The holy days of Easter have always been the most important part of what being a Christian means to me. And, of course, the integral core of this inspiration for me is Jesus. As a child, I remember sitting in church on Easter Sunday and being exquisitely aware of my intimate integration into the spiritual energy of the celebration of Christ's resurrection, and being transfixed by the notion of re-birth and eternal life. As I matured into adulthood and through much inquisitive learning, I began to understand that the religion of Christianity was, in the fullness of time, a comparatively new one. I knew that Jesus was born and died a Jew, yet I was never taught what that actually meant.

The fact that Christianity is actually an offshoot of Judaism is sometimes a fact lost. Jesus did not organize a religion called "Christianity." His followers did. It is not surprising, therefore, that there is much about Passover that seems familiar to us as Christians. It is in our cellular memory, and we celebrate the same ideal whether the origin comes from an ancient source or a new one. The intent of our worship is identical in both religions. We remember our history and the lessons that came from it. And, in so doing, we are motivated to gain inspiration, renewed energy and a sense of doing good in the passage of our lives going forward.

Is it so hard to comprehend, therefore, that all of us carry in our souls an ancient knowledge that betrays all worldly teachings? If we carry our beliefs into adulthood from what we learned as children, I believe that most of us begin to take our religious affiliations for granted. We forget to ask the important questions about what it is that we really do believe. Because we learn as innocents, we are taught to trust what we are being taught by our elders implicitly. Therefore, the words we hear from those in charge of our education are considered sacrosanct. We know that they are old and full of wisdom, are they not?

To the chagrin of both my parents, I was not one of those children. It is a mixed blessing to be born with an inquiring spirit, a thirst for knowledge, and a unique instinct for what rings "true."  I could never just "accept" what was told to me. I guess I learned early to trust my own soul and to question anything that did not quite "feel" right. Many times, I caused my tutors great anxiety because I could not understand what they were telling me, and I realize now why I could not understand.

Often I ask myself, how can I remain a member of the Christian faith when what I really feel is that all faiths converge into the one Source. I believed that religious dogma is intended to subdue, to control and to draw in, while all I wanted was to be free, to be who I knew I was, and to expand that original knowledge. Religious dogma was created by human beings and, therefore, one could not cross any spiritual lines that did not speak the so-called truth of that dogma. Though I do believe that special people in history have been sent inspirations by God, I also believe that those inspirations must be interpreted because we all are, after all, human. The importance of interpreting them to fit what is best for ourselves is what is significant. I believe that true spirituality does not have any lines to cross. Spirituality is all One. It comes from the One Source. Regardless of the teachings of any religion, spirituality is an ideal that all people share, and it transcends all forms of teaching. It is original knowledge and, therefore, cannot be taught. It is instinct, born of a free spirit - an innocent, whose journey is just beginning. I believe we are all born with it, whether we choose to recognize it or not.

Stories of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus have inspired me for as long as I can remember. His teachings are "truth" to me, so that regardless of whether or not I consider myself a Christian, I certainly am a follower of Jesus' teachings. I believe in life after death, I believe in miracles, and I believe in treating my fellow human beings with respect and love. And I do believe that Jesus died so that he might be an example to all humankind as a messenger of God, as many others have done before Him and, I believe, even after Him.

Easter, in conjunction with Passover, therefore, is the season which harmonizes with the core of my soul. It is both pain and ecstasy - the pain of Christ's death and the ecstasy of His resurrection. It is the time of year that resonates with me because it brings me the opportunity for reflection, to feel the pain of loss in many areas of my life and in the life of my loved ones, and the ability to emerge with a sense of renewal and joy in the knowledge that all things must die or change in order to be re-born again. One need only to witness spring in full bloom and to acknowledge that just a few short weeks before, the land was barren, showing no signs of life. Was it through Divine Plan that the holy days of Easter and Passover fall at the height of new birth? I believe so. It is significant. It is also symbolic.

