Back To Work After Easter
Most of us get back to work right after Easter Sunday. In Europe, they still observe a holiday on "Easter Monday" following the quintessentially traditional Catholic practice of respite from work in recognition of great feast days, the greatest of which would be Easter. No matter that few Europeans actually practice their Catholic Faith anymore; they've saved the holidays despite their indifference to the Church.
Here in the U.S., a country with a strong Protestant Christian foundation, such holiday respite never saw the light of day. Our ancestors were perhaps justifiably wary of certain undesirable practices of the absolute monarchies of Europe. While they tended to lump the Roman Catholic Church in with that lot, would that they had not rejected the celebrations that our rich Catholic tradition brought to the table. As a result, most of us found ourselves right back into the thick of it bright and early this past Monday morning. No time to linger on the glory of the Resurrection.
But wait. Even on our newer "reformed" Novus Ordo calendar, these days after Easter are characterized as "solemnities," extensions of Easter Sunday, as it were. And so we might rightly call each day of the week Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday, and so on.
For that reason, even as we return to the daily grind right off the bat, we should consider observing, even savoring Easter this whole week in whatever way we can muster. For example, in the midst of our busy day today, we can take a few moments here and there to look within ourselves. It helps if you've understood the importance of, and made the effort to develop, your interior life. (We've discussed the interior life in the past; and we've remarked how our good shepherds, in the misplaced wisdom that sprang from the "Spirit of Vatican II" hardly acknowledge this important concept anymore.) That's the secure "place" we Catholics develop "inside" that provides the secure shelter for our souls. In it, we not only find protection from whatever the whims of the world throw at us, but also a fertile ground to spend time with Our Risen Lord, no matter what's going on around us. Doing so, we learn to see God in everything. So it's the perfect place from which we might center our Easter celebrations this entire week.
If you haven't thought about, or spend much time developing your interior life, no worries. You can easily lay the first brick by simply pausing wherever you are, whatever you're doing, and think of Our Lord. Maybe thank Him for His sacrifice and for giving us indelible proof that we were made for eternal life in Paradise when He rose from the dead. It takes mere moments; no special prayers need. And if you can manage those few moments during your busy work day today, so much the better. That first brick will surely be a strong one with which to eventually construct a firm foundation.
So as we head off to our daily toil today, let's resolve to remember what lies at the very center of our lives as Christians: the Cross. In any difficulties or suffering we encounter today, we might especially recall the clear teaching Our Lord provided to help us deal with those difficulties and sufferings: “Whosoever doth not carry his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27). In true Easter spirit, we don't run from these words, but we embrace them joyfully. He who suffered and died for us not only knows how hard things can be for us, but suffered with and for us, in a manner none of us can ever approach or even imagine. And then He rose from the dead to show us our ultimate destiny, when all our difficulties and suffering will fade into the past, leaving us only joy and happiness.
A few moments lingering on such thoughts should help us deal with difficult situations or people today, perhaps even ease any suffering we may encounter. And to the extent that we cannot find total relief, we know we "offer up" our suffering, even our difficult moments, to a Lord Who will accept our offering with open arms. We will gladden the Sacred Heart of our Risen Lord, Who demonstrated once and for all time, as we witnessed during Holy Week, his inestimable and infinite love for each and every one of us.
I don't know about you, but time spent in this manner has served me well in the tough times I've had in my life - far better than all the slogans, bromides, and "personal improvement" gurus with which too many of us spend far too much time. If you've ever given your ear, your mind, and your time and effort to these sorts of things, why not take that time and effort and apply it to building your interior life. Start today, during this glorious Easter Week. What better time to start?!!
Here in the U.S., a country with a strong Protestant Christian foundation, such holiday respite never saw the light of day. Our ancestors were perhaps justifiably wary of certain undesirable practices of the absolute monarchies of Europe. While they tended to lump the Roman Catholic Church in with that lot, would that they had not rejected the celebrations that our rich Catholic tradition brought to the table. As a result, most of us found ourselves right back into the thick of it bright and early this past Monday morning. No time to linger on the glory of the Resurrection.
But wait. Even on our newer "reformed" Novus Ordo calendar, these days after Easter are characterized as "solemnities," extensions of Easter Sunday, as it were. And so we might rightly call each day of the week Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday, and so on.
For that reason, even as we return to the daily grind right off the bat, we should consider observing, even savoring Easter this whole week in whatever way we can muster. For example, in the midst of our busy day today, we can take a few moments here and there to look within ourselves. It helps if you've understood the importance of, and made the effort to develop, your interior life. (We've discussed the interior life in the past; and we've remarked how our good shepherds, in the misplaced wisdom that sprang from the "Spirit of Vatican II" hardly acknowledge this important concept anymore.) That's the secure "place" we Catholics develop "inside" that provides the secure shelter for our souls. In it, we not only find protection from whatever the whims of the world throw at us, but also a fertile ground to spend time with Our Risen Lord, no matter what's going on around us. Doing so, we learn to see God in everything. So it's the perfect place from which we might center our Easter celebrations this entire week.
If you haven't thought about, or spend much time developing your interior life, no worries. You can easily lay the first brick by simply pausing wherever you are, whatever you're doing, and think of Our Lord. Maybe thank Him for His sacrifice and for giving us indelible proof that we were made for eternal life in Paradise when He rose from the dead. It takes mere moments; no special prayers need. And if you can manage those few moments during your busy work day today, so much the better. That first brick will surely be a strong one with which to eventually construct a firm foundation.
So as we head off to our daily toil today, let's resolve to remember what lies at the very center of our lives as Christians: the Cross. In any difficulties or suffering we encounter today, we might especially recall the clear teaching Our Lord provided to help us deal with those difficulties and sufferings: “Whosoever doth not carry his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27). In true Easter spirit, we don't run from these words, but we embrace them joyfully. He who suffered and died for us not only knows how hard things can be for us, but suffered with and for us, in a manner none of us can ever approach or even imagine. And then He rose from the dead to show us our ultimate destiny, when all our difficulties and suffering will fade into the past, leaving us only joy and happiness.
A few moments lingering on such thoughts should help us deal with difficult situations or people today, perhaps even ease any suffering we may encounter. And to the extent that we cannot find total relief, we know we "offer up" our suffering, even our difficult moments, to a Lord Who will accept our offering with open arms. We will gladden the Sacred Heart of our Risen Lord, Who demonstrated once and for all time, as we witnessed during Holy Week, his inestimable and infinite love for each and every one of us.
I don't know about you, but time spent in this manner has served me well in the tough times I've had in my life - far better than all the slogans, bromides, and "personal improvement" gurus with which too many of us spend far too much time. If you've ever given your ear, your mind, and your time and effort to these sorts of things, why not take that time and effort and apply it to building your interior life. Start today, during this glorious Easter Week. What better time to start?!!
Happy Easter!
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