Easter is my favorite holiday of the year! I love the Easter readings filled with hope and promise, and the Easter hymns are so glorious. The verse “And the dead shall be awakened by the trumpet’s mighty blast!” brings it all home to me. It’s what we’re about.
While the hint of spring in the air adds to the joy of the Easter season, it’s not just a season of pretty flowers and hymns. It’s a great time to continue our Lenten resolutions and make permanent changes in our lives. The sacrifices we made during Lent can continue to bring us closer to Christ.
There is a beautiful swell of people at daily Mass during Lent; however, the number quickly dwindles after the Octave of Easter. Attending daily Mass can be a wonderful way to start your day all year long! Did you get into reading the Bible on a daily basis, listening to a podcast or watching a video series during Lent? If any of those devotions were meaningful to you, keep them going. Does your parish have any opportunities for adult faith formation? Now might be a good time to sign up. This is a great way to meet new friends while growing in your relationship with God.
We can continue to fast from those things that take us away from God, too. Was life more breathable when you stopped scrolling on social media? Maybe you don’t want to fast from it all together, but perhaps you and your family can agree not to scroll during dinnertime.
Did you find yourself avoiding office gossip? Was it easier to look people in the eye because you weren’t talking about them? That’s another healthy purge!
During Easter season, we start to wear lighter clothes, breathe in the fresh air and exercise more. Some people like to lose a little weight to feel healthier – but it’s not just our bodies that weigh us down; by eliminating these habits, our souls become lighter, too. People will notice the difference in us because our whole essence will change.
If nothing changes after Lent, then nothing changes in our lives.
I once worked with a man who was mean-spirited. He would make fun of people – children, his employees, anyone. He was demanding and unreasonable but often wouldn’t put forth effort himself. I was a young adult, not practicing my faith yet. A bunch of us were out to lunch. He saw me order a gyro, and he said, “Emily, you’re killing me! How could you eat meat on Friday in front of us Catholics?!” I looked at him appalled, and replied, “I don’t practice the faith so why would I give up meat on Friday? Why would anyone bother giving up meat if you’re not practicing the faith any other way!”
My not-so-subtle hint was if that was the only way he was living out his faith, he had nothing to brag about.
Once I started practicing my faith, I absolutely gave up meat on Fridays, but I felt that merely abstaining from meat was not the only lifestyle change that needed to take place!
Jesus gave us His body on Holy Thursday, Good Friday – and continues to every day! Let us give Him our whole selves, too. God bless you, and Happy Easter!
Sister M. Emily Vincent Rebalsky, IHM, is the program director at Villa Maria by the Sea Retreat Center, Stone Harbor.
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