#AtoZChallenge: A is for Alleluia

Resurrection of Christ by Hans Rottenhammer

Christus resurrexit! Resurrexit vere!
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

In the Christian world, today is not just April 1 but the most important day of our year. Indeed, it is the entire reason for calling ourselves Christians. This is the day that we commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his glorious sacrifice for us all. In the original Greek and in most romance languages, it is known as Pascha, from the Hebrew Pesach, referring to the original Jewish Passover. The English-speaking world has the slightly different Easter from the Old English Ēastre, which in its turn is denoted from the Old English goddess, Ēostre. As the Church converted the Anglo-Saxons, as it has done in so many other cultures, it found that it was easier for the newly converted peoples to use an old term for their new faith and practices.

"Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated 'Paschal month,' and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate that Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old observance." Bede, Anglo-Saxon monk, 8th century

In the Catholic Church, this is the day we celebrate our Lord's great victory with many alleluias. We always sing alleluia in the Mass except for times of mourning or repentance. Lent, the 40 days before Easter, was a repentant season, heavy with the knowledge of the sacrifice to come and our own part in its necessity. Rejoicing would not have been appropriate, given its gravity. But now, Jesus is risen, and the joy of the alleluias rings out from every Mass. It is an instinctive exclamation of ecstatic joy, a form of ovation and praise that carries Christ's victory in every note. Its very meaning from the Hebrew use has not been changed, a literal "All hail to Him Who is!"

I hope this Easter Sunday brings you and your loved ones that same great joy and much celebration. From my family to yours, Happy Easter and Alleluia!

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 This is a post for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge, which involves writing one post every day for the entire month, using the alphabet as a theme. I hope to see you tomorrow for the letter B!