Easter Explained: A Time For Fasting and Celebration

Father Martin Asiedu is the new priest of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Bayside.  A native of Ghana, Father Asiedu is relatively new to the neighborhood, having only been at for two months. But that didn’t stop him from sharing with me the true meaning of Easter.

Father, what is Easter and when was Easter first celebrated?

“Easter goes back to the time of Jesus. We, as Catholics, have decided to keep this feast so that generations of Christians may know the mystery that is at the heart of the Christian faith. Christ has died and risen. It is a time for mourning and a time to rejoice.”

Tomorrow is Good Friday. Can you tell our readers the significance of this day?

“Good Friday marks the day which Christ was crucified. Christ died for our sins. He died so that we could be reconciled with God. But it’s not just about sins; it is a time to rejoice. Christ has risen and this gives us an absolute proof of his love.”

 Rejoicing and mourning?  Sounds confusing. Can you tell me a little more?

“Good Friday has a unique significance. Not only is it about suffering, it is a story of God’s love. On this day, humanity received that absolute good from God, and that’s why it’s called Good Friday.”

Many Catholics abstain from eating meat on Good Friday. Can you tell us when this observance began?

“It is in observance to Church tradition. Meat used to be the main component of the meal in the Greco-Roman Empire, is was the most important meal of the day, so abstaining from meat was considered a sacrifice, a means of fasting. Every Friday during the six week Lenten season, many Catholics observe by abstaining meat and by making this offering to the poor.”

What do priests eat on Good Friday?

“Normally bread, vegetables in the evening, maybe something light in the morning. It is a day of fasting. The church only requires two days, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, on these days you must fast, although many people still observe by fasting for six weeks."

When many people hear about Easter, they often think of colored eggs and chocolate bunnies. Are these significant to Catholicism?

“No, not really, these are things that have developed in the Western culture, the Easter Bunny has no significance to the faith. Easter is a solemn period. The three days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter are very solemn.”

What would you like to tell all our readers who observe Easter?

“I wish all of the readers to renew their faith, forgive their neighbors, to pray, and to take fruits from our Easter Celebrations. May God bless you and your families.”