Easter Day.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume VII, Issue 7, 1 April 1917, Page 79

Easter Day.

There are a great many Communicants who either do not know or who disregard the eighth Eubric at the end of the Communion Office. It says "every parishioner shall communicate at the least three times m the year of which Easter to be one " (the remainder of this Eubric is referred to elsewhere). To those who know the Blessed Sacrament and especially the Joyful Easter Eucharist as an inestimable pleasure and privilege, it seems cold to refer to Communion at Easter as a Duty ; yet it is necessary to remind those who are inclined to regard Sunday observance and particularly their Communions as merely occasional exercises of the religious instinct, that Christians have duties as well as privileges. In these days of motor travelling, even those who live m the backblocks, but who regularly do their business m town, can make the proper observance of Easter Day a matter of all important business. The Church counts a Communion made on any day m the Octave (that is till Low Sunday inclusive) as an Easter Communion. Unfortunately, the habit of holiday making at Easter time, plays havoc with the Churchmanship of some people. If we must spend Easter away from home let us at least choose for our holiday some place where we can and will avail ourselves of Church privileges. Any Sunday without worship and Communion is a Lord's Day wasted but if, when the Church calls us to join the triumphant host of Heaven m singing our Alleluias and offering the paschal sacrifice m commemoration of the greatest and most glorious victory— if at that time we slink away to some out of the way corner and amuse ourselves with mere selfish pleasure, we are surely enacting a terrible tragedy m our Spiritual life. No doubt contempt for Easter and its pure joy arises from a failure