1. Mysterium paschale. a) The expression mysterium paschale is used repeatedly by Vatican II as a pregnant designation of the Christian redemption in its essential aspects. It is the Easter mystery of the passion, resurrection and ascension of Christ, the salvation prefigured in the ОТ, consisting of the conquest of death and the gift of life (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, art. 5), hence the origin of the Church and of the sacraments, especially baptism and the Eucharist (ibid., arts. 5, 61; cf. arts. 10, 47). This gives the Christian life a paschal character. It is…