Fundamental error on Christian Passover
Published:Thursday | April 17, 2014 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
Ian Boyne's 'Religious Hardtalk' on TVJ (Tuesday, April 15) with guest, Neville Woolery, continues to put on public display a fundamental error of those who opposed the celebrated Paschal Triduum or Christian Passover. The penultimate Christian festival is the resurrection event of Jesus the Christ. All other feasts, whether Christmas, Epiphany, Pentecost find their significance with the Resurrection. The Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday) is not just about Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a Sabbath, but the Passion narrative that includes the crucifixion is read in the churches. Palm Sunday is like a 'mini Good Friday'. In the Paschal Triduum that begins with the evening liturgy on Maundy/Holy Thursday to the evening of Resurrection Sunday, the Church commemorates the Jonah prophecy of Jesus' burial in the earth for three days and three nights. Theologically, it encapsulates the scriptural significance of third day been a day of God's action. This third day of transformation highlights three penultimate acts of Jesus - the Lord's Supper (Thursday), the Crucifixion (Good Friday) and the Resurrection (the evening of Holy Saturday to Sunday).
It does not matter whether Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. The Paschal Triduum or Christian Passover recalls these three acts which is fundamental to the Christian Faith and connects them with the events of the Exodus out of Egypt by including the reading of Exodus chapter 14 in the Resurrection Vigil or the first early service on the Sunday. It is because these religious groups have 'thrown out both the baby and the bath water' that has created this confusion.
DUDLEY C. MCLEAN
Box 1313, Mandeville, Manchester