Calculating the date of Easter is a complicated business, which I won’t detail here. However, it got more complicated when the Gregorian calendar began to be adopted
in Western Europe in the sixteenth century and we diverged from the practice of the Eastern churches. The result is that, most years, East and West celebrate Easter on different days.
This year, though, is one of those occasions when we all line up on the same date. It is nice timing, because this year we mark the 1700th anniversary of the opening of the Council of Nicea, which set a common observance throughout the Church, still then breathing with both lungs.
More importantly than setting the date of Easter, Nicea tackled the difficult task of finding language to express the core of Christian faith: that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly human.
The events we ponder at Easter: that Jesus Christ was crucified, died and was buried; and rose again on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; derive their power from our belief that he took flesh of our sister the Virgin Mary and remained God. Otherwise, those events might be poignantly beautiful, but ineffective in the forgiveness of sin and the defeat of death.
In this world torn and battered by injustices and wars, let’s renew our faith in the offer of reconciliation and new life that we celebrate at Easter. And may we discover how to communicate that hope to all; fulfilling the Church’s mission to be a sign of unity and an instrument of peace.
+Michael McKenna
Bishop of Bathurst