Passover celebrates the struggle and eventual freedom of the Jews (Israelites) of their enslavement from the King of Egypt (Pharaoh). Pesach, meaning "passing over" or "protection" in Hebrew, originated from a particular event in Jewish history. It is said that God gave instructions to Moses to protect all first-born Jews from death by marking their homes with lamb's blood before He cast his infliction upon Pharaoh and his people. The Jews did as they were told to do by Moses. As a result, the followers of Pharaoh, who were the captors of the Israelites, lost all their first-born children because they were not protected by the mark of the lamb's blood. History tells us that God "passed over" the houses of Israel and their first-born were saved. It was not until after the end of the plagues (ten of them) that inflicted the land, that the Pharaoh finally delivered the Israelites from slavery. But Pharaoh's army followed the Israelites in their flight from Egypt. It took the parting of the Red Sea to deliver them finally to true freedom. Whether or not I believe in a vengeful God is insignificant. Who am I to say? I was not there. But, I can say that I prefer to believe that rather than killing the first-born Egyptians, God, through miraculous means, actually saved the Israelite first-borns from whatever was inflicting the land at the time. I do believe that Humankind is capable of vengeance, and there is no doubt that there was great suppression of a People. It is a history wrought with fear, intimidation and enslavement. It is also a history of bravery, determination and a strong faith.

The difference between Passover and Easter is that the tradition of Passover commemorates the tribulations of the tribes of Israel and Easter commemorates the tribulations of one man from that tribe. The reason we celebrate each of those triumphs can easily be paralleled. Jews celebrate Passover for their freedom through God's assistance in the flight from Egypt (Exodus) and the miracles they experienced throughout that time. Christians celebrate Easter for the freedom from their sins (Christ's crucifixion), the knowledge they gained that life is eternal (Christ's Resurrection), and that miracles are not only possible, but continue even 2,002 years later.

The Seder is the most important event at Passover, and takes place the first two nights of this eight-day holiday. Families gather with loved ones and participate in long-held traditions and customs. One such custom is the serving of three pieces of matzoh, which are placed in a cloth in the middle of the Seder table, along with a special plate containing five foods that remind them of their struggle for freedom. The tradition of matzoh at Passover comes as a reminder that the Israelites left their homes so abruptly after the Pharaoh finally released them, that they did not have time to bake bread to take with them. Instead, they threw whatever raw dough they had into their sacks and as they fled through the desert, they baked their dough in the hot sun, turning it into hard crackers (matzohs). The other foods served at Passover are: Haroseth (Passover sweets containing a combination of ingredients such as walnuts, wine, cinnamon, dates and apples), parsley dipped in salt water, roasted egg, a shank bone and bitter herbs. Haroseth symbolizes the mortar the Jewish slaves used to build walls for the Pharaoh. The parsley is dipped into salt water as a reminder of the tears of the Jewish slaves. The shank bone is symbolic of the sacrificial lamb, and the herbs reflect the bitter affliction they all suffered. Four glasses of wine are poured which represent the four stages of the Exodus: Freedom, Deliverance, Redemption and Release. A fifth glass is then poured and placed on the Seder table. This is an offering to the Prophet Elijah, and a door is opened to invite him into the circle. During the evening, the Haggadah, the Book of Exodus, is read and the evening is celebrated through stories, songs and prayers. What a wonderful way to commune with loved ones and remember your heritage. This is a very spiritual and holy time for Jews everywhere and I join them in their celebration of freedom.

Every year, the Easter period contains three important days: Palm Sunday (April 4, 2004), Good Friday (April 9, 2002) and Resurrection Day, otherwise known as Easter Sunday or Easter Day (April 11, 2002). The churches of the West observe Easter Day on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or following the spring equinox. Therefore, it falls at different times every year and can arrive as early as March 22nd or as late as April 25th. Christian churches in the East which are situated closer to the birthplace of the new religion and are still steeped in the old traditions, observe Easter according to the date of Passover. To me, this aligns more closely to the events of Christ's life. I never could understand the changing of holidays to suit ourselves in the opposition of true historical events. Why do we do that?

