“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118
To celebrate Easter well is to learn how to live a truly human life. Right now, this Easter season, we have an utterly unique opportunity to achieve something transcendently important.
As surely as the reality of Easter is itself a great gift, so also our celebration of it and the fruits this celebration can bring are great gifts—especially if we are intentional in our observance. At issue here is not just one particular feast; at issue is the meaning of life and our ability to recognize it and live it.
From the start Christians have discovered in scripture, including and even especially the Old Testament, words that highlight the reality of Easter and how that reality can and should form our daily life. The immortal words of Psalm 118 capture at once both the unique power of the day of resurrection, as well as the truth about every day of our life.
THIS is the day the Lord has made. And given how he has crafted this day—in its every aspect, in all that has led up to it, and in all that it implies—we discover what should be our root disposition toward it. Let us rejoice and be glad. Herein is a synopsis of the Christian worldview as well as the individual Christian’s daily calling.
Another psalm, quoted in the ancient Easter song the ‘Exsultet,’ likewise points to Easter day and its meaning for our every day. “And the night will be as bright as day.” (Psalm 139) Night has many forms, from the darkness following sunset to the darkness of every kind of suffering and pain. Easter has permanently altered the place of ‘night’ in human life. Now even the darkest of suffering can be suffused with brightness. This is not mere wishful thinking; it is our faith, and the object of our constant striving.
We are also given words of admonition to check our folly and remind us of the common sense that gives direction to our days. “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24) Indeed, how often do I forget what real life is, and invest myself in what can only lead to disappointment.
Christians have always had the conviction that to celebrate Easter is precisely the practice of life itself, so we set aside a long season, the most sacred or set-apart of all seasons. Indeed, Lent was our preparation for doing this. And this, this is the day the Lord has made.
Wishing you all the blessings of this holy season. ~ ~ ~
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Husband, father, and professor of Philosophy. LifeCraft springs from one conviction: there is an ancient wisdom about how to live the good life in our homes, with our families; and it is worth our time to hearken to it. Let’s rediscover it together. Learn more.
