Everyone celebrates Easter differently. I honor the religious significance of the resurrection of Jesus. For many, Easter Sunday is a symbol of Jesus’s love and a day to celebrate the resurrection, a reminder of the hope and joy of the day.
All joy and peace to all, for He has risen.
The Friday that comes before Easter is Good Friday. Good Friday has religious significance since it is the day that Jesus Christ was crucified. Good Friday is regarded as a day of mourning among Christians. Special church services are held on Good Friday. Read on to discover why we believe.
After much research and calculations, religious scholars concluded that Jesus’ crucifixion took place on a Friday. The estimated year of Jesus’ crucifixion is 33 AD. Good Friday is also referred to as Black Friday, Holy Friday, and Great Friday.
The famous Bible story begins with Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus. Despite being one of Christ’s disciples, Judas betrayed Christ. Jesus was brought before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Although Pilate could not find any evidence against Jesus, he gave in to the crowd’s clamor to crucify Christ. Christ was flogged, made to wear a crown of thorns, and eventually crucified alongside two common criminals. The story goes that when Christ finally gave up his spirit there was an earthquake. This happened on Friday, which later came to be known as Good Friday.
Jesus’s followers later placed his body in a tomb just before sunset. However, the wondrous tale does not end here. On the third day, which is now known as Easter, Jesus rose from the grave. As an American author, Susan Coolidge put it, “Earth’s saddest day and gladdest day were just three days apart!” This is why most Easter quotes brim over with happiness. A famous quote by Carl Knudsen goes, “The story of Easter is the story of God’s wonderful window of divine surprise.” It’s why we believe.
The tale of Good Friday is incomplete without the optimism of Easter. Christ’s death by crucifixion is closely followed by his resurrection. Similarly, the promise of eternal life follows the despair of death. 20th century English Christian leader and Anglican cleric John Stott once proclaimed, “We live and die; Christ died and lived!” In these words lies the promise of Easter. The gloom of death is replaced with unsullied joy, an optimism that shines through in these words of St. Augustine, “And he departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here.” If you seek a deeper understanding of Christianity, this collection of Easter quotes and sayings may be insightful.
Christ’s death on the cross is regarded as the supreme sacrifice. The crucifixion and the following resurrection are widely regarded as the triumph of good over evil. Augustus William Hare, writer, historian and reverend, expressed his beliefs beautifully in the following lines, “The cross was two pieces of dead wood; and a helpless, unresisting Man was nailed to it; yet it was mightier than the world, and triumphed, and will ever triumph over it.” Learn more about the Christian beliefs about Christ’s crucifixion with these Good Friday quotes below.
The prevailing mood on Good Friday is that of repentance, not celebration. Churches remain undecorated on this Friday of the Holy Week. Church bells do not ring. Some churches cover the altar with black cloth as a sign of mourning.
On Good Friday, pilgrims to Jerusalem follow the path Jesus walked carrying his cross. The pilgrims stop at the twelve “stations of the cross”, as a reminder of Jesus’ sufferings and death. Similar walks are observed around the world, especially among Roman Catholics who undertake the walk in a bid to atone for Jesus’s agonies.
Special services are held in many churches. Some organize dramatic renderings of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Christ.
Children often look forward to eating hot cross buns on Good Friday. Hot cross buns are so-called because of the pastry cross that runs across them. The cross reminds Christians of the cross on which Jesus died. In addition to eating hot cross buns, families often clean their homes on Good Friday to prepare for the big celebration on Easter Sunday.
Among other things, Good Friday is a reminder of the compassion and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you believe in religion, Good Friday tells us a tale of hope. The Bible upholds the teachings of Jesus — words of wisdom that are valid even after two thousand years.
Jesus spoke of love, forgiveness, and truth, and not of violence, fanaticism, or revenge. He urged his followers to tread the path of goodness. Regardless of whether Good Friday is near or far, we all stand to gain from these Jesus Christ quotes. Spread the Good Friday message of compassion and love through these quotes.
John 3:16
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.
Augustus William Hare
The cross was two pieces of dead wood; and a helpless, unresisting Man was nailed to it; yet it was mightier than the world, and triumphed, and will ever triumph over it.
Robert G. Trache
Good Friday is the mirror held up by Jesus so that we can see ourselves in all our stark reality, and then it turns us to that cross and to his eyes and we hear these words, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” That’s us!
Theodore Ledyard Cuyler
Exalt the Cross! God has hung the destiny of the race upon it. Other things we may do in the realm of ethics, and on the lines of philanthropic reforms; but our main duty converges into setting that one glorious beacon of salvation, Calvary’s Cross, before the gaze of every immortal soul.
