The Spirit of Easter and the Paschal Mystery
By Brother Thomas Morris of Mepkin Abbey
As we continue to contemplate the Paschal Mysteries, let’s begin with one of the more mundane ones: why do we celebrate Our Lord’s Resurrection on a different day each year? The Roman Catholic Church determines the date by indicating the first Sunday following the first full moon (known as the Paschal Full Moon) following the spring equinox (which the Church always designates as March 21, regardless of when the astronomical equinox occurs). Thus the date for the celebration of Our Lord’s Resurrection is determined by a combination of solar and lunar events, similar to the manner in which the Jewish celebration of Passover is determined. The word Paschal derives from the word pascha which means Passover in Aramaic. For a more in-depth explanation please see, “The Ancient Math That Sets the Date of Easter and Passover” (The Atlantic).
What are we referring to when we speak of the Paschal Mysteries? Loyola Press describes the Paschal Mystery as “… basically the process of dying and rising, death and new life… Jesus Christ’s Passion, death, Resurrection and Ascension are the ULTIMATE event of dying and rising, of death and new life. We learn from Jesus that new life can come from death, that we can find meaning in tough times, that there really is light in the darkness. We learn that all life has this rhythm of dying and rising and that God is with us in good times and bad. Christ’s suffering, death, and new life has forever changed us and given us a different way of living. Death no longer has the last word.”
Another helpful definition is offered by the Catholic Dictionary which states that “Paschal Mystery is a general term to describe the redemptive work of Christ, especially the events of the Last Supper and the Passion, reaching their climax on Easter Sunday.” The Catholic Dictionary goes on to explain that in order to emphasize this redemptive mystery, Pope Paul VI issued the document Paschalis Mysterii whose purpose was to reorganize the liturgical year so as to “permit the faithful to communicate in a more intense way, through faith, hope and love, in the whole mystery of Christ, which… unfolds within the cycle of a year.”
As we journey forth this Easter Season how do the four elements of the Paschal Mystery – Christ’s Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension – play a role in our spiritual and secular lives, especially during this most dramatic and important time of year in the Christian Calendar? How do we die to self and rise to newness in the likeness of Christ?
Viewed individually, the four elements of the Pascal Mystery offer a wealth of insight into both the human and divine aspects of the life of Jesus. When taken as a whole, I sense a common thread running through the Paschal Mystery that is relevant to each and every believer.
There is a word in Greek worth pondering here – it is anamnesis. Literally it means “reminiscence.” It has its origin in Jesus’ words at the Last Supper: “Do this in memory of me.” Anamnesis entails active remembering. It is more like “re-member-ing” (3 parts): putting the members back together.
Isn’t that really what we are hoping to achieve through spiritual reflection and self-denial during Lent and the celebration of Easter? In our dying to self we are attempting to “remember” (reconnect, rejoin) those who have been alienated, lost, wounded, hurt, disenfranchised, and, in need.
Through a praxis approach to celebrating our faith in the risen Christ we have a remedy to a multitude of injustices, including homelessness, poverty, unemployment, discrimination, domestic violence, and every form of abuse.
This Easter Season, as the Body of Christ – and in remembrance of Our Lord’s Paschal Mystery – let us “remember” (to make whole again, to bring back as members) everyone graced with respect and self-respect, since we have all been created in the image and likeness of God. All who are now hurting and struggling often just want to be heard before anything else. It’s an amazingly easy and effective place to begin, though, sadly, such attentive listening is often missing at the most crucial moment in peoples’ lives. Maybe, just maybe, at times, dying to self can simply mean being a good listener, and nothing more. Just that.
In losing ourselves, dying to self, we end up finding ourselves and we realize that our lives are not ultimately about us. What a wonderful place to embark on a road less traveled as we continue to celebrate the spirit of Easter. We can strive toward the pinnacle of our faith, not merely by thanking Jesus, but by adding substance to our thanksgiving by acting like Him in living our own version of the Paschal Mystery in daily life. How do I reflect on my own passion and willingness to suffer; in what ways do I die to myself each day; how do I pick myself up after a fall; and how do I rise above myself placing others’ interests before my own?
St. John of the Cross famously said: “In the end we will all be judged according to love.” This Easter Season allow yourself to be judged, as was Jesus, in the spirit of love and forgiveness allowing the Paschal Mystery to be the focus of your thoughts and prayers as you gather with family and friends. God bless!
