The Washington herald., 1908-04-19

New York, April 1S.-The festival COM
memorating Our Lords resurrection is
called Easter The word Easter is de-
rived from the Saxon goddess Eastre.
whom the Germans proper called Ostara,
the divinity of the dawn. The Anglo
saxons called the spring month Eoster-
monagt and naturally. therefore. the
German nations called the great church
feast which fell at the beginning Of spring
Easter. the name continuing among Us.
like that OF Thursday. long after the god
dess had been forgotten.
All Christian nations. except the Ger
man family call it by some modification
of "Pascha." the term which the church
herself uses in her liturgy The Hebrew
word Paseh, or Passover, is the name of
the great Jewish feast commemoratlng
the wonderful deliverance Of the Israel
ties from Egypt when the destroying an
gel struck down the first born OF Egypt,
but passed over" the houses of the He
brews marked with the blood of a lamb
that had been slain, Of which mot a bone
was to be broken.
| 1t is certain that Christ observed the
Passover the night before He died, when
He instituted the Holy Eucharist and
Himself became the true Paschal Lamb
prefgured in the old law. ST. John calls
attention 20 the fact that not a bone of
Our Lords body was broken on the cross
the centurion opening His side with
lance, instead of breaking His legs, as in
the case Of the two thieves.
In the year 160 when St Polycarp ar
rived in Rome. there were two modes Of
celebrating Easter. each claiming apos-
tolical precedent. The Roman Church
and the great majority Of Christians cele-
brated Easter on the Sunday following
the first full moon after the vernal equi-
noxs because on that day Christ rose
again and accomplished our deliverance
from tae Egyptian darkness of death and
hell
But the churches Of Asia Proconsularis
kept the feast on the IA Nisan. whatever
day 1t might fall The Roman Church
claimed 10 follow the practice of ST. Pc
ter and ST. Paul in the matter. Finally
the Council Of Nice decided in favor of
This custom, and also settled the way in
which Easter was 10 be reckOned. All
movable feasts are calculated from Easter.
st. Leo Calls Easter the Feast of
Feasts." the greatest Of Christian So
lemnities. The resurrection of Christ,
which II commentaries. Is. indeed, the
central doctrine OF Christianity: and St
Paul declares that IT Christ be not risen.
then is our preaching vain, and we are of
all men most miserable" The church
herself prOclaims Easter as the day
which the Lord has made, and shows
her JOY and gladness by chanting before
mass the 'Vidi Aquam." instead OF the
"Asperges' - the frequent repetition of
the ''alleluia" corresponding to the viva"
Of modern tongues-and magnificent can
ticles Of Joy and triumph.
Il would be hard to 6nd a more start
ling illustration Of the tremendous power
exercised by the Papacy even in this
twentieth century, than that afforded by
the new legislation on marriage and es-
pousals. which goes into effect in all
|Christendom on Easter Sunday.
For years past efforts have been made
in this country to secure uniform legisIa-
tion among the different States concern
ing marriage and divorce, and thus to
abolish the dreadful chaos that now reigns
In the matter; but in vain. As Arch
bishop Farley. Of New York. observes:
Neither the law of the land. nor popular
education. nor culture. nor high station.
has any sanction sufficient 10 safeguard
marriage from the unspeakable dangers
that threaten the life of the family"
Bat with the stroke Of pen Plus Y