William Penn
So shall we join the disciples of our Lord, keeping faith in Him in spite of the crucifixion, and making ready, by our loyalty to Him in the days of His darkness, for the time when we shall enter into His triumph in No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.
Robert G. Trache
There is no faith in Jesus without understanding that on the cross we see into the heart of God and find it filled with mercy for the sinner whoever he or she may be.
Bill Hybels
God led Jesus to a cross, not a crown, and yet that cross ultimately proved to be the gateway to freedom and forgiveness for every sinner in the world.
T. S. Eliot
The dripping blood our only drink,
The bloody flesh our only food:
In spite of which we like to think
That we are sound, substantial flesh and blood–
Again, in spite of that, we call this Friday good.
by & thoughtco.com
Credit: Richard Goerg/Getty Images
The religious holiday of Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as described in the Bible’s New Testament. Although it is observed as the holiest day by both Orthodox Christians and non-orthodox Christians, it is a movable feast and is recognized on different days by both religions each year. Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter later than most Christians in the western world because the churches calculate the holiday by different calendars. Thus, in 2026, Orthodox Easter occurs on April 12.
Many Orthodox Christian churches, including the Greek Orthodox and the Russian Orthodox churches, celebrate the “miracle of Easter” on the Easter Sunday date in the Julian calendar. Most people see Easter as the most important event in the church calendar. Orthodox Easter preparations begin with 40 days of strict fasting prior to Easter Day. Many Orthodox Christians attend liturgies during the Holy Week that leads up to Easter Sunday.
Another tradition observed in many Orthodox Christian churches is the blessing of food baskets. The baskets are usually filled with bread, cheese, meat, eggs, butter, salt, and other types of food used for Paschal celebrations. When the fasting period has ended and meat and dairy products can be eaten.
According to the Bible’s New Testament, Jesus Christ was crucified by the Romans around A.D. 30, died on the cross on a Friday and was buried in a tomb outside of Jerusalem. Three days later, on Sunday, Christ rose from the dead, according to Matthew 28:1–10.
Non-Orthodox Christians celebrate the resurrection each year on Easter Sunday, the culmination of the 40-day season of Lent. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with Holy Week. Holy Week includes Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, Maundy Thursday, honoring the Last Supper, Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified and Holy Saturday, the time of transition between the crucifixion and resurrection.
How Is the Date of Easter Determined?
Orthodox Christians, who believe faith is inseparable from the church, follow the Julian calendar when it comes to celebrating Easter Sunday. The Julian calendar was established by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. and is based on the solar cycle—Earth’s revolutions around the sun.
Orthodox Easter takes place between April 4 and May 8. According to the New Testament, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ took place after he entered Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII instituted the Gregorian calendar to correct inaccuracies in the Julian Calendar. The new calendar added leap years to correct an 11-minute miscalculation that caused seasons to become out of sync with the calendar. That pushed Easter away from the spring equinox. Under the Gregorian calendar, churches established Easter to be held on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox.
Much of the world came to officially recognize the Gregorian calendar, but Orthodox churches, primarily in Greece, Cyprus, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria and others, continue to observe Easter according to the Julian calendar.
As with many Christian holidays, decorating eggs, which symbolize new life, dates back to the 13th century when the church disallowed eating eggs during Holy Week, and they were decorated instead. The Easter egg is hard-boiled and often dyed red to symbolize the blood of Christ. It was an important symbol connected with spring fertility rituals in many early civilizations. Many Greek Orthodox Christians rap their eggs against their friends’ eggs and the owner of the last uncracked egg is considered lucky.
Another important symbol associated with Easter is the lamb. It is often depicted with a banner that bears a cross, and it is known as the Agnus Dei, meaning “Lamb of God” in Latin.
Both Orthodox Christians and non-Orthodox Christians celebrate the Easter holiday with joyous church services, often punctuated with white lilies, followed by family meals and gatherings. Eastern Orthodox churches often hold a Paschal Vigil on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. A candlelight procession may be held that night, with Easter services and celebrations beginning at midnight.
Traditional Christian Easter meals often include ham, spring vegetables and hot-cross buns (sweet rolls scored with a cross on top). At Orthodox Christian Easter dinners, along with red-dyed hard-boiled eggs, which are symbolic of the blood of Christ, lamb is typically served. John 1:29 says, “Behold the lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world.”
