On This Night - an Easter series

Deacon Pedro

April 8, 2016
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Referring to the night of the Easter Vigil, in the Easter Proclamation (the Exsutet) we pray that "This is the night, when once you led our forebears, Israel's children, from slavery in Egypt." The Easter Proclamation also says that "This is the night, when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld." It is the Easter Proclamation, referring to Easter, but also referring to Passover. It even says, "These, then, are the feasts of Passover, in which is slain the Lamb, the one true Lamb, whose Blood anoints the doorposts of believers."
We can't ignore the connection between the Jewish feast of Passover and the Christian feast of Easter. It is not just because Jesus was likely eating the Passover meal with his disciples on the night before he died. The very word for Easter in Latin and in Greek, "Pascha" is pretty much the same word for Passover in Hebrew: "Pesach".
And so, this Easter season, I wanted to explore a bit more some of these Easter themes. What is the significance of Exodus and of Egypt? What is the meaning of Passover and how do Jews celebrate it? What is Passover today and how has it evolved over the centuries? How did early Christians interpret the meaning of Passover? In order to find out answers to these questions I turned to my good friend, Rabbi Aaron Flanzraich, who once again, agreed to share his thoughts with all of you, through the medium of television.
Please join me and Rabbi Aaron for our mini three-part series on Easter and Passover titled, On This Night, for the next three Sundays at 8:30pm ET and together let us grow deeper on the understanding of that night, the night when God led our forebears out of Egypt and when Jesus broke the prison-bars of death.
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On This Night
Ep 1: Exodus | April 10, 8:30pm ET
Ep 2: Pesach | April 17, 8:30pm ET
Ep 3: Passover | April 24, 8:30pm ET
 
 
 
Are you interested in more programs about our Jewish heritage or with Rabbi Aaron Flanzraich?
Watch our Advent series, In the Beginning.
You may also be interested in watching the following episodes of Perspectives: The Weekly Edition:
Perspectives Weekly: Hanukkah.
Perspectives Weekly: Interfaith Dialogue
Perspectives on Marriage: Aaron and Melanie Kohn