Easter traditionally falls at the end of the Lenten season, which lasts for forty-six days beginning on Ash Wednesday. Lent itself, though, is actually forty days long as the six Sundays in this period are not included. Sundays are considered a commemoration of Easter Sunday and have always been excluded from the Lenten fast. The Lenten season is a time of penitence in preparation for the highest festival of the church year, and symbolizes the forty days and forty nights mentioned in the Bible, that Jesus spent alone in the desert to face His demons. Holy Week, the last week of Lent begins with Palm Sunday. This takes its name from the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem where the crowds laid palms at his feet. During this last week of Lent, Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday in England) commemorates the day that Christ held the Last Supper with his Disciples, which was actually the first night of Passover that year and the disciples probably thought they were simply celebrating the Seder. It was only on the following day that they (with the exception of Judas) realized it was their Last Supper with Christ.

The Sunday following Good Friday is the day that Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ, and is one of the holiest days of the year. The Easter message is one of hope and victory over death, for it recalls that Christ rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Easter symbolizes the love of God and the promise that the souls of humankind are immortal.

Communion during the service is the tradition of sipping from the goblet of wine and eating a piece of bread, symbolizing the Last Supper and the tasting of the blood and body of Christ in remembrance of why He died for us. It was always distasteful to me, as a child, to think that I was drinking the blood of Jesus and eating a part of his body. But, once I learned more about the Jewish faith and Passover, I preferred to think of taking Communion as a way of connecting to Christ in a more ethereal way; to feel connected to Him in a spiritual sense, as though I attended that last Seder with him and that what I am actually doing is tasting the wine and matzoh of those many years ago and celebrating freedom for all people - both Christians and Jews - in the present. Communion always renews me. It brings me back to my center again. And I am filled with the energy and the love of the spirit of Christ - the embodiment of all He taught.

After the Easter Sunday service in England, families return to their homes to a veritable feast, mostly of roast lamb - again, a parallel to the symbolism of the Passover. Most families are joyous in their celebrations, but some are quiet and reflective. To each, it is a very personal thing and must be celebrated as one's individual spirit leads them. It is especially personal to me, as my father died just before Easter in 1987. Three weeks before he died, the family was making special plans for my sister-in-law and niece to be baptized on Easter Day. During the hubbub of the gathering and the plans being made for the baptism, my father turned to me and quietly said, "Do I have to be there?" I was devastated at his question, but held my composure. Dad was always an integral part of family gatherings and always wanted to be involved. But, he had known that he was dying for over six months, and I realized, at that moment, how tired he was from hanging on for our benefit. So, understanding what he was saying, I answered him quite simply, yet very gently, "No, Dad. Not if you don't want to be." In less than two weeks, he was gone. Dad's physical body might not have been there that Easter Sunday, but his spirit was. I know it was. I felt it. And if there were any doubts left in his mind before he died that life is eternal, I live now with the knowledge that he has none. Neither do I.

There are many parallels throughout all religions. But for me, the celebrations of Passover and Easter reveal similarities in more ways than I can explain. I believe that great men do bring great revelations. To me, Moses and Jesus were two of those men. They were handpicked by God, sent to speak Truth and to lead people to their salvation. The inspirations of these two men resonate with my soul. It is up to us to hear our own truth and to comprehend its meaning in our own very intimately personal way. For me, that truth is love one another, for we all came from the very first seed and are intrinsically linked to one another. If we hurt another, as Pharoah did to the Israelites and Judas did to Jesus, we only hurt ourselves. There is no separation of souls, only of minds. Our eternal souls are bonded forever.

A blessed Passover and Easter to all of you. May you have the freedom to celebrate this season in whatever way you feel brings you the most peace. May God bless you, keep you safe from harm, and may you feel contentment and love in your life always.