Source: history.com©
Today is Ash Wednesday, a solemn day of fasting and reflection that signals the start of Lent, the most penitential season of the church calendar for Catholics and many other Christians.
On Ash Wednesday, many Christians go to church for a service that emphasizes the start of a season of reflection, self-denial and repentance from sin.
Worshippers receive ashes, commonly imposed in the shape of a cross on the forehead. The officiant typically says, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” a stark reminder that death is part of life and that one should focus on things of the spirit. Or the officiant says, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
Ash Wednesday is considered an obligatory fast day for Roman Catholics between 18 and 59 — meaning limiting food to one full meal and two smaller-than-normal meals.
Many Protestants — particularly those in Episcopal, Lutheran and other historic churches — also mark Ash Wednesday with similar liturgies.
In recent years, many Episcopal and other churches in the United States have begun offering “Ashes to Go” in parking lots, commuter-rail stations and elsewhere. Clergy offer to impose ashes on busy workers and others who want to participate in the ritual but may lack the time to get to church.
Chaplains of various denominations offer ashes at airport chapels and other sites.
Among other Protestants, such as Baptists and other evangelical groups, traditions vary. Some observe Ash Wednesday and Lent, others don’t. But they often have their own penitential and ascetic traditions. Many Pentecostals, for example, fast for a period in January to consecrate the year ahead.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, leading up to observances of Jesus’ death on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter.
Ash Wednesday is designated by counting backward 40 days from Easter, minus the Sundays.
During Lent, the faithful devote themselves to prayer and other devotions, as well as charitable deeds, fasting and other forms of self-discipline. People speak of giving up something for Lent — stereotypically chocolate, but really anything that one finds difficult to do without. These days, that might mean reducing screen time.
Many churches also have extra times of devotions and other activities. Catholics often have group meditations on the Stations of the Cross, marking different events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus.
Observant Catholics also abstain from meat on Fridays — though not fish.
To that point, Lent is not all solemnity. For many Catholic parishes in the U.S., the Friday fish fry has become a tradition combining food, fundraising and community bonding.
Ash Wednesday is not a fixed date. Its timing is tied to Easter Sunday. For most Christians, Easter will fall on April 5 this year.
Source: pbs.org©
President Trump issues a presidential message on the Catholic “feast of the Immaculate Conception,” recognizing that “for nearly 250 years, Mary has played a distinct role in our great American story.”
Washington DC – President Donald Trump celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in an unprecedented White House statement dominated by religious imagery.
“For nearly 250 years, Mary has played a distinct role in our great American story,” read a statement put out by the White House on Monday.
“Over the ages, American legends like Elizabeth Ann Seton, Frances Xavier Cabrini, and Fulton Sheen, who spent their lives glorifying God in service to others, have held a deep devotion to Mary,” it continued.
“Today, we look to Mary once again for inspiration and encouragement as we pray for an end to war and for a new and lasting era of peace, prosperity, and harmony in Europe and throughout the world.”
The statement concluded with the Hail Mary prayer, which reads: “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
A large proportion of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet are made up of Catholics, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, giving them a highly influential role in the administration.
The White House statement was highly unusual, marking the first time a US president has chosen to address Catholics on the day of the feast.
Source: TAG24 NEWS©
Photo credit: © AFP/Alex Wong/Getty Images
Pope Leo XIV is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. He was elected pope in the 2025 conclave on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis. Born in Chicago, United States, Prevost joined the Order of Saint Augustine as a young man, and was ordained priest in 1982.
American cardinals who voted in the conclave played down the significance of the new pope’s roots in the United States, saying his service to the poor and the church had propelled him to the papacy.
Source: wikipedia©
Photo credit: people.com©
There are always front-runners, known as “papabile,” who have at least some of the qualities considered necessary to be pope — much like those depicted in last year’s Oscar-winning film “Conclave.”
Any baptized Catholic male is eligible, though only cardinals have been selected since 1378. The winner must receive at least two-thirds of the vote from those cardinals under age 80 and thus eligible to participate. Pope Francis, who died Monday, appointed the vast majority of electors, often tapping men who share his pastoral priorities, suggesting continuity rather than rupture.
Anyone trying to handicap the outcome should remember that Jorge Mario Bergoglio was considered too old to be elected pope in 2013 at age 76, and that Karol Wojtyla wasn’t on any front-runner lists going into the 1978 conclave that elected him Pope John Paul II.
