My dear brothers & sisters in Christ, Happy Easter! What a wonderful time to be alive! How can I share my joy with you?
For the next 40 days, we will be celebrating the Resurrection of Our Lord. On June 8th, Pentecost Sunday, we will remember how the Holy Spirit descended and gave power to the first apostles to proclaim the Good News. Isn’t it amazing, my brethren, how the past 40 days of praying & fasting is now balanced with 40 days of thanksgiving & celebration?
Please share with me how the way you spent Lent is affecting how you will celebrate the next 40 days of Eastertide. I think how we observe Lent is directly correlated to how we experience Easter. Let’s see if my suspicion is true!
I can tell you, I will enjoy a nice glass or two of Scotch whisky, tonight. There were many moments when I felt the temptation to break my resolution not to drink alcohol. While I did drink a glass of beer on two social occasions, I trust I will have enough grace to be a better witness next time. I didn’t really need to drink; people would have understood and respected my Lenten resolution. I gave up coffee for Lent, but intend on not drinking it again. I will enjoy coffee ice cream, though. While I will try my best not to watch Netflix, again, at least I can look up documentary or shows that I can watch together with my wife.
Most importantly, I’ll get to pray the other Christian mysteries. For the 40 days during Lent, I only mediated on the Sorrowful Mysteries (the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging, the Crowning of Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion). Now, I get to reflect on Christ’s Joyful, Luminous and Glorious Mysteries. I look forward to seeing how the Holy Spirit will speak to me as I meditate on these other mysteries.
Oh, my soul, I love the Lord so much I feel like bursting. This, I know, is due to grace. There is so much horror and tragedy in the world, right now. I read a headline today of a man who raped a baby and videotaped it on his cell phone. I prayed an Act of Contrition for the man, but that will not be enough to help him. The poor baby, the poor parents… God give them solace. That’s just one tragedy. Christ saw all the horrors he was atoning for in the Garden. He probably saw the human error and incompetency that led to the hundreds of high school deaths in South Korea when a ferry that was taking the children on a field trip capsized. This accident happened right before Easter, too. The school vice principal already committed suicide (which sounds a lot like the despair that led Judas to his own suicide). I’m sure the devil is having a field day harvesting souls for Hell.
There are so many other tragedies and reasons to be sorrowful, but I’m shielded for a time to enjoy the Lord’s Resurrection. For this, I’m grateful. It’s good for me to remember that only the living can praise God. Although I did not see the Risen Christ in the flesh as the first disciples did, I do feel Him in my heart and can see with my eyes of faith how He has worked (and continue to work) in my life.
My brothers & sisters in Christ, I pray and hope you are doing well and have much to be thankful for. If you are suffering or have experienced tragedy recently, I will pray for you this evening. I’m praying for you, right now. God bless you.
O God, I love you with my whole heart above all things because you are infinitely good; for your sake I will love my neighbor as myself. Amen.