Shalom and God's Blessings to you all,

Deirdre

"After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus." Matthew 17:1-3

"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the unlimitable superior who reveals Himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God." -- Albert Einstein

NEW PAGES

* Read all about the history of Reiki here: http://www.spiritlighthome.com/ReikiHistory.html

* Learn about energy healing here: http://www.spiritlighthome.com/EnergyHealing.html

* See pictures of our Reiki Studio here: http://spiritlightworks.photosite.com/SpiritLightWorks/

Continue to access the newsletter now directly on our site. Every month, the newsletter will be published at SpiritLight at Home and you can find this month's issue by clicking on: http://www.spiritlighthome.com/NewsletterApril.html

Each month, you can find it by typing in the appropriate month. For example: http://www.spiritlighthome.com/NewsletterApril.html and so on. The October, November, December/January, February and March issues are now active.

"Oh senseless man, who cannot possibly make a worm, and yet will make Gods by dozens." -- Michel Eyquem De Montaigne

INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS

Brought to you from various resources around the Globe. We embrace all religions at SpiritLight at Home and will endeavor to bring to you inspirational stories that can be applied to your own beliefs.

This is a story that was sent to me (thanks Gerry!) by E-mail. The version that I received had obviously been added to, but the real story lends just as much impact.

Globally recognized author, trainer and keynote speaker... The First Lady of Acknowledgement, Helice "The Spark" Bridges is the designer of the "Who I Am Makes A Difference" global campaign, teaching children of all ages how to unite communities for positive change. Helice has been recognized along with First Lady Barbara Bush, Karem Abdul Jabaar and Norman Cousins for her work in raising the self-esteem of children. She has spoken along with former Vice President Al Gore, the Dalai Lama and other global leaders at the 1992 Environment Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Her stories appear in the Chicken Soup for the Soul, Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work, Heart at Work, The Aladdin Factor and other best-selling books. Her work has been featured in Women's World Magazine, ABC's 20/20, The Los Angeles Times and 1100 Radio Stations. The "Who I Am Makes A Difference" story was also made into a television movie that aired nationwide.

"Who You Are Makes A Difference" -- The Original Blue Ribbon Story

A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her high school seniors for the difference they made in her life. Then she presented each of them with a Blue Ribbon imprinted with gold letters which read: Afterwards the teacher gave each of the students three more ribbons to acknowledge others, to see what impact it would have in their community. They were to follow up on the results, see who honored whom and report back to the class the following week.

One of the students honored a junior executive in a nearby company for helping him with his career plann ing. The student gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt just over his heart. Then the boy gave him two extra ribbons, explained their class project on acknowledgement and enlisted the executive's help.

Later that day the junior executive went in t o his boss and told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give him permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." After p lacing the ribbon above his bos's' heart, he asked him to support the efforts of the class project and pass on the extra ribbon.

That night the boss went home to his 14 year old son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this blue ribbon that says, 'Who I Am Makes a Difference' on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you, son. I want to honor you."

"My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school or for your bedroom being a mess. But somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you kno w that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you!"

The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "I was planning on committing suicide tomorrow, Dad, because I didn't think you loved me. Now I don't need to." Copyright: 2003 Helice Bridges

"Who you are DOES make a difference. In 1993, the "Who You Are Makes A Difference" story about the 14 year-old boy who did not commit suicide was published in the first Chicken Soup for the Soul book. In the year 2000, this story was made into a television movie that aired nationwide."

Difference Makers International -- People united to make a difference. http://www.blueribbons.com/

"A man has no religion who has not slowly and painfully gathered one together, adding to it, shaping it; and one's religion is never complete and final, it seems, but must always be undergoing modification." -- D.H. Lawrence

DEIRDRE'S FAVORITE LINKS

(Just favorites in my bookmarks - no profits made here. Any advertising (if any) is placed at the end of the newsletter.)