Some possible candidates:
Erdo, 72, the archbishop of Budapest and primate of Hungary, was twice elected head of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences, in 2005 and 2011, suggesting he enjoys the esteem of European cardinals who make up the biggest voting bloc of electors. In that capacity, Erdo got to know many African cardinals because the council hosts regular sessions with African bishops’ conferences. Erdo had even more exposure when he helped organize Francis’ 2014 and 2015 Vatican meetings on the family and delivered key speeches, as well as during papal visits to Budapest in 2021 and 2023.
Marx, 71, the archbishop of Munich and Freising, was chosen by Francis as a key advisor in 2013. Marx later was named to head the council overseeing Vatican finances during reforms and belt-tightening. The former president of the German bishops’ conference was a strong proponent of the controversial “synodal path” process of dialogue in the German church that began in 2020 as a response to the clergy sexual abuse scandal there. As a result, he is viewed with skepticism by conservatives who considered the process a threat to church unity, given it involved debating issues such as celibacy, homosexuality and women’s ordination. Marx made headlines in 2021 when he dramatically offered to resign as archbishop to atone for the German church’s dreadful abuse record, but Francis quickly rejected the resignation and told him to stay.
Ouellet, 80, of Canada, led the Vatican’s influential bishops office for over a decade, overseeing the key clearinghouse for potential candidates to head dioceses around the world. Francis kept Ouellet in the job until 2023, even though he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI, and thus helped select the more doctrinaire bishops preferred by the German pontiff. Considered more of a conservative than Francis, Ouellet still selected pastorally minded bishops to reflect Francis’ belief that bishops should “smell like the sheep” of their flock. Ouellet defended priestly celibacy for the Latin Rite church and upheld the ban on women’s ordination but called for women to have a greater role in church governance. He has good contacts with the Latin American church, having headed the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for Latin America for over a decade. Since 2019, his office has taken charge of investigating bishops accused of covering up for predator priests, a job that would have made him no friends among those sanctioned but also could have given him lots of otherwise confidential and possibly compromising information about fellow cardinals.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Happy Easter!
In this lesson about Easter Sunday, you are challenged to match some common Easter vocabulary which celebrates the most holy day of the year for Christians.
Paragraph 1
Easter Sunday commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important Christian celebration. The date of Easter Sunday changes every year, and that changes the date of all the important holy days that come before Easter. It falls between late March and late May. Easter is so important because Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead, two days after he died on the cross. Jesus’ dead body was buried in a cave on Good Friday and two days later the stone that covered the cave’s entrance had been moved and Jesus’ body had gone. Various people saw Jesus in the following days, and his followers understood God had raised him from the dead. Historians say this happened some time between 26 and 36 AD.
Paragraph 1 Match the following phrases from the article.
| 1. Easter Sunday commemorates | a. | from the dead | |
| 2 all the important | b. | 26 and 36 AD | |
| 3. Christians believe that Jesus rose | c. | on the cross | |
| 4. two days after he died | d. | the resurrection of Jesus | |
| 5. God had raised | e. | holy days | |
| 6. some time between | f. | him from the dead |
Paragraph 2
People celebrate Easter in many ways around the world. It is a very busy time for churches. Many Christians light a special Paschal candle on the evening before Easter. This represents the rising of Christ. There are special songs and hymns which people sing in church. Children like Easter because their parents and grandparents give them chocolate Easter eggs, a sign of new birth. Schoolchildren usually decorate eggs and display them in their school or give them as gifts. Other things associated with Easter are the Easter Bunny and spring flowers like irises. At the Vatican, the Pope blesses thousands of visitors who congregate in St. Peter’s Square. This is known as “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and to the World”).
Paragraph 2 Match the following phrases from the article.
| 1. Christians light a special | a. | with Easter | |
| 2 This represents | b. | of new birth | |
| 3. a sign | c. | congregate | |
| 4. Schoolchildren usually | d. | Paschal candle | |
| 5. Other things associated | e. | decorate eggs | |
| 6. visitors who | f. | the rising of Christ |
Sources: wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.
The Friday that comes before Easter is Good Friday. Good Friday has religious significance since it is the day that Jesus Christ was crucified. Good Friday is regarded as a day of mourning among Christians. Special church services are held on Good Friday. Read on to discover why we believe.
After much research and calculations, religious scholars concluded that Jesus’ crucifixion took place on a Friday. The estimated year of Jesus’ crucifixion is 33 AD. Good Friday is also referred to as Black Friday, Holy Friday, and Great Friday.
