[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 55 (Thursday, March 29, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4153-S4154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EASTER
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, the poet Alfred Edward Housman, 1859-1936,
wrote in his poem, ``A Shropshire Lad,'' the following verse:
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
The trees are in bloom. In Washington, the annual cherry blossom
festival begins this Saturday, March 31, and runs through April 15. It
is always a beautiful sight, whether viewed under warm and sunny skies
or as the blossoms fall like rain on a misty morning. It is a lovely
celebration of Spring and a welcome complement to Easter.
This year Easter falls on April 8, when the Senate will not be in
session. Each year, of course, Easter falls on a different day,
sometimes with many weeks' difference from year to year. Easter is a
very moveable feast and has been throughout its long history. The
calculation of when to celebrate Easter has varied through the
centuries, being settled for just over 1,427 years by the Council of
Nicea in 325 A.D. But even today, Easter remains a moveable feast.
The Roman Emperor Constantine convoked the Council of Nicea in 325
A.D. to resolve a number of important differences between the religious
practices across his empire. The council decided that the Easter
festival should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon
following the vernal equinox, thus eternally linking the return of
spring with the resurrection of Christ. If the full moon occurred on a
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Sunday and thereby coincided with the Passover festival, council
further decided that Easter would be commemorated on the following
Sunday. The council also declared that the calendar date of Easter
would be calculated at Alexandria, in Egypt, which was the leading
astronomical center of the fourth century world.
This attempt to reconcile Easter celebrations proved difficult,
however, as fourth century astronomy lacked the knowledge to resolve a
discrepancy between the solar and lunar years. As a result, the
differences between the true astronomical year and the Julian calendar
then in use continued to grow. By 387 A.D., churches in France and
Egypt were celebrating Easter on dates 35 days apart. In 465 A.D., the
church adopted a reformed calendar that fixed the date of Easter, but
churches in what is now the United Kingdom refused to adopt the
changes.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII reformed the Julian calendar yet again,
resulting in the calendar in use in much of the West today--the
Gregorian calendar. This new calendar corrected many of the
difficulties in fixing the date of Easter and other important
ecclesiastical dates. When Great Britain and Ireland adopted the
Gregorian calendar in 1752, Easter was celebrated on the same day in
the Western part of the Christian world. However, the Eastern churches
did not adopt the Gregorian calendar, and celebrate Easter on different
dates. Occasionally, the two churches' calculations coincide, and
Easter is celebrated on the same date throughout the world. The last
time that happened was in 1963.
All of these details are fascinating, at least to a longtime fan of
the study of history. I find it thought-provoking to consider how the
study of astronomy and the development of calendars has affected our
daily lives today, as they have the daily life of so many who have come
before us. But does it matter, Mr. President, when we celebrate Easter?
In the long run, I think, the celebration of that momentous moment in
history is far more important than precision on the day of the week.
Few events in history have had a more profound impact on our lives. You
do not have to be a Christian or an adherent of any particular church
or faith, to recognize the impact of Christ's life upon world history,
regardless of which day of the week or week of the year it took place.
Christ's message, brought home by His sacrifice at Easter time and
His subsequent resurrection, changed the lives of billions of people
over the years. In Matthew 28:5-6, we are told, ``The angel said to the
women, `Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus,
who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.' ''
That much change is bound to have an effect on everyone else.
The rise of a new religion and the power and passion of its churches
has changed empires, international boundaries, customs, and lifestyles.
The Christian religion has grown and spread across the globe, sweeping
old religions away.
On this Sunday, Christians observe Palm Sunday, recalling Christ's
triumphant entry into Jerusalem with crosses made of palm leaves like
those that were laid across Christ's path to welcome Him. Next Friday,
Christians will commemorate Christ's sacrifice on Good Friday, when He
took up His crown of thorns and carried His own cross on that long,
sad, walk to be crucified. Then on April 8, church bells will ring, and
sunrise services will celebrate His resurrection from the dead and His
ascension into heaven with the rising sun. It is a deeply moving and
uplifting period, Mr. President, and it does not matter when it
happens--only that it did happen. Beautiful, blessed Easter, giving
hope to us all.
Mr. President, I wish you and yours all the blessings of Easter, with
all of its promise of everlasting life spent in the love of the Lord. I
close with a poem by Louise Lewin Matthews, called ``Easter Morn.''
Easter Morn
(By Louise Lewin Matthews)
Easter morn with lilies fair
Fills the church with perfumes rare,
As their clouds of incense rise,
Sweetest offerings to the skies.
Stately lilies pure and white
Flooding darkness with their light,
Bloom and sorrow drifts away,
On this holy hallow'd day.
Easter lilies bending low
In the golden afterglow,
Bear a message from the sod
To the heavenly towers of God.
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