshaped as domestic holidays because understandings of children were changing. Prior to the 17th century, children were rarely the center of attention.

From the 17th century onward, there was an increasing recognition of childhood as time of life that should be joyous, not simply as preparation for adulthood, and celebrations such as Easter and Christmas offered the opportunity for children in particular to be given presents and enjoy themselves.

Who came up with the Easter bunny and Easter eggs?

In the holiday’s development, Easter eggs and the Easter bunny become especially important. Decorated eggs had been part of the Easter festival at least since medieval times, given the obvious symbolism of new life.

Several Eastern European legends describe eggs turning red (a favorite color for Easter eggs) in connection with the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Yet it was only in the 17th century that a German tradition of an “Easter hare” bringing eggs to good children came to be widespread. Hares and rabbits had a long association with spring seasonal rituals because of their amazing fertility.

As Christians celebrate the festival this spring in commemoration of Christ’s resurrection, the familiar sights of the Easter bunny and Easter eggs serve as a reminder of the holiday’s ancient origins outside the Christian tradition.