The famous Bible story begins with Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus. Despite being one of Christ’s disciples, Judas betrayed Christ. Jesus was brought before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Although Pilate could not find any evidence against Jesus, he gave in to the crowd’s clamor to crucify Christ. Christ was flogged, made to wear a crown of thorns, and eventually crucified alongside two common criminals. The story goes that when Christ finally gave up his spirit there was an earthquake. This happened on Friday, which later came to be known as Good Friday.
Jesus’s followers later placed his body in a tomb just before sunset. However, the wondrous tale does not end here. On the third day, which is now known as Easter, Jesus rose from the grave. As an American author, Susan Coolidge put it, “Earth’s saddest day and gladdest day were just three days apart!” This is why most Easter quotes brim over with happiness. A famous quote by Carl Knudsen goes, “The story of Easter is the story of God’s wonderful window of divine surprise.” It’s why we believe.
The tale of Good Friday is incomplete without the optimism of Easter. Christ’s death by crucifixion is closely followed by his resurrection. Similarly, the promise of eternal life follows the despair of death. 20th century English Christian leader and Anglican cleric John Stott once proclaimed, “We live and die; Christ died and lived!” In these words lies the promise of Easter. The gloom of death is replaced with unsullied joy, an optimism that shines through in these words of St. Augustine, “And he departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here.” If you seek a deeper understanding of Christianity, this collection of Easter quotes and sayings may be insightful.
Christ’s death on the cross is regarded as the supreme sacrifice. The crucifixion and the following resurrection are widely regarded as the triumph of good over evil. Augustus William Hare, writer, historian and reverend, expressed his beliefs beautifully in the following lines, “The cross was two pieces of dead wood; and a helpless, unresisting Man was nailed to it; yet it was mightier than the world, and triumphed, and will ever triumph over it.” Learn more about the Christian beliefs about Christ’s crucifixion with these Good Friday quotes below.
The prevailing mood on Good Friday is that of repentance, not celebration. Churches remain undecorated on this Friday of the Holy Week. Church bells do not ring. Some churches cover the altar with black cloth as a sign of mourning.
On Good Friday, pilgrims to Jerusalem follow the path Jesus walked carrying his cross. The pilgrims stop at the twelve “stations of the cross”, as a reminder of Jesus’ sufferings and death. Similar walks are observed around the world, especially among Roman Catholics who undertake the walk in a bid to atone for Jesus’s agonies.
Special services are held in many churches. Some organize dramatic renderings of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Christ.
Children often look forward to eating hot cross buns on Good Friday. Hot cross buns are so-called because of the pastry cross that runs across them. The cross reminds Christians of the cross on which Jesus died. In addition to eating hot cross buns, families often clean their homes on Good Friday to prepare for the big celebration on Easter Sunday.
Among other things, Good Friday is a reminder of the compassion and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you believe in religion, Good Friday tells us a tale of hope. The Bible upholds the teachings of Jesus — words of wisdom that are valid even after two thousand years.
Jesus spoke of love, forgiveness, and truth, and not of violence, fanaticism, or revenge. He urged his followers to tread the path of goodness. Regardless of whether Good Friday is near or far, we all stand to gain from these Jesus Christ quotes. Spread the Good Friday message of compassion and love through these quotes.
John 3:16
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.
Augustus William Hare
The cross was two pieces of dead wood; and a helpless, unresisting Man was nailed to it; yet it was mightier than the world, and triumphed, and will ever triumph over it.
Robert G. Trache
Good Friday is the mirror held up by Jesus so that we can see ourselves in all our stark reality, and then it turns us to that cross and to his eyes and we hear these words, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” That’s us!
Theodore Ledyard Cuyler
Exalt the Cross! God has hung the destiny of the race upon it. Other things we may do in the realm of ethics, and on the lines of philanthropic reforms; but our main duty converges into setting that one glorious beacon of salvation, Calvary’s Cross, before the gaze of every immortal soul.
William Penn
So shall we join the disciples of our Lord, keeping faith in Him in spite of the crucifixion, and making ready, by our loyalty to Him in the days of His darkness, for the time when we shall enter into His triumph in No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.
Robert G. Trache
There is no faith in Jesus without understanding that on the cross we see into the heart of God and find it filled with mercy for the sinner whoever he or she may be.
Bill Hybels
God led Jesus to a cross, not a crown, and yet that cross ultimately proved to be the gateway to freedom and forgiveness for every sinner in the world.
T. S. Eliot
The dripping blood our only drink,
The bloody flesh our only food:
In spite of which we like to think
That we are sound, substantial flesh and blood–
Again, in spite of that, we call this Friday good.
by & thoughtco.com
Credit: Richard Goerg/Getty Images
