Scribbles from... Sisters In Scripture

Our last Scribbles ended with the opportunity to weigh in on the timing of Easter each year. Later in this newsletter you will find that answer provided by several of our bright readers. We also take a look at the dating of Orthodox Easter and of Passover. 

Mindful of these synchronicities and to honor Judaism, our connection with it, and all the wisdom it holds for us, I have revised and now re-issue an article from a Scribbles of two years ago. Enjoy!

- Kathleen

Despite all that is wrong in this world, all that is ugly, or dark, or worrisome, the world is good. As the Book of Genesis says, "G-d saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good." It is worth God's investment and it is worth ours as well.

So, whoever we are, whatever our station in life, whatever circumstances are ours, it is with purpose. This is the place and the time that is ours to fix up, to make a difference, to contribute toward the good. "We are not passive victims of a cruel, cold universe, but partners of its Creator who breathes power into us so that we may comb through the very fabric of which this cosmos is composed, coaxing out its warm, inner life. We believe in the Creator, so we believe in His creation."

"Each act of tikkun olam is a fine-tuning of our world’s voices. With each tikkun, we are creating meaning out of confusion, harmony from noise, revealing the unique part each creation plays in a universal symphony that sings of its Creator."

I love this image of our role in the world. Rather than wringing our hands in worry, we join hands with God in the sacred task of ongoing creation. Nor do we wash our hands of the mess we find ourselves in, blaming and bemoaning; we raise our hearts, minds, and voices in gratitude to a Creator who has not given up on creation--nor should we. Instead of despairing of a future for this world, we take heart in the holy work, the tikkun olam, that is ours to do. And then we do it. 

Quotations cited are from Chabad.org

Woo-hoo!! Congratulations to Robin, Libby, Betsey, Nan, Beverly, and Richard!!

All of them correctly responded with the formula for determining Easter, a formula which goes back to the Council of Nicea in 325:

The First Sunday after the first full moon, after the Vernal Equinox(Mar 19-21, the date midway between the winter and summer solstices).

Now for the second half of our question: Why is the date different for the Orthodox Easter compared to that of the Catholic and Protestant Churches? Risking a simplistic explanation of a complicated process, here’s a basic description of the date for Orthodox Easter. 

The rule of thumb* is that Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after Passover.

(This “rule of thumb” is the practical, easy-to-distinguish way of ascertaining Orthodox Easter. It is not the way Orthodox Easter is calculated, but it is, in fact, the date where it rather consistently ends up. The actual calculations are mathematically based and become skewed by the two solar/lunar base systems involved and the two different calendars used—see below)

The formula for Easter that our winners shared goes all the way back to the Council of Nicea in 325. At that time there was no set determination for Easter. Different Christian communities had fallen into different practices and a common celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord was needed. The current formulation gave preference to the day of the week, Sunday, as opposed to the date (as Judaism does for Passover). 

The Church was not divided east and west at that time, and all seemed to be in accord. However, the internal flaws in the Julian Calendar which then existed, meant that over time significant discrepancies came to light. That calendar was based on the year being 365.25 days long but in fact, it is 365.2422 days long, a deviation that had skewed the calendar to the point that a correction of 11 days was necessary, along with a more complex factoring of leap years. Pope Gregory VIII made that change in the the year of 1582, creating the calendar we use to this day, the Gregorian calendar. As a result, in the year 1582, Thursday, October 4th was followed the next day by Friday, October 15th. 

How did this affect Easter?

After 1582, the West referenced the Gregorian calendar in determining the date for Easter. However by then the church had divided east and west and the Eastern Church did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, so the Eastern Church chose not to follow suit. Later civil dates would fall into alignment with the West, but the older, Julian calendar remained the starting point for determining Easter. Hence, that basic Pythagorean truth has held true that if you enter different givens, you will get different outcomes. 

So, how is Passover determined?

Passover this year of 5784 begins at sundown on the 14th day of Adar, Monday, the 22nd of April, 2024. Right now is the week of Passover.

Additional kudos should be given to those of you who persevered to the end of this!