OCTAVE DAY OF EASTER

Today is the Octave of Easter, the day which completes the Easter Octave. In the liturgy the eight days of the Octave are like One Day. Since the Octave begins and ends on the same day of the week(Sunday), it is as though the days in between are subsumed within it and we celebrate one great Sunday as Easter breaks upon us. Each day of the Octave is (liturgical) still Easter Sunday- thus all this last week the Gloria was prayed at every Mass, the Easter Dismissal is given ('Go in the peace of Christ, alleluia, alleluia! Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!)

Today then is still Easter Sunday in our liturgy, a Day too great to be confined to one day. And after today, we continue the Season of Easter: 50 days which do not come to their end until Pentecost as we celebrate the great fruit of Easter- the outpouring of the Spirit of God.

As we took 40 days to prepare for Easter, let's not forget to take even longer- 50 days- to celebrate it.