The staff of The Western Journal is working a reduced schedule over Easter weekend to allow our employees the opportunity for rest and worship with their families if they so choose. We are re-publishing this article as a service to our readers, who reacted strongly to it when it first ran.

Despite a hectic Holy Week within the White House, politics-as-usual gave way to a faith-focused message from President Donald Trump on Friday morning.

Honoring the Jewish tradition of Passover, which began that day, and the Christian celebration of Easter to follow, Trump delivered prepared remarks in a video posted to the White House’s Facebook page.

Passover and Easter Message 2018 "Both of these sacred celebrations remind us that God's love redeems the world… Happy Passover, happy Easter, thank you, God bless you, and God bless America." Posted by The White House on Friday, March 30, 2018

“My fellow Americans, at this holy time of the year, families across our nation gather in homes, churches and synagogues to light candles and to praise God,” he said.

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He began by describing the “sacred holiday of Passover,” celebrated by Jewish members of his family including daughter and son-in-law Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

Trump said the holiday is celebrated by families around the world who “give thanks to God for liberating the Jewish people from bondage in Egypt and delivering them to the promised land of Israel.”

Shifting to the season’s Christian holiday, the president emphasized the importance of Easter to the faith.

“For Christians, we remember the suffering and death of God’s only son and his glorious resurrection on the third day,” Trump said. “On Easter Sunday, we proclaim with joy ‘Christ is risen.'”

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The two holidays serve to “remind us that God’s love redeems the world,” Trump said.

He added that this sentiment is expressed in the earliest scriptures of the Judeo-Christian tradition.

“Almost 3,000 years ago, the prophet Isaiah wrote, ‘Darkness covers the earth, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. For the Lord will be your everlasting light,'” Trump said.

He said that America has shown a commitment to adhering to that guiding principle.

“In America, we look to the light of God to guide our steps,” he said. “We trust in the power of the Almighty for wisdom and strength and we praise our Heavenly Father for the blessings of freedom and the gift of eternal life.”

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While Trump’s personal and professed Christian faith has been the subject of media scrutiny, his public comments have frequently offered support to the Christians who played a vital role in securing his 2016 election victory.

During a speech delivered in the nation’s capital at the Values Voter Summit in October, Trump stressed the sentiment that Americans “don’t worship government, we worship God.”

His comments were received enthusiastically by many in the predominantly Christian audience, including a standing ovation when he mentioned the appointment of conservative Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.

The president also used his address to speak against “the attacks on Judeo-Christian values” and emphasize the importance of faith in preserving the nation’s heritage.

“We know that it’s the family and the church — not government officials — who know best how to create strong and loving communities,” he said.

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