1. Angel Art by Eve - Beautiful! Click here: http://www.cafeshops.com/angels2004/167724

2. Body, Mind, Spirit Journeys - Tours for the Body, Mind, Spirit and Wellness traveler. Click here: http://www.bodymindspiritjourneys.com/display.cgi?

3. Technovelgy: Where Science Meets Fiction - (from Cool Tricks 'n Trinkets) If you take a good look around, you'll notice that modern technology is catching up to the seemingly clairvoyant works of Science Fiction authors such as Philip K. Dick, Douglas Adams and William Gibson. Sci-fi fans will get a kick out of this site that lists the growing number of frontier technologies first glimpsed on the pages of futuristic novels now available in 'real life'. Read about the Sci-fi origins of everything from nanotechnology to sub-dermal implants, as well as many fantasized inventions that have not yet been realized. Click here: http://www.technovelgy.com/

4. Courageoussouls.com - Former journalist (Life magazine, U.S. News & World Report, et. al.) is writing a book about how souls design their lives prior to incarnation. This project grew out of his own spiritual awakening and strong desire to write something that would have a positive impact on people and their lives. He's interested in speaking with people who know why their soul chose to experience the life challenges they have faced. Click here: http://www.courageoussouls.com/

"Toleration is the best religion." -- Victor Hugo

HUMOR OF THE DAY

There were two nuns...(Thanks Margie!)

One of them was known as Sister Mathematical (SM), and the other one was known as Sister Logical (SL). It is getting dark and they are still far away from the convent.

SM: Have you noticed that a man has been following us for the past thirty-eight and a half minutes? I wonder what he wants.

SL: It's logical. He wants to do nasty things to us.

SM: Oh, no! At this rate he will reach us in 15 minutes at the most! What can we do?

SL: The only logical thing to do of course is to walk faster.

SM: It's not working.

SL: Of course it's not working. The man did the only logical thing. He started to walk faster, too.

SM: So, what shall we do? At this rate he will reach us in one minute.

SL: The only logical thing we can do is split. You go that way and I'll go this way. He cannot follow us both.

So the man decided to follow Sister Logical. Sister Mathematical arrives at the convent and is worried about what has happened to Sister Logical. Then Sister Logical arrives.

SM: Sister Logical! Thank God you are here! Tell me what happened!

SL: The only logical thing happened. The man couldn't follow us both,so he followed me.

SM: Yes, yes! But what happened then?

SL: The only logical thing happened. I started to run as fast as I could and he started to run as fast as he could.

SM: And?

SL: The only logical thing happened. He reached me.

SM: Oh, dear! What did you do?

SL: The only logical thing to do. I lifted my dress up.

SM: Oh, Sister! What did the man do?

SL: The only logical thing to do. He pulled down his pants.

SM: Oh, no! What happened then?

SL: Isn't it logical, Sister? A nun with her dress up can run faster than man with his pants down.

And for those of you who thought it would be a rude joke, ten lashes with a wet noodle!

One more....(I couldn't resist)

With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person which almost went unnoticed last week. Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey," died peacefully at age 93.

The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started.

"I do benefits for all religions -- I'd hate to blow the hereafter on a technicality." -- Bob Hope

SUBSCRIBERS' SITES

Many of our subscribers have fascinating web sites. Please let us know about yours so that we might mention it in this section. Write to: deirdre@spiritlighthome.com

Healing Angel Circle -- Marvin welcomes you to Calmport and offers a place to take a break from your day and gather healing energy from like minded folks. Join him -- why don't you. http://www.calmport.com/

Bless you all and have a great month. Happy Easter and Passover and see you in May!

http://www.spiritlighthome.com

http://www.spiritlightworks.com

Please send this newsletter to a friend so they can sign up for our FREE newsletter too:

If you would like to donate to help defray costs of the newsletter, please click on the button below. If it does not load to a page that says, "SpiritLight" please click the button again.

Thank you.

 Or see the archive link on our Subscribe Page at: http://www.spiritlighthome.com/Subscribe.html