The Great 50 Days of Easter
For many of us, Easter feels like a distant memory. Yet, according to the liturgical calendar, we are just a little over halfway through the Easter season. The church recognizes and celebrates Jesus’ resurrection for 50 whole days, often called “The Great 50 Days of Easter.”
In the church, many of us strive to observe the fasting season of Lent for 40 days, in which we are encouraged to take a spiritual inventory and remove those things that we need to clear out in order to allow more room for God to work in and through us. Yet ironically, when Easter arrives and we are encouraged to feast and rejoice in the unimaginable joy of the resurrection, we too quickly move on.
I once heard someone say, “
It takes us 40 days of Lent to really learn that we cannot save ourselves, and it takes 50 days of Easter to be transformed by the fact that God can.
”
I could not agree more with this statement. After all, the resurrection is a sneak preview or foretaste of what God has in store for you, me and all of His people at the last day and is our assurance that God will do it.
The resurrection is the light by which we are enabled to live our lives, and sharing this good news is the main reason we do everything we do in the church. I don’t know about you, but I think this is worth celebrating for at least 50 days!
The Rev. Chad T. Martin
Vicar