The Hebrew Calendar and the Traditional Roman Liturgy

johnnypapa said:

The Hebrew Calendar and the Traditional Roman Liturgy

by Fr. Mark Wojdelski, FSSP I am planning, God willing, to do a series of articles on how the traditional Roman Liturgy aligns with the cycle of Jewish feasts. Having done extensive research, but not knowing where to begin, I informally consulted with some of my brother priests at our last general

fssp.com

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Yeshua died on Pesakh, the 14th of Nisan. Unleavened starts on the 15th. Your article said "The reason for this is that the crucifixion of our Lord occurred during the feast of the Unleavened Bread, which was observed for seven days after Passover." It also wrongly states "Here Passover and the associated feast of Unleavened Bread are described. These roughly correspond to our Holy Thursday and Good Friday (the 14th and 15th days of the month, if the synoptic gospel narrative has any value) and the week of Easter."

I know that there is discussion between the Vatican and the Orthodox religions to come up with celebrating Easter
on the same date. An Orthodox person I message with on FB agrees with me that whatever day they come up
with, it should be synced with the Jewish Passover.

JimR-OCDS said:

I know that there is discussion between the Vatican and the Orthodox religions to come up with celebrating Easter
on the same date. An Orthodox person I message with on FB agrees with me that whatever day they come up
with, it should be synced with the Jewish Passover.

Click to expand...

The traditional paschalion synchronizes Easter with Passover according to the Christian calculation of Passover. In 2025, the Gregorian lunar month of Nisan began on March 31 (that is, at sunset on March 30). Its 14th day (Passover) was Sunday, April 13. Easter was the following Sunday, April 20.

However if by saying "it should be synced with the Jewish Passover" he means that it should be synchronized with the first day of Unleavened Bread according to the present-day Rabbinic Jewish calendar, I respond that there are reasons not to do this. The first-century Jewish writer Josephus wrote that in Herodian times, the Passover sacrifices were offered at the first full moon on or after the Spring equinox (Antiquities 3.248/3.10.5). The modern-day Rabbinic Jewish calendar, due to a slight solar drift in its calculation, in 3 years out of every 19 places the Feast of Unleavened Bread at the second full moon after the equinox. This happens in the 3rd, 11th and 14th years of the Gregorian 19-year cycle. The last time this happened was in the year 2024, the 11th year of the cycle. The next time it will happen is the year 2027. the 14th year of the cycle. The Gregorian paschalion tries, and for the most part succeeds, to celebrate Easter at the time of the first full moon on or after the equinox, according to the rule described by Josephus. I see no reason to follow the present-day Rabbinic Jewish calendar in its error of celebrating sometimes at the second full moon after the equinox.

Yeshua HaDerekh said:

Yeshua died on Pesakh, the 14th of Nisan. Unleavened starts on the 15th. Your article said "The reason for this is that the crucifixion of our Lord occurred during the feast of the Unleavened Bread, which was observed for seven days after Passover." It also wrongly states "Here Passover and the associated feast of Unleavened Bread are described. These roughly correspond to our Holy Thursday and Good Friday (the 14th and 15th days of the month, if the synoptic gospel narrative has any value) and the week of Easter."

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According to the Gospel of John Jesus was crucified on the 14th of Nisan and rose on the 16th. According to the synoptic Gospels Jesus was crucified on the 15th of Nisan and rose on the 17th. It was the Sunday of Unleavened Bread either way. Though John has theological reasons for setting the crucifixion on the 14th--it ties in with his motif of Jesus as the Lamb of God--I think John's date is historically more likely.