So why does Easter wander? Easter comes every year, but with Easter, Christians follow tradition and history all wrapped up in the many calendars. The Nicaean Council of bishops met to give this holy event a date. They suggested that Easter should fall on the first Sunday following the first full moon following the spring equinox. Calendars changed from solar, lunar, Julian, and Gregorian and Easter adjusted slightly. Many countries are left with positioning Easter according to the solar and lunar calendars and then counting backward on the calendar to determine the other holy dates of Lent.
Even the origin of the name of Easter helps us to select the perfect month. It is suggested that the Anglo-Saxon name for April is Estor-monath simply means “the month of opening” or “the month of beginnings.”
So as Easter wanders, so do the Easter people. We wander and wonder about how to be people of empathy and compassion. We attempt to show empathy and compassion to our self and family but we also know it is important to reach out to other people that are different from us. We wander and wonder about what “new beginning” we can learn from the teaching of Jesus that will help our life here and now. We wonder if our hearts and ears are open to His words. Being wanderers and wonderers, is a good thing. It keeps our mind open to new beginnings for our self and others.
It is great to have wandering and wondering seasons throughout our faith journey. It can lead us to being open to new beginnings!
Wishing you a Happy Easter of new beginnings!