Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-05
Easter.

TO the Union and American:
Some writers have supposed the English
name Easter, and the German OStern to
be derived from Ostern the TuetOnic god
deSs of spring, whose feast was celebrated
in April and for which the early mission
aries substituted the great christian festival
of Easter. According to Adelung, however,
both of these words are derived from the
old Saxon OStea or OSter, which signifies
rising; and beautifully appropriate is this
title for the resurrection day Of our LOid.
In referring to the life Of our Savior, it
seems very strange to me that we should ever
speak of il as something Of the past, fOrw
do not have TO grOpe our way back through
the dim corridor of years, or to lift the veil
of twenty centuries, to gaze upon Christ
mas, or Good Friday, or All Easter. Follow
inc the path which Holy Mother Church
points out, at every step We find the foot
prints of our Savior. Each year, we hasten
with the wise men and the angels toadOre
the Babe of Bethlehem; at the presentation
in the temple, we weep when Simeon
prOphesies that 4 sword of unutte-able an
guLish shall pierce our blessed Lady's heart;
we follow the Holy Family in their fight
into Egypt, and then again we seek, with
the sOrrOwing mother, her lost child in Je-
IlSalClll. we kIcctAAl dt LA1c
feast in Cana and witness His first public
miracle, when, in obedience to her sweet
will. He turns the water into wine. More
intimately, than ever, are We associated With
Him in the last three years of His human life;
with mOistened eyes, we behold the beau
tiful Magdalen pleading for forgiveness and
hear His gentle because thou hast loved
much, much shall be forgiven thee With
Last Supper, where He institutes that adOr-
able Sacrament which was TO make Him
ours, in truth, forever more. Even now,
we have just finished with Him His fast
of forty days; last Sunday We watched His
triumphant entry into Jerusalem, where
palm branches were strewn before Him and
hosannas greeted Him on every side; and
on HOly Thursday we entered the Geth-
semane Ofthat terrible woe which our sins
had brought upon Him. Each feature of
the Passion was clear and distinct
We witnessed the insults and bias
phemies, saw the cruel crown Of thOrns
pressed down upon His sacred head and
kissed the purple robe with which they
Knocked him. Day before yesterday, Good
Friday morning, with anguiShed hearts,
with his mother and Magdalen and John,
kneeling at the places where he suffered
most-the stations of His Cross. Oh, the
horror of seeing Him fastened to that cross,
OF feeling His gaze fixed upon US so low
ingly; no anger, no reprOach for the agony
which darkened the heavens and woke the
dead from their sleep. Three long hours
we were on the SUBMITS of Calvary, until,
al last. His wondrous love was satisfied
aud ann1rtIn-n l1.oLrad
down upon the great, guilty city, then up
to the dead Christ, and thought how much
He bad loved it and how it repaid his
love. Yesterday, with stricken hearts,
We went to and from the grave
in which our Jesus lay, looking around
wearily upon the trembling world which
had cruciied Him, and which seemed so
desolate without Him; this morning again
we turn our steps to the sepulchre, but 10,
He Is not there. Glorious, bright and
beautiful, He has arisen in His reaSSUmed
majesty, leaving deaths power forever
broken in the tomb. Yes, on this, as on
every other Easter morning, we arise from
our sackclOth and ashes. and 60 forth to
meet Him in His glory. The churches,
which have all been draped in black in
cOmmemOration Of His Passion, are now
fpstoOned with flowers. whose fair petals
seem to tell the glad story of the Resur-
rection, and whose fragrance ascends
with the Gloria in Excelsis which is heard
again from every altar. Thu, each year,
we follow our Lord from Bethlehem to
Calvary; but Easter is the queen of festi-
walls along the journey, for IN every other
We have compassion or reInOrse-here only
glad rejoicingS that we can sing the song Of
the redeemed and behold a glorifed, not
suffering Savior. THIS, truly, is the Chris
tian Passover, for by His death the sentence
of hanishmeEt is revoked and mankind
pass from the shadows of unfOrgiven sin
over into the light Of mercy and everlasting
life. Then blessed are they who on Calva-
rvs summit wash THAR robes in the blood
Of the Lamb, for at the last great Easter
day, they shall arise and dwell with Him
forever in the light Of His uncreated
glory. T. b.
ST. CECILIA, April {.