Proclamation of the Date of Easter on Epiphany

20 + C + M + B + 09

Dear brothers and sisters, the glory of the Lord has shone upon us,
and shall ever be manifest among us, until the day of his return.
through the rhythms of times and seasons
let us celebrate the mysteries of salvation.

Let us recall the year's culmination, the Easter Triduum of the Lord:
his last supper, his crucifixion, his burial, and his rising, celebrated
between the evening of the 9th of April
and the evening of the 12th of April.

Each Easter - as on each Sunday -
the Holy Church makes present the great and saving deed
by which Christ has for ever conquered sin and death.

From Easter are reckoned all the days which we keep holy.
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, will occur on the 25th of February.
The Ascension of the Lord will be commemorated on the 21st [or 24th] of May.
Pentecost, the joyful conclusion of the season of Easter, will be celebrated on the 31st of May.
And this year the First Sunday of Advent will be on the 29th of November.

Likewise the pilgrim Church proclaims the passover of Christ
in the feasts of the holy Mother of God, in the feasts of the Apostles and Saints,
and in the commemoration of the faithful departed.

To Jesus Christ, who was, who is, and who is to come, Lord of time and history,
be endless praise, for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Proclamation of the Date of Easter on Epiphany dates from a time when calendars were not readily available. It was necessary to make known the date of Easter in advance, since many celebrations of the liturgical year depend on its date. The number of Sundays that follow Epiphany, the date of Ash Wednesday, and the number of Sundays that follow Pentecost are all computed in relation to Easter.

Although the calendars now give the date of Easter and the other feasts in the liturgical year many years in advance, the Epiphany proclamation still has value. It is a reminder of the centrality of the resurrection of the Lord in the liturgical year and the importance of the great mysteries of faith which are celebrated each year.

Source: MAGNIFICAT; January 2009 - Vol. 10, No. 12