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Bestselling writer Anthony DeStefano of New Jersey was tired of commercialism and secular civilization overrunning nan existent meaning of Easter — truthful he wrote a book to "Christianize" nan communicative of nan Easter Bunny.
"The Story of nan First Easter Bunny" tells of a "small bunny pinch very ample ears" who lives pinch his ailing mother adjacent Jerusalem during nan clip of Christ.
Desperate to find thief for his mother, nan bunny hears of a man who tin heal pinch his hands — a man named Jesus.
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The bunny goes connected a travel and finds not only Jesus — but besides witnesses nan Last Supper, nan crucifixion and moreover nan Resurrection connected nan very first Easter Sunday.
After experiencing a miracle, nan bunny past spreads nan connection of Jesus Christ astir nan world, and "many were saved, because they believed nan life-changing news that they had received."
DeStefano told Fox News Digital that nan thought of a children's book that linked nan Easter Bunny pinch nan existent meaning of Easter had been an thought of his for a while, but he could not rather fig retired really he wanted to do it.
The Easter Bunny, who seeks retired Jesus Christ to heal his sick mother, witnesses nan events of nan gospel and past preaches nan communicative of Jesus successful "The Story of nan First Easter Bunny" by Anthony DeStefano, astatine right. (Sophia Institute Press/Courtesy of Anthony DeStefano)
Then 1 day astatine Mass, DeStefano heard nan phrase, "He who has ears to hear, fto him hear."
"I'm very good alert that successful Christian theology, nan building ‘having ears to hear' intends thing very different than simply proceeding words," he said.
Rather, "It's astir knowing those words, internalizing their connection — and done that progressive listening, you tin carnivore overmuch consequence successful nan kingdom of heaven," he said.
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"So it struck maine that since bunnies person tremendous ears, successful my communicative [those ears] go a awesome for belief receptivity," said DeStefano — "the measurement Christians are expected to perceive to God."
Once he made this connection, he wrote his communicative successful a matter of weeks, he told Fox News Digital.
"I wrote my book because I thought location was a measurement to usage nan Easter Bunny for a profoundly belief purpose," he said successful a telephone interview.
Anthony DeStefano, pictured present pinch immoderate of nan characters from his books, was inspired to constitute "The Story of nan First Easter Bunny" to thief parents thatch their children nan communicative of Easter. (Anthony DeStefano)
He besides wanted to thief parents thatch nan communicative of Easter to their children.
"I cognize nan Easter Bunny is not inherently Catholic, but I do deliberation it tin beryllium efficaciously deployed by Catholic parents arsenic a measurement to adhd to nan festivity of nan Easter celebration, while astatine nan aforesaid clip school children astir nan decease and resurrection of Christ successful a measurement that’s not truthful frightening," said DeStefano.
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Easter, while it's nan astir important Christian feast day, "necessarily involves nan sadistic execution of someone, and, decease tin beryllium very scary for children," he said.
"But to beryllium capable to springiness kids an thought of what nan crucifixion and nan resurrection are each about, by employing an adorable Easter bunny successful a measurement that's not truthful frightening — it is valuable."
In penning nan book, DeStefano sought to "merge nan secular with nan sacred" but successful a measurement that does not "water down" aliases discuss nan meaning of Easter, he said.
"You tin get nan very superior Easter connection across, and still sphere nan joy, innocence and nosy of childhood."
In nan book, nan Easter Bunny witnesses Christ's bid to St. John to return attraction of His mother, nan Virgin Mary.
"There's a batch of theological value successful that benignant of entrustment, of course, but it's besides strictly true, connected a individual level, that Jesus wanted to make judge that His mom would beryllium OK aft He died," said DeStefano.
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"And I thought that, if nan bunny successful nan communicative had a sick mother, and if he witnessed nan crucifixion and heard pinch his large bunny ears that Jesus had taken attraction of His ain mother, that that mightiness supply him pinch an moreover much poignant logic for visiting Jesus's tomb afterward," said DeStefano.
"The truth that nan bunny has a sick mother makes it easier for him to subordinate to Jesus and truthful easier for audiences to subordinate to nan bunny."
The crucifixion tin beryllium scary for children and reliable for parents to explicate — but nan characteristic of nan bunny makes nan arena much approachable for kids, said 1 New Jersey-based author. (iStock)
Added nan author, "We each person mothers."
With nan Easter Bunny serving arsenic witnesser to nan events of nan gospel, "you tin get nan very superior Easter connection across, and still sphere nan joy, innocence and nosy of childhood," he said.
It is besides a measurement to "strike backmost astatine nan secular culture."
The modern civilization "is ever trying its champion to de-Christianize our holidays, ever trying to springiness children worldly messages," he said.
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"And beating them astatine their ain worldly crippled is an highly satisfying point to do — particularly connected nan time we commemorate Christ’s eventual triumph complete nan world," DeStefano said.
This is besides a measurement to "strike backmost astatine nan secular culture."
DeStefano has written 5 bestselling Christian books for adults, including "A Travel Guide to Heaven" and "Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To." In addition, he's written 8 erstwhile bestselling books for children, including "The Donkey That No One Could Ride" and "Little Star."
"The Story of nan First Easter Bunny" is published by Sophia Institute Press and tin beryllium purchased wherever books are sold, including astatine Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
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