25. Passing Over Death

There are three words that we use, all having the same root: Passion, Paschal, and Passover. Despite how commercialism has effected the celebration of our feasts, Easter is our most important one. The significance of Christmas is that Christ received his body from Mary. Without a body he could not conquer death from our side of the equation. His death (suffering his Passion) was not for the sake of dying, but that he might rise again. The other two words are similar. He passed over death into life. This reality is made present and effective in the liturgy.