For centuries the second Sunday after Easter was known as the Good Shepherd Sunday, because the Gospel reading was normally based on the Gospel of John chapter 10, where Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd.” The Sunday was also known as Misericordia Domini from the opening words of the traditional liturgy, based on Psalm…

A few weeks ago I brought my nephew to the airport early in the morning. We took the bus there. After I assured myself that he had been checked in alright, I caught the bus back home. While the bus to the airport was quite full, only one other passengers was on the bus in…

Somehow bunnies and eggs have become associated with Easter. Some say that is because they are symbols of new life. Others suggest that Easter took over an old pagan fertility festival—since rabbits (or hares) and eggs were symbols of fertility they were also associated with Easter. What is true is that in the northern hemisphere…

In some Christian traditions the Easter Vigil on Easter Saturday is an important celebration. While in the early centuries the Easter Vigil was really a waiting for the dawn on Easter Sunday, when the resurrection was celebrated, over the centuries the celebration moved to earlier in the night. I myself have only participated in the…