Happy Easter! My How You've Changed!
Happy Easter!
The great celebrations begins. Every day this week is a solemnity. Every day is like a Sunday this entire week. Easter is the Day of days; this week is the Week of weeks.
Meanwhile, for many of us, we're back to work, doing our best to bring the great joy and celebration with us each day. Of course, don't expect the rest of the world to share your joy. Even most Catholics I know are already "over" Easter. Easter was last Sunday.
But we know better. After this "Easter Week" we're still going to celebrate the Easter Season of the Liturgical Year. Alleluia's will ring out in or prayers and hymns. The celebration goes on.
Let's hope we all succeed in keeping the "Easter Spirit" during this most glorious time of the year. Let's hope we don't just slip back to the "ordinary" - to the day-to-day lives we "normally" lead - or worse.
Worse?
Well, the thing is, there's this tendency to kind of slack off now that Lent's over. Oh, I know you won't do that. But for some of us, it's a temptation. We figure all that effort we put in during Lent - all that prayer, almsgiving and works of charity - that's behind us. Now we celebrate.
No more giving stuff up!
Okay, it's natural to kind of relax. But just remember. There's no going back. You're not going to slip into that old self that you started out with on Ash Wednesday. Lent changed you.
It's like when you pick up fresh knowledge or a new skill at work - you know to stay competitive in the marketplace, or make yourself more valuable to your employer. It takes work to acquire new knowledge and skill. And when you do, you've changed. You don't go back to being just like you were before.
So all that prayer and sacrifice during Lent changed you too. That's what making progress in the spiritual life is all about. And there's no better time to make progress than during the grace-filled season of Lent. You're not the same.
When you rose with Our Lord on Easter, you rose a different man. You may not know exactly how different right now, but you are different. Don't push yourself back into the "old" man you were.
Let's all remember: everything's new. Christ made all things new again with his Birth, Passion, Death and Resurrection. Nothing will ever be the same.
Even at work everything's new. Sure the humdrum of daily work may catch up with you one of these days. But even then, try to remember, you're a changed man. You're working for the greater glory of God, no matter what sort of work you do.
If you let it, Easter will kind of propel you into you're new life. The great celebration that began Sunday doesn't have to fade away. You're not the same man you were - so act it.
Meanwhile, this work day, and every day from this day forward, live as the man God created you to be. Live fully in the light of His grace. Live in the dazzling light of Christ's Resurrection. There's nothing ordinary about your life anymore. You've changed.
The great celebrations begins. Every day this week is a solemnity. Every day is like a Sunday this entire week. Easter is the Day of days; this week is the Week of weeks.
Meanwhile, for many of us, we're back to work, doing our best to bring the great joy and celebration with us each day. Of course, don't expect the rest of the world to share your joy. Even most Catholics I know are already "over" Easter. Easter was last Sunday.
But we know better. After this "Easter Week" we're still going to celebrate the Easter Season of the Liturgical Year. Alleluia's will ring out in or prayers and hymns. The celebration goes on.
Let's hope we all succeed in keeping the "Easter Spirit" during this most glorious time of the year. Let's hope we don't just slip back to the "ordinary" - to the day-to-day lives we "normally" lead - or worse.
Worse?
Well, the thing is, there's this tendency to kind of slack off now that Lent's over. Oh, I know you won't do that. But for some of us, it's a temptation. We figure all that effort we put in during Lent - all that prayer, almsgiving and works of charity - that's behind us. Now we celebrate.
No more giving stuff up!
Okay, it's natural to kind of relax. But just remember. There's no going back. You're not going to slip into that old self that you started out with on Ash Wednesday. Lent changed you.
It's like when you pick up fresh knowledge or a new skill at work - you know to stay competitive in the marketplace, or make yourself more valuable to your employer. It takes work to acquire new knowledge and skill. And when you do, you've changed. You don't go back to being just like you were before.
So all that prayer and sacrifice during Lent changed you too. That's what making progress in the spiritual life is all about. And there's no better time to make progress than during the grace-filled season of Lent. You're not the same.
When you rose with Our Lord on Easter, you rose a different man. You may not know exactly how different right now, but you are different. Don't push yourself back into the "old" man you were.
Let's all remember: everything's new. Christ made all things new again with his Birth, Passion, Death and Resurrection. Nothing will ever be the same.
Even at work everything's new. Sure the humdrum of daily work may catch up with you one of these days. But even then, try to remember, you're a changed man. You're working for the greater glory of God, no matter what sort of work you do.
If you let it, Easter will kind of propel you into you're new life. The great celebration that began Sunday doesn't have to fade away. You're not the same man you were - so act it.
Meanwhile, this work day, and every day from this day forward, live as the man God created you to be. Live fully in the light of His grace. Live in the dazzling light of Christ's Resurrection. There's nothing ordinary about your life anymore. You've changed.
Alleluia!
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