New Jersey best-selling author Anthony DeStefano is tired of commercialism and secular culture subverting the true meaning of Easter. So he wrote a book that “Christianized” the story of the Easter Bunny.
“The Story of the First Easter Bunny” tells of a “little rabbit with very large ears” who lived with his sick mother near Jerusalem during the time of Christ.
Determined to help his mother, the rabbit hears about a man named Jesus who can heal people with his own hands.
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The Rabbit goes on a journey and not only finds Jesus, but also witnesses the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and even the Resurrection on the first Sunday of Easter.
After experiencing the miracle, the Rabbit spread the message of Jesus Christ throughout the world, and “many people were saved because they believed the life-changing news they received.”
DeStefano told FOX News Digital that he had had the idea for a children’s book that would connect the Easter Bunny and the true meaning of Easter for a while, but he had no idea how he wanted to do it.
The Easter Bunny, who seeks Jesus Christ to heal his sick mother, witnesses the events of the gospel and preaches the story of Jesus in Anthony DeStefano’s “The Story of the First Easter Bunny” (right). (Courtesy of Sophia Institute Press/Anthony DeStefano)
Then one day at Mass, DeStefano heard the words, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
“I am well aware that in Christian theology, the expression ‘having ears to hear’ has a very different meaning than simply hearing the word,” he said.
Rather, he says, “the important thing is to understand those words and internalize their message. And by actively listening, we can bear much fruit in heaven.” I did.
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“So, rabbits have big ears, so my story is, [those ears] “It becomes a symbol of spiritual receptivity,” DeStefano said. “That’s how Christians should listen to God’s voice.”
Once he made this connection, he wrote the article within a few weeks, he told FOX News Digital.
“I wrote the book because I thought there was a way to use the Easter Bunny for a deep spiritual purpose,” he said in a phone interview.
Anthony DeStefano, pictured, along with some of the characters in his book, had the idea to write “The Story of the First Easter Bunny” to help parents teach their children the Easter story. . (Anthony DeStefano)
He also wanted to help parents teach their children the Easter story.
“While we know that the Easter Bunny is not inherently Catholic, we believe it can be effectively implemented by Catholic parents as a way to enhance the atmosphere of Easter celebrations and at the same time teach children about the death and resurrection of Christ.” “I think in a way that’s not so scary,” DeStefano said.
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Easter is the most important Christian holiday, but “it inevitably involves the brutal execution of someone, and death can be very frightening for children,” he said.
“But being able to use the adorable Easter Bunny in a less scary way to help children understand what the cross and resurrection are all about is priceless.”
In writing the book, DeStefano said he aimed to “combine the secular and the sacred” in a way that did not “dilute” or compromise the meaning of Easter.
“It allows us to convey a very serious Easter message while still retaining the joy, innocence and fun of childhood.”
In this book, the Easter Bunny witnesses Christ commanding St. John to care for his mother, the Virgin Mary.
“Of course, such a commission has a lot of theological significance, but it is also strictly true on a personal level that Jesus wanted to make sure his mother was okay after his death. ” DeStefano said.
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“And if the rabbit in the story had a sick mother and he witnessed the crucifixion and heard with his big rabbit ears that Jesus cared for his mother, that would strike him even more. I thought maybe I could give something, and then it became a reason to visit the tomb of Jesus,” DeStefano said.
“The fact that the rabbit has a sick mother makes it easier for the rabbit to empathize with Jesus, and therefore for the audience to empathize with him.”
Crucifixion may be scary for children and difficult for parents to explain, but the character of Bunny makes the event relatable to children, said a New Jersey-based author. . (St. Petersburg)
The author added, “We all have a mother.”
By having the Easter Bunny bear witness to the events of the Gospel, he said, “we can convey a very serious Easter message, while still preserving the joy, innocence and fun of childhood.”
It is also a means of “fighting back against secular culture.”
Modern culture is “always trying its best to de-Christianize our holidays, always trying to give our children secular messages,” he said.
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“And to beat them at their own worldly game is very satisfying, especially on a day that commemorates Christ’s final victory over the world,” DeStefano said.
This is also a means of “fighting back against secular culture.”
DeStefano is the author of five best-selling Christian books for adults, including A Travel Guide to Heaven and 10 Prayers God Always Says Yes to. In addition, he has written eight best-selling children’s books, including The Donkey Nobody Rides and Little Star.
The Story of the First Easter Bunny is published by Sophia Institute Press and is available wherever books are sold. including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
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