For us here on the east coast the Spring Equinox will arrive at 6:45 PM. This transition from winter to spring is the first date you need to calculate the date for Easter.
The next marker is full moon which will arrive April 4 at 8:06 AM.
Tomorrow is the 1st day of the Hebrew month of Nisan.We must remember that days in the Hebrew calendar begin at sunset.
Tonight is the new moon that marks the new month
Passover begins on the 15th, the full moon.
And we celebrate Easter on the Sunday after that.
It seems overly complicated at first glance but it reminds us of some very important aspects of our faith. Firstly that our Christian Faith remains rooted in the faith of the people of Israel. For a Christian to be antisemitic would be like a child hating its parents.
Secondly, it reminds us that we believe in a God who not only created the universe but set it in order with its own laws. As the first chapter of Genesis describes it, God brought order out of chaos. The movement of the Sun and the Moon are the constant reminders of the order and natural law which God infused into his creation.
Friday evening as many of us are gathering to celebrate the Passion of Our Lord, our Jewish brothers and sisters will be lighting the candles that mark the beginning of Passover. And on Saturday evening as we are lighting the new Easter candle they will be lighting the candles that Mark the eve of the Second Day of Passover.
Tonight as we look up at the sky let us remember all of the generations throughout the centuries who have gone before in faith.
