"Happy Angel Monday!" Pope Leo proclaimed as he concluded his greetings after chanting the Regina Caeli prayer on this day following Easter. "The despair of death is banished forever, in the name of Jesus," the Pope said.
Certain countries, including Italy, celebrate the Monday after Easter as, "Angel Monday," to recognize the angels' role in announcing the Resurrection. While neither the apostles nor the women could grasp what had happened, the angels stated it clearly: "He is not here. He is risen."
Angel Monday is one of the traditions linked to Easter, showing how this holiday and the event it celebrates transforms all of time and history.
Another tradition is the greeting that characterizes the 50-day feast of Easter: "Christ is Risen," with the response being "Truly he is risen!"
Take a look below at the role the angels had in the various moments of Christ's Passion and Resurrection:
