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This Sunday we
celebrate
Easter.
My dear friend,
do you know what
Easter
represents?
Usually, we only
think about
bunnies and
chocolate eggs,
isn't it?
But this date,
which is so
important to
Christians
around the
world, has
nothing to do
with bunnies and
chocolate eggs.
Have you ever
heard of a bunny
who lays eggs?
Especially
chocolate ones?
...
Originally,
Easter is an
annual feast of
the Hebrews, who
celebrate their
departure from
their captivity
in Egypt. Later
on, it became an
annual festival
of Christians,
in remembrance
of the
resurrection of
Christ.
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Two thousand
years ago, at
the time when
Jesus of
Nazareth was
preaching His
gospel of love
to all the
people who would
listen, He
entered
Jerusalem with
His disciples,
and was hailed
by the
population the
week that
preceded the
Jewish Easter
celebration.
Betrayed by one
of his
companions,
Judas Iscariot,
Jesus was
arrested, tried
and sentenced to
die on a cross
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between
two
thieves.
It was
Friday. |
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That same day,
in the
afternoon,
Joseph of
Arimathea, a
wealthy man,
asked Pilate,
Roman governor
in Judea, to
hand over Jesus'
body for burial.
Pilate agreed.
They took Jesus'
body and, after
having been
prepared as
usual among the
Jews, it was
buried.
On Sunday, Mary
Magdalene and
two other women,
after buying
spices to embalm
the body of the
Master, went to
the tomb and
found it empty.
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Mary Magdalene,
being left alone
crying at the
entrance of the
tomb, saw a man
standing, who
asked:
- Woman, why are
you weeping?
At first, Mary
assumed that he
was the
gardener. Then -
oh wonder!- she
realized that it
was her beloved
master who had
come back to
life. Jesus
talked to her
and even sent a
message to His
disciples.
Full of joy,
Mary Magdalene
ran to tell the
big news to the
apostles, who
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were
inconsolable:
Jesus
did not
die! He
was
alive
and had
spoken
to her!
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But they did not
believe her.
However, after
that, Jesus also
appeared to two
of them who were
heading to a
village called
Emmaus, a few
miles from
Jerusalem.
And one
afternoon, the
disciples were
locked in the
house where they
were hiding,
lest they be
arrested by the
priests, when
Jesus stood
among them and
said to them:
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- Peace be with
you!
At first they
could not
believe such
happiness. But
Jesus proved to
them that it was
Him when He
showed them His
wounds and He
sat among them
and ate grilled
fish. He spoken
to them for a
long time,
consoling them
and guiding them
on how they
should act.
Many times Jesus
was with His
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disciples,
strengthening
their
faith
and
encouraging
them to
disseminate
the Good
News. |
The return of
Jesus, in spirit
and truth, after
His death, which
coincides with
the Jewish
festival, is
what Christians
celebrate on
Easter as the
most important
and decisive
fact, as it
represents proof
of the
immortality of
the soul, about
which the Master
had preached so
many times.
As for the
custom of giving
chocolate eggs,
this comes from
ancient times,
when pagans
celebrated the
return of spring
by offering each
other chicken
eggs painted in
bright colours,
a habit that
still exists in
certain
countries.
But wait! ...And
what about the
rabbit? Where
does it come in
this story,
anyway? ...Well,
it is that many
cultures
consider the
rabbit a symbol
of fertility and
the renewal of
life, just like
the egg.
So far so good!
But what is the
link between
Easter and the
delicious
chocolate eggs?
To boost sales
in the period
leading up to
Easter, someone
joined business
with pleasure.
They invented
the chocolate
eggs which
traders began
selling with
great success.
That way, my
dear friend, you
can get and eat
chocolate eggs
without guilt.
You just can not
forget that the
meaning of
Easter for us
Christians, goes
much further. It
represents the
return of Jesus
in spirit and
truth, proving
that death does
not exist!
So, this Easter
Sunday, we
should remember
Jesus, thanking
Him for His
life, the
example He left
us and His
Gospel, which is
light to our
souls.
The rest is up
to the traders
who do
everything to
encourage sales
in the period
preceding
Easter.
Aunt Celia
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