Easter is April 20, 2025. It is the celebration of the Lord's resurrection from the dead, culminating in his Ascension to the Father and sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. Easter Week ends on the following Sunday, the 2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday). This octave of Easter comprises the eight days which stretch from the first to the second Sunday. It is a way of prolonging the joy of the initial day. In a sense, every day of the Octave is like a little Sunday.  These eight solemnities, high holy days, comprise about half of the annual solemnities of the church.

There are 50 days of Easter, beginning with Easter Sunday and ending on Pentecost Sunday.  It includes the feast of The Ascension of Our Lord, which is now celebrated on a Sunday, and also contains 5 other Sundays in the season.  During the fifty days of Easter we ask ourselves: “How can we announce the good news of Christ’s saving work?  How can we live our lives in praise and thanksgiving to God?”  On Pentecost we ask: “What vision of God’s kingdom is the Spirit giving us?  How can we put it into action?”  The Spirit says: “Go and do it!”  Pentecost is not the last act in a drama. Our lives in Christ are a continuous journey of unfolding mystery.

The word "Easter" comes from Old English, meaning simply the "East." The sun which rises in the East, bringing light, warmth and hope, is a symbol for the Christian of the rising Christ, who is the true Light of the world. The Paschal Candle is a central symbol of this divine light, which is Christ. It is kept near the ambo throughout Easter Time, and lit for all liturgical celebrations.