Colin Sheridan: Resurrection greatest story ever told, whether you believe or not

While many of us claim to be Roman Catholic, church attendance has plummeted and the Easter story is a casualty of the Church's very brutal folly

In Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Christians observed the day of the crucifixion on the same day that Jews celebrated the Passover offering — that is, on the 14th day of the first full moon of spring. File picture: Pexels

There was a time when going to mass on Easter week was an act of socialisation just as much as it was devotion, and I believe we are lesser for that loss. 

As a kid in school, it was a rare opportunity to see your buddies in a semi-organised setting out of uniform. If you were a “server” (alter boy/girl), it was like the US Masters at Augusta. Not your typical, straightforward Sunday mass, there were new prompts to learn and different bells to ring. Being chosen to do a reading was a big deal, especially because the telling of the Easter Story in a church on Holy Week required many elements synonymous with theatre; timing, oration, and good on-alter chemistry with your co-readers. It was one of those things you always dreaded to be picked for, but as soon as it was over, you wished you could do it again. If you screwed up by saying “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” there was no guarantee you’d ever get to do that line read again.