Easter: From Past to PresentEaster is believed to be the greatest celebration in the Christian calendar and the foundation on which Christianity is built (John 2005, 2579). Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ three days after his death by crucifixion (John 2005, 2579). The significance of Easter Sunday dates back to Christ's claims to be God, because claiming to be God was a direct violation of Jewish law (John 2005, 2580). It was only after Christ's death and through the resurrection that people began to understand his claims to be God (John 2005, 2579). The resurrection led people to put faith in Christ and, in turn, Christianity. To commemorate Easter Sunday, Roman Catholics participate in services such as the Easter Vigil to honor the sacrifices made for humanity by Jesus Christ. The Easter Vigil is a service celebrated in Catholic churches that commemorates the celebration of Christ's resurrection. It consists of four segments: the service of light, the liturgy of the word, the liturgy of baptism and the liturgy of the Eucharist. The service of light has an important role in the Easter Vigil and plays an important role symbolically (Freeman 1945, 194). The service of light begins at sunset on Holy Saturday and at sunrise on Easter Sunday (Freeman 1945, 194). The light service begins with the Paschal candle, which is a large white candle, blessed, lit and used during Easter (Freeman 1945, 196). Once the Paschal candle is lit, a ritual rite of the Lucernarium follows in which the Paschal candle is carried by a deacon through a church immersed in complete darkness (Freeman 1945, 197). As the candle is carried around, the deacon stops three times… in the center of the paper… the baptized participate and engage as part of the congregation (Cosgrove 1996, 540). The resurrection of Christ is seen as victory over death, and this gives people the hope of eternal life, a hope that is not only physical but also spiritual (John 2005, 2580). If Christ had not been raised from the dead, then it would not only be the Scriptures and Christian preaching that are empty, but faith that is empty since there is no hope for an afterlife (John 2005, 2580). These events are significant in Roman Catholicism as the resurrection alluded to extremely important events in Christianity; many of which are represented through celebrations such as the Easter Vigil on Easter Sunday. On the date of the Easter Vigil, Roman Catholics commemorate Christ through four segments: the service of light, the liturgy of the word, the liturgy of baptism and the liturgy of the Eucharist.