ABOUT THE ART
Galle, Philips and Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The Resurrection. Hieronymus Cock (publisher). ca. 1562–63. Engraving; first state of three; hand colored in gold, red, green blue yellow, brown and white. Sheet: 16 7/8 x 11 3/4 in. (42.8 x 29.9 cm). Prints. The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1964. New York City, New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accession number: 64.635.
Galle’s engraving is based on a monochrome wash drawing by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. In this engraving Christ is seen rising above the open tomb holding a banner and cross. Soldiers can be seen in the foreground sleeping, peering into the empty tomb, and reeling back at sight of the risen Christ. Mary and others, with expressions of adoration, are in the right middle ground with an angle between them and the risen Christ. A town can be seen in the distance. Christ’s prominent golden halo resembles the rising sun, symbolizing the beginning of a new day and the promise of salvation.
Easter Sunday – Date Varies
Easter is the highest point of the Christian Year. It is the most important and ancient Christian festival, originating as the Christian version of Passover in the early church. In fact, most of the world calls Easter Pascha. The Sunday of Passover gained special significance because Christians gathered to worship on Sundays (which they called the Lord’s Day), and it was the day that Jesus was raised from the dead.
Scholars believe that originally Easter was a uni-feast that celebrated everything from Jesus’ conception, birth, death, and resurrection. Eventually, all of the other celebrations were separated to be celebrated separately. Because Passover is marked by the first full moon of spring, Easter takes its cue from this and is celebrated the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. This explains why Easter falls on a different date every year. Passover celebrates the chief salvation event for the Jewish people—their liberation from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the promised land. These same salvation motifs are maintained in the Christian version of Passover, except the chief salvation event is the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus becomes the paschal lamb who takes away the sins of the world by his sacrifice and now reigns victorious over life and death.
In order to connect all these themes, we like having lamb as the main dish for Easter. Lamb is a rare treat, and we have selected lamb chops with a mint sauce because it adds some Mediterranean flair. Pair the lamb with your favorite sides. We often like serving it with deviled eggs, a Southern treat reserved for Easter and funerals. While eggs were an important part of the Jewish Passover seder meal, eggs have also been associated with spring as a fertility symbol. One of the main reasons that the egg has become the symbol of Easter is the fact that the supply of eggs built up to an almost unmanageable number as people fasted from them during lent. There were too many eggs to eat, so people began decorating them as well. Another side we enjoy is roasted, multi-color carrots. They really brighten up the plate.
Easter is one of the great family meals where the story of our faith is passed down from generation to generation. It is a great time to remember the great moments of salvation history from our faith and families.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Grilled Lamb with Mint Sauce
Grilled lamb with mint sauce is a classic Easter dish. The lamb is marinated in a mixture of olive oil, garlic, and rosemary, which gives it a delicious flavor and tender texture when grilled. The mint sauce is made with fresh mint, apples, olive oil, and lemon juice, creating a tangy and refreshing condiment that pairs perfectly with the rich, savory flavor of the lamb.
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Ingredients
1/2 cup 1/2 fresh mint leaves
3 sprigs 3 parsley
1 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
1/3 cup 1/3 olive oil
1 tbsp 1 lemon juice
1 1 rack of lamb
1/4 cup 1/4 olive oil
3 cloves 3 garlic, minced
2 tsp 2 fresh rosemary, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Combine the 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, 3 sprigs parsley, 1 Granny Smith apple, 1/3 cup olive oil and 1 tbsp lemon juice into a food processor and pulse until well combined. Place the sauce in a container and store in the refrigerator until needed.
- Slice the rack of lamb into individual chops.
- Place the 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, and 2 tsp fresh rosemary in a glass baking dish and stir together. Place the chops in the baking dish, coating both sides of the lamb and marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Adding a few at a time, cook the lamb chops in the skillet for approximately 3 minutes on each side or until the lamb reaches an internal temperature between 145°F-160°F.
- Let the chops sit for a few minutes before serving with the mint sauce.