Course 4, Chapter 38: Christianity visible. — Easter

1. What is the feast of Easter or the Pasch?

It is the day on which our Lord raised himself to life again. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith and our hope. For this reason the church celebrates with so much pomp and joy the memory of this great event.

2. What does the word Pasch mean?

It means passage or pass-over; that is to say, for the Jews, the passage of the exterminating angel, and their deliverance from the servitude of Egypt; and for Christians, the passage of our Lord from death to life, and our deliverance from the slavery of sin and the devil.

3. Why is a procession made before mass?

The procession is made before mass in memory of the journey which the apostles and disciples made

into Galilee, when our Lord sent them word by the holy women, saying, Go into Galilee, there they shall tee me.

4. Why is a procession made at vespers?

Because formerly the newly baptised were conducted to the font to return thanks for their baptism received the evening previous.

5. What psalms are sung during the procession at vespers?

Tl>e psalms Laudctte pueri and In exitit Israel, are sung to express the joy we should feel at being delivered by baptism from the empire of the devil and of sin.

6. What must we do in order to celebrate worthily the feast of Raster?

We must: 1 st, believe firmly in the resurrection of our Lord; 2d, return him thanks for having been born, having died and raised himself to life again, for us; 3d, we must rise from sin to o;race, in order that after Easter we may lead a new life, the pledge of a i^lorious resurrection at the day of judgment.