In this “Year of Catechesis,” I will from time to time, be reminding you of certain key points of our rich Catholic faith.

One of the key precepts of our faith is obligatory attendance at Mass. Mass on weekends (on Sundays, and also on holy days of obligation) is obligatory because the Church teaches that Sunday is the principal day of the Christian life and the center of worship for which she has a grave duty to protect and order our lives toward God.

Today, on the Second Sunday of Easter, we complete the octave of this liturgical season, one of the two octaves —together with Christmas— that remain in the liturgy renewed by the Vatican Council II. For eight days, we contemplate the same mystery and try to deepen our understanding of it in the light of the Holy Spirit.

Today, “is the day the LORD has made!” This is the expression of Psalm 118:24 that we shall be singing throughout Easter time. That phrase is a celebration of our Christian faith. The Father has resurrected Jesus Christ, His beloved Son, in whom He delights, because He has loved us to the point of giving his life for all of us.