We Are an Easter People
April 09, 2021
He is risen, alleluia!!!
Hey y'all!
I hope the joy of Easter is still alive in your heart, because Easter is far from over. We don't just have Easter Sunday. We don't even just have the Octave of Easter. We have an entire Easter season! The Easter season lasts from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday (which is on May 23rd this year). That's 50 whole days to celebrate Christ's Resurrection. I think it's beautiful that the Church gives us this time to commemorate and celebrate Christ's victory over sin and death and our ability to behold God eternally in Heaven.
So, what can we do as Catholics to keep the party going? First and foremost, we can continue to receive and adore the Eucharist. Going to Mass on Sundays is essential, but we can also make time to go to Mass and Eucharistic Adoration during the week. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith: everything leads up to it, and everything flows from it. This means that receiving and spending time with Jesus in the Eucharist is the best way to grow closer to Him. What better time to do this than during the Easter season? In fact, one of the precepts of the Catholic Church, or one of the laws of the Church that all the faithful must follow, is that we must receive the Eucharist at least once a year, and it must be during the Easter season. There's clearly a connection between Easter and the Eucharist, so let's embrace it!
Another thing we can do is continue to deepen our prayer life. Lent is a time for fasting, almsgiving, and prayer, but that doesn't mean it's the only time we can do these things. Committing to praying more often can deepen our relationship with Christ. I encourage you to try praying with Scripture if you have not already. The Bible is God's love letter to us. Reading it will teach and remind us of God's love for us, and it will help us grow in love for Him.
One last thing we can do is celebrate! Keeping in mind the virtues of temperance and prudence, we can do things like treat ourselves to a special comfort food, give small tokens of our appreciation to our loved ones, and spend time with family and friends (either in person or virtually). Do things that you would do on any other feast or holiday that glorify God!
St. Augustine is credited with saying, “we are an Easter people, and alleluia is our song!” My hope for you this Easter season is that you remember these words and let the peace and joy that Easter brings remain in your heart and influence the way you live, not just until Pentecost, but long after it.
That's all for now. Know of my prayers for you and your families, and please keep me and this ministry in your prayers.
Peace of Christ,
Miss Jessica
A.M.D.G.