I’ve often wondered if the association of bread with Easter somehow hearkens back to the feast’s connection to Passover. We know that Jesus suffered, died, and rose amid Israel’s observance of Passover. For the seven days of this festival, our Jewish brothers and sisters eat only unleavened bread (matzah). Before the seven days, Jewish families do a sort of intense spring cleaning to rid the house of any products that contain leavening. As most early Christians were of Jewish origin, they would have also observed Passover.

After a week of eating unleavened bread, everyone would be looking forward to something with a little yeast! (Perhaps our own experience of having given up certain foods during Lent can give us a glimpse of the sweetness of enjoying them once again when the fast is over.)

Even the readings at Mass for Easter turn our minds to bread. The second option for the epistle reading on Easter says: “Brothers and sisters, Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?” (1 Cor 5:6) Leavened bread becomes a symbol of the inner transformation that comes from a life in union with the risen Christ.

Today’s recipe for Pane di Pasqua (Italian Easter Bread) celebrates the joy of Christ’s resurrection and the sweetness of his promise that those who have been baptized into his death will also share in his life. Christ is risen! Alleluia!