Bestselling writer Anthony DeStefano of New Jersey was uninterested in commercialism and secular tradition overrunning the true meaning of Easter — so he wrote a ebook to “Christianize” the story of the Easter Bunny.
“The Story of the First Easter Bunny” tells of a “small bunny with very large ears” who lives together with his ailing mom close to Jerusalem through the time of Christ.
Determined to search out assist for his mom, the bunny hears of a person who can heal together with his arms — a person named Jesus.
GOSPEL OF LUKE SHARES VALUABLE LESSON FOR LENT, SAYS CALIFORNIA PASTOR: ‘LOOK FORWARD’
The bunny goes on a journey and finds not solely Jesus — but in addition witnesses the Final Supper, the crucifixion and even the Resurrection on the very first Easter Sunday.
After experiencing a miracle, the bunny then spreads the message of Jesus Christ around the globe, and “many were saved, because they believed the life-changing news that they had received.”
DeStefano instructed Fox Information Digital that the concept of a kids’s ebook that linked the Easter Bunny with the true which means of Easter had been an concept of his for some time, however he couldn’t fairly determine how he wished to do it.
The Easter Bunny, who seeks out Jesus Christ to heal his sick mom, witnesses the occasions of the gospel after which preaches the story of Jesus in “The Story of the First Easter Bunny” by Anthony DeStefano, at proper. (Sophia Institute Press/Courtesy of Anthony DeStefano)
Then one day at Mass, DeStefano heard the phrase, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
“I am very effectively conscious that in Christian theology, the phrase ‘having ears to hear’ means something very different than simply hearing words,” he said.
Rather, “It’s about understanding those words, internalizing their message — and through that active listening, you can bear much fruit in the kingdom of heaven,” he said.
EASTER SYMBOLS HELP REVEAL THE TRUE MEANING OF THE SEASON, SAYS CHRISTIAN WRITER
“So it struck me that since bunnies have enormous ears, in my story [those ears] become a symbol for spiritual receptivity,” said DeStefano — “the way Christians are supposed to listen to God.”
Once he made this connection, he wrote his story in a matter of weeks, he told Fox News Digital.
“I wrote my book because I thought there was a way to use the Easter Bunny for a deeply spiritual purpose,” he said in a phone interview.
Anthony DeStefano, pictured here with some of the characters from his books, was inspired to write “The Story of the First Easter Bunny” to help parents teach their children the story of Easter. (Anthony DeStefano)
He also wanted to help parents teach the story of Easter to their children.
“I know the Easter Bunny is not inherently Catholic, but I do think it can be effectively deployed by Catholic parents as a way to add to the festivity of the Easter celebration, while at the same time teaching children about the death and resurrection of Christ in a way that’s not so horrifying,” stated DeStefano.
STORY OF ST. PATRICK OFFERS IMPORTANT LESSONS DURING LENT, SAYS PENNSYLVANIA-BASED PRIEST
Easter, whereas it is an important Christian feast day, “necessarily involves the brutal execution of someone, and, death can be very scary for children,” he stated.
“But to be able to give kids an idea of what the crucifixion and the resurrection are all about, by employing an adorable Easter bunny in a way that’s not so frightening — it is valuable.”
In writing the ebook, DeStefano sought to “merge the secular with the sacred” however in a manner that doesn’t “water down” or compromise the which means of Easter, he stated.
“You can get the very serious Easter message across, and still preserve the joy, innocence and fun of childhood.”
Within the ebook, the Easter Bunny witnesses Christ’s command to St. John to deal with His mom, the Virgin Mary.
“There’s a lot of theological significance in that kind of entrustment, of course, but it’s also strictly true, on a personal level, that Jesus wanted to make sure that His mom would be OK after He died,” stated DeStefano.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
“And I thought that, if the bunny in the story had a sick mother, and if he witnessed the crucifixion and heard with his big bunny ears that Jesus had taken care of His own mother, that that might provide him with an even more poignant reason for visiting Jesus’s tomb afterward,” stated DeStefano.
“The fact that the bunny has a sick mother makes it easier for him to relate to Jesus and therefore easier for audiences to relate to the bunny.”
The crucifixion could be scary for youngsters and difficult for folks to elucidate — however the character of the bunny makes the occasion extra approachable for teenagers, stated one New Jersey-based writer. (iStock)
Added the writer, “We all have mothers.”
With the Easter Bunny serving as witness to the occasions of the gospel, “you can get the very serious Easter message across, and still preserve the joy, innocence and fun of childhood,” he stated.
It is usually a approach to “strike back at the secular culture.”
The trendy tradition “is always trying its best to de-Christianize our holidays, always trying to give children worldly messages,” he stated.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“And beating them at their own worldly game is an extremely satisfying thing to do — especially on the day we commemorate Christ’s ultimate victory over the world,” DeStefano stated.
That is additionally a approach to “strike back at the secular culture.”
DeStefano has written 5 bestselling Christian books for adults, together with “A Travel Guide to Heaven” and “Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To.” As well as, he is written eight earlier bestselling books for youngsters, together with “The Donkey That No One Could Ride” and “Little Star.”
“The Story of the First Easter Bunny” is revealed by Sophia Institute Press and could be bought wherever books are offered, including at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
