Because so many of you enjoyed our Lenten Box questions, we have decided to continue asking clergy to respond weekly to questions pertaining to the Catholic faith. This week’s question is answered by Father Martin Nguyen of Holy Family Parish, Orlando.

Are we still in Easter?

The Celebration of the Triduum and Easter Sunday is the focal point of our Catholic faith. In fact, the joy of the Lord’s Resurrection is solemnly celebrated, not only for one day, but for a whole octave, that is, for eight days straight (From Easter Sunday to the 2nd Sunday, which is more commonly known as Divine Mercy Sunday). Well, we passed that. So, are we still in Easter? Most certainly! Recall that after the Resurrection, the Lord remained with His disciples for another 40 days. He did so in order to rebuild their spirits completely shattered and crushed by the trauma of the crucifixion. Afterward, He ascended to heaven and returned to God the Father. Now, physically the Lord might not be on earth with them, but He left them a promise that He would remain with them to the end of the age (cf. Mt. 28:20). One dramatic way for Him to fulfill this promise was the coming of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who arrived on Pentecost. On that fateful day, the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the disciples gathered in the Upper Room for prayers. The Spirit enabled them with boldness and the ability to speak in different tongues (cf. Acts 2:1-13). On the same day, after Saint Peter spoke to the crowd, about 3,000 people converted and were baptized (cf. Acts 2:14-41). Thus, Pentecost (50 days after Easter Sunday) is also considered the birthday of the Church and the official conclusion of the Season of Easter. For that reason, until then, keep celebrating with joy the amazing victory of Christ over death. His resurrection is indeed the reason for our hope!

April 27, 2022