Here we are: the final day of Lent! Well, I just got back from Easter Vigil Mass (the longest mass of the Catholic Church, running at least three wonderful hours), so it is technically Easter. You see, the Catholic Church follows the long held (until the Industrial Revolution) tradition of sunset being the start of each new day. This explains a mystery that had bothered me when I was younger.
Jesus says that He will rebuild "this temple" (meaning His body) in three days. The Church often talks about Jesus rising on the third day, yet He died around noon on a Friday and rises again on Saturday night. That's only a day and a half ... until you take the sunset deal into account.
Jesus dies and is buried before sunset on Friday so that the Jews do not violate their law which does not allow a person convicted of a capital crime to hang from a tree (or remain crucified) during the Sabbath. This is the first day. God takes the Sabbath off (that's right, the Sabbath is Saturday, not Sunday); He has since the first week of time. This is the second day. Night falls on Saturday (which is actually Sunday due to the tradition of sunset being the end of the day), and Jesus rises from the dead, bringing salvation to all of the world. The third day!
Alleluia!
Jesus says that He will rebuild "this temple" (meaning His body) in three days. The Church often talks about Jesus rising on the third day, yet He died around noon on a Friday and rises again on Saturday night. That's only a day and a half ... until you take the sunset deal into account.
Jesus dies and is buried before sunset on Friday so that the Jews do not violate their law which does not allow a person convicted of a capital crime to hang from a tree (or remain crucified) during the Sabbath. This is the first day. God takes the Sabbath off (that's right, the Sabbath is Saturday, not Sunday); He has since the first week of time. This is the second day. Night falls on Saturday (which is actually Sunday due to the tradition of sunset being the end of the day), and Jesus rises from the dead, bringing salvation to all of the world. The third day!
Alleluia!
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