Athanasius of Alexandria

Once again, dear friends, God has brought us to the Easter season. By his lovingkindness we are once more about to assemble for it. The same God who brought Israel out of Egypt now calls us to the feast, saying through Moses, “Take note of the month of new fruits, and keep the Passover to the Lord your God.” And through the prophet he calls, “Keep your feasts, O Judah; pay your vows to the Lord.” So if God himself loves the feast and calls us to it, it is not right, brothers and sisters, to postpone it or to observe it carelessly. We should come to it eagerly and zealously, so that with a joyful beginning here we will experience a foretaste of the heavenly feast that is to come.