Feast of Hope Easter – Why? Because Easter gives us hope! On this most important of all Christian feasts we celebrate: that Jesus has conquered death. That he rose from the dead and gave us hope – for eternal life.

Easter thus stands in stark contrast to the 40 preceding days of Lent and Penance. 40 days – that's how long Jesus fasted in the desert, finding himself and God, before setting out to proclaim his message. 40 days for us today to renounce something and thereby become aware of our own life again. To reflect on our own life – and on God.

At the end of Lent are Maundy Thursday, commemorating Jesus' last supper with his disciples, and Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified. The Easter Vigil, the night from Saturday to Easter Sunday, then celebrates the raising of Jesus from the dead. That is why during the Easter Vigil Mass, the Exsultet, the sung Easter praise, says:

This is the night of which it is written:
"The night becomes bright like the day,
like radiant light the night will surround me."

The radiance of this holy night
takes away iniquity,
cleanses from guilt,
gives innocence to sinners,
joy to the mourners.
It drives away hatred,
unites hearts
and bends the powers.

It shines until the morning star appears,
that true morning star, which never sets:
Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
who rose from the dead,
who shines for mankind in the paschal light;
who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

A pator, Franciscan friar and spiritual director reflected on the theme of resurrection at the conclusion of Lent:

"It is like a miracle when the sun rises in the morning and we are allowed to get up again. Only when you can't get up do you feel how agonizing it is to have to stay lying down. To be allowed to get up, to be able to move, to be free, not to be dependent on outside help – what a grace that is given to us anew every day. For it is not a matter of course that this gift is given to us. Anyone who is ill can tell you a thing or two about it.
The idea of what it means to get up helps to get an idea of what Easter, the feast of the resurrection, means. Because here it concerns before a lying, which carries the name death. No man can rise from death by his own strength. One can be raised from death only by an external force, just as we are awakened from sleep.
This, however, is the almost unbelievable belief of Christianity that Jesus was raised from the dead. We humans did not make up this belief. This faith is a gift, just as the life of Jesus Christ himself, his deeds and words are a gift to this world.
That is why Easter is a feast of rejoicing, of thanksgiving, of singing. As the Easter fires light up the evening, and as the sun rises anew with its bright light in the morning, may this Easter faith in the Risen Lord rise anew in the hearts of the faithful and bring light to this world."

Hallelujah!
Those who can trust this message may have hope: for their loved ones, for the people in the crisis areas of the world – and for themselves. For hope, as fragile as it may sometimes seem, can give strength to a love that can move mountains.

Whoever knows this, whoever knows Easter, can really not despair. Instead, it means: rejoicing irrepressibly, joining in the Hallelujah that was not sung during Lent, but now resounds again in the churches. "Hallelujah" is a Hebrew word: "Hallel" is rejoicing, "yes" is the short form of God's name "Yahweh." So Hallelujah means "Rejoice in God!". And not only at Easter, but also beyond, because this time offers so much reason to rejoice that a few days are not enough for it.

The week after Easter is therefore a time of particularly intense celebration – and feasting, because Lent is now finally over. The festive week closes with "White Sunday". This is named because in the early days of the church, the new Christians baptized at the Easter Vigil wore their white baptismal robes throughout Easter week until the following Sunday.

But celebrations continue even after White Sunday: seven times seven days is the time of rejoicing over Jesus' resurrection – it ends only on the 50th day, on the weekend of Pentecost, which is celebrated as the founding feast of the Church. On Pentecost, Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit on his disciples and sent them out to proclaim what he promised them and all people after his resurrection: I am with you always, until the end of the world

Tim Moseley