The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1955-04-08
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or lneonsidersts


nferty of winter And the Pdsch or Passover
was the feast which recalled the sparing pass
ing over" of those whose doors were marked with
the blood of the lamb, when the angel of death
smote the Egyptians in the days. of the Jewish
servitude So the Pasch too means newness of
life, or release unto life.
is traditional that in this time Of year,
Our Divine Lord suffered His sacred Pas
sion, and rose glorious and immortal from the
dead. And, rightly and reasonably. the Christian
Church. proclaiming truth. and seeking to spread
it among Jews and Gentiles, gave to existing spring
festivals their true and spiritual meaning by turn.
ing them into the commemoration of Our Lords
Resurrection. For here is no celebration of mere
renewal of earthly life; here is marking of an
ancient life-sparing miracle Here is the feast of
the Lord conquering death, sins dread penalty,
and winning for mankind the opportunity of ever
lasting life in the beatitude of heaven
In 325 AID, the First General Council of the
Church, held at Nice Nicaea in Asia Minor, now
in Asiatic Turkey set the time for the commemora-
tion of Easter Day, the Feast of the Resurrection.
The day celebrated for more than fifteen centur-
les, is the Sunday that comes after the full moon
which follows the vernal equinox, March 81. The
earliest date which Easter can fall is March 22
the latest is April 25 Only twice in the twoceniur
les span between 1900 and 2000 does Easter fall
on April 25,-in 1886 and in f943.
The date of Easter determines the dates of what
are called movable feasts" Figuring back from
Easter Day. the date of Ach Wednesday is fixed;
it is the Wednesday Of the seventh week before
Easter Figuring forward we find the dates of
Ascension, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, Trinity Sun
day, The Feast of the Sacred Heart, the Solemnty
of ST. Joseph
The material celebration of Easter, with its rsb
bits and chicks, and ducks and lambs and eggs
and lilies, and new bonnets, is proper enough II
person keeps in mind the central Joy and glory of
this time The upfted Christian soul finds IN any
decent thing means and instrument to express
spiritual exataton. But if the real meaning of
Easter is omitted obscured, the external trap
pings are indeed but an outer show, and the Easter
Parade is no more dignifed than a minstrel cake
walk; il is only Springtime strut
The Resurrection OF Christ, God and Man, from
the dead, is the real meaning of Easter. And this
same Resurrection is the core and center OF the
Christian Religion. For, St Paul says. IF Christ
be not risen, then is our preaching vain; then IS
your faith vain
Christ Our Lord is Cod one with the Father
and the Holy Ghost in undivided and indvlsible
Divine Essence, Nature Substance. He is the distinct
Divine Person of God and Son who has taken human
nature-the working human essence of body-and
soul with all that belongs to the perfection OF that
essence,--and Joined IL substantially to Himself so
that the Divine Personality of God the Son is the
One Subsistence of the two perfect natures, the di-
vine and the human,
Suffering the Passion and Death in His human
nature but not in His Divine Nature,-for God does
not suffer or die,-it is none the less the Divine
VIII which embraces The suffering, and gives ii in
finite value to redeem mankind and merit heaven
for all who will accept and use The new-won grace,
Even when the elements of Christs human nature
are separated by death; when the human Soul Of
Christ leaves tho Body. the Godhead departs from
neither element The Divinity is still inseparably
united with the Corpse on the Cross, as II Is In
seoarably united with the Soul in Limbo.
Il have the power" says Christ ito lay down
my life, and to take il up again" The soul and
body of Our Lord we're, by His own will, separated
in death And by His own will and divine power,
the soul and the body leach always nseparably
united with the divinity are united again, and He
rises from the dead
The Risen Christ rises in GLORY The earthly mi-
tations of bodily existence mark the Risen Body no
longer, That Body passes unhindered through the
stone that guards the Sepulchre dor the great
stone was rolled back for the benefit of the Apos-
ties and the holy women, not for any need of the
Risen Christi. That Body, now forever united with
its Soul. appears suddenly TO the two disciples on
their way to Emmaus and disappears from their
sight at the breaking of bread That bodily being
of Our Lord comes repeatedly into the presence
of the faithful, though they be within strong walls
and guarded by locked doors
Christ rises immortal Christ, rising from the
dead deth now no more death shall no more have
dominion over Him" And the Risen Christ is no
longer subject to any sort of suffering whatever
In His bodily being, Our Risen Lord gives us pledge
and promise of the glory and Immortality we too
shall have If avail ourselves of His merits and
come to the blessednesS of heaven After the Gen
era Resurrection the bodies of the just shall "shine
The SUM-" they shall not be subject to pain or
injury. they viii move unhindered by material
substance. with the swiftness of light they will
possess The full perfection of maturity, even though
death came in infancy In decripit age. or TO a
body MANNED crippled, torn asunder. The
gifts of the risen and glorifed body we're mani
tested in the Risen Christ, yet in such wise as not
to dazzle alright those who heheld Him. And
His many appearances during the forty days be-
tween Resurrection and Ascension, Our Lord veed
His glory of body, making it suitable for earthly
eyes.
As Easter bears evidence and promise Of life and
Joy unending. its lesson is strong urging TO man
kind to rise permanently TO better life, holier
life, life more earnestly devoted 10 the purpose
for which life is given. The feast day passes, its