Easter: From the Past to the PresentEaster is believed to be the greatest celebration in the Christian calendar and the foundation on which Christianity is built (John 2005, 2579). Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ three days after his death by crucifixion (John 2005, 2579). The significance of Easter Sunday dates back to Christ's claims that he is God, because claiming to be God was a direct violation of Jewish law (John 2005, 2580). It was only after Christ's death and through the resurrection that people began to understand his claims to be God (John 2005, 2579). The resurrection caused people to put their faith in Christ and, therefore, in Christianity. To commemorate Easter Sunday, Roman Catholics participate in services such as the Easter Vigil to honor the sacrifices made for humanity by Jesus Christ. The Easter Vigil is a service held in Catholic churches that commemorates the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. It consists of four segments: the service of light, the liturgy of the word, the liturgy of baptism and the liturgy of the Eucharist. The service of light plays an important role in the Easter Vigil and plays an important symbolic role (Freeman 1945). , 194). The service of light begins at sunset on Holy Saturday and at sunrise on Easter Sunday (Freeman 1945:194). The service of light begins with the Paschal candle, which is a large blessed white candle, lit and used throughout Easter (Freeman 1945: 196). Once the Paschal candle is lit, a Lucernarium ritual rite follows during which the Paschal candle is carried by a deacon into a church bathed in total darkness (Freeman 1945, 197). As the candle is carried, the deacon stops three times...... middle of paper...... the baptized attend and participate in the congregation (Cosgrove 1996, 540). The resurrection of Christ is seen as a victory over death, giving people hope for eternal life, a hope that is not only physical but also spiritual (John 2005, 2580). If Christ had not been raised from the dead, it would not only be Christian scripture and preaching that would be empty, but faith that would be empty because there would be no hope of life after death (John 2005 , 2580). These events are significant in Roman Catholicism because the resurrection alludes to extremely important events in Christianity; many of which are represented through celebrations such as that of the Easter Vigil on Easter Sunday. On the date of the Easter Vigil, Roman Catholics commemorate Christ through four segments: the service of light, the liturgy of the word, the liturgy of baptism and the liturgy of the Eucharist..