Celia Stone: Week after Easter is bright time for Christians

Bright Week or Pascha Week is the name the Eastern Orthodox use in reference to the week starting on Easter Sunday and ending the Saturday six days later.

Orthodox Christians set aside those seven days to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus in a tremendously meaningful way. At the Council of Trullo in A.D. 692, church fathers wrote in Canon 66 that, “From the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God until the next Lord’s Day, for a whole week, in the holy churches the faithful ought to be free from labour, rejoicing in Christ with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and celebrating the feast and applying their minds to the reading of the holy Scriptures and delighting in the Holy Mysteries; for thus shall we be exalted with Christ and together with him be raised up.”

These joyful remembrances reflect what the gospel writers tell us about the most significant day in history.

“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’” Matthew 28: 1-7.

Of course, celebrating Christ’s resurrection need not be limited to Easter Sunday or Bright Week. It is something that Christians should remember with marvel every day.

Sadly, it is easy for most of us to take this ultimate miracle and gift for granted. The Apostle Paul encourages us to keep the proper perspective of the hope we have.

“It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:13-15.