Easter Day

Easter Day

March 31, 2024

Year B

Commentary

Discover the deeper meaning and connections found in this week's readings, through these great commentaries written by our priests.

The Word

Explore this week's readings and hear what God is saying to us through His Word.

Liturgy notes

Find out more about how we can mark this special day in our liturgy.

Music

See our music recommendations for the liturgy.

Commentary

Mgr Canon Jeremy Garratt

‘Resurgam’

There was a fascinating article in a recent edition of The Economist about the extraordinary restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris which was ravaged by fire four years ago. Apparently the hope is that the restored cathedral will formally reopen later this year, well within the five year completion promise made by President Macron. What an amazing feat of reconstruction employing hundreds of expert restorers in various fields artistic expression, engineering and all-but-lost ancient crafts. At the time of publication specialist roofers were covering the exact replica spire, made from mature oaks felled from across France, with lead sheeting, putting the final touches to a feature that will soon once again grace the Paris skyline and announce the ‘resurrection’ of the iconic cathedral.

Fire is a powerful element for both good and ill.  Contained and tamed, it powers our homes, cooks our food, keeps us warm, cleanses and sterilises. It also brings new life.  When there is a forest fire, it leaves behind a trail of destruction, but it also burns up thickening and choking undergrowth allowing new seeds to spring forth and grow healthy in the air and light made possible by the fire. Botanists have found that the seeds of some conifers and other forest plants cannot germinate until they have been baked by a forest fire. Forests depend on fire for renewal and survival.

Our Easter celebrations begin with the dramatic lighting of a new fire symbolising the rekindling of the new life of Jesus in his resurrection. In his rising, Jesus is like the refiner’s fire, burning up impurities, cleansing of sin, and like the annealer’s furnace whose flames strengthen and toughen materials to make them fit for purpose. So too, Jesus rises from the dead to cleanse and renew us, strengthen and empower us and to fill us with the fire of his spirit and a burning desire for the God.

Notre Dame is not the only iconic cathedral to have been damaged by fire. St Paul’s cathedral was totally destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666 along with a vast swathe of insanitary housing and disease-ridden living accommodation allowing for better provision and a healthier environment for Londoners.  Christopher Wren was charged with rebuilding St Paul’s and one day, strolling through the blackened rubble feeling overwhelmed but excited by the challenge, he wondered if he could ever re-create the magnificent cathedral.  Then he came upon a piece of shattered stonework that had fallen in the intensity of the fire. It carried part of an inscription and the only word to survive on this fragment was the word in Latin ‘resurgam’ which means ‘I shall rise again’. This gave Wren hope that the church would rise again from the fire just as Jesus rises from the new fire today to bring new beginnings, new hope, new life and the promise that he can make something beautiful, awesome, amazing and magnificent to the glory of his name even from the ashes of our lives too because we have died to sin with Him and risen to new life in Him through the Baptism by which he shares his whole life with us here and hereafter.

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord

CCC 638-655, 989, 1001-1002: the Resurrection of Christ and our resurrection
CCC 647, 1167-1170, 1243, 1287: Easter, the Lord’s Day
CCC 1212: the Sacraments of Initiation
CCC 1214-1222, 1226-1228, 1234-1245, 1254: Baptism
CCC 1286-1289: Confirmation
CCC 1322-1323: Eucharist

Liturgy notes

Fr Bill Wilson

GENERAL NOTE: This is a day when we receive many visitors: this has implications for welcome, homilies, and newsletters.

MASS TEXTS: The Entrance Antiphon (first choice), Collect, Sequence, Prayer Over the Gifts, Communion Antiphon, and Prayer after Communion express the resurrection not only as a past event, but as a present reality with implications for the Baptised and the Church.

Easter Sequence: There are four sequences in our Lectionary, two of which are optional. This is not one of them. It a thousand years old and possibly has roots as a short play.

1.       an exhortation to offer sacrifice to the Lamb who has conquered death (amplified in the Collect, Prayer Over the Offerings, Preface, and Communion Antiphon)

2.       a dialogue with Mary Magdalene

3.       a credal affirmation (amplified in second Entrance Antiphon and Collect)

4.       a plea for mercy.

How this might be "performed", whether recited or sung? Perhaps, 1. Narrator, 2. A man/men and woman/women 3&4. All. If so, you may need an aid for participants.

PASCHAL: From the Hebrew "pesach" meaning "Passover". This is vitally important for our understanding of Easter, and is amplified several times in our texts: Sequence, Prayer Over the Offerings, Preface, Communion Antiphon, and Prayer After Communion.

RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL PROMISES: There is an option for this to take the place of the Creed. Don’t forget candles!

SOLEMN BLESSING: May be used at end of Mass using formula of the Easter Vigil.

ALLELUIA: At the double!

Music recommendations

Notes These hymns have been chosen from the Laudate Hymnbook:

260 Victimae paschali laudes (L)

267 Jesus Christ is ris'n today (L)

268 Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord (L)

269 At the Lamb's high feast we sing (L)

271 Battle is o'er (L)

273 Easter Hymn (L)

Any questions?

Do you have questions about the liturgy and how we are called to participate in it? Explore how the Church councils, saints, and popes have answered this key question and many more.

Discover the Mass

Every movement of the Mass is rich in meaning but we can become over-familiar with it. Rediscover the Mass and explore how it relates to the Exodus story, where many of its rituals come from, and how it makes Jesus present to us today.