Easter has come, but in many ways it still feels and looks like Lent.
We are still in waiting mode, wondering when we will be free of this COVID-19 lockdown. As Catholics, we are called to be an “Easter People,” but that’s not easy when we are in the middle of a global battle or when we are fearful.
The good news is that this is a battle and not the war – the war was already won when Jesus suffered on the Cross and rose from the dead. This pandemic and the way it has changed our lives is one of many battles we are called to fight so that we can exercise our freedom to be faithful and show our love for God.
Pope St. John Paul II, who died 15 years ago this month, was fond of the term “Easter People,” which is attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo in the fourth century. Pope John Paul II was a man who knew suffering and battles. As a young man, he lost most of his immediate family to disease and was then thrown into a life of persecution and deprivation during the Second World War, when the Nazis took over his homeland of Poland, followed by decades of Communist oppression.
In 1986, he spoke the following words while on an apostolic journey to the Far East and Oceania: “We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. And we live in the light of his Paschal Mystery - the mystery of his Death and Resurrection. ‘We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!’”
Are we singing “Alleluia” loud enough? Are we teaching our children that the cry of “Alleluia!” is the antidote to fear? After a Lent that was full of penances not of our choosing – self-isolation, social distancing, anxiety – we were longing for Easter. But now that the “Alleluia!” has been sung, are we allowing Easter to define our lives? Or are our lives being dictated by daily press conferences, a fear-mongering social media, and endless searches on the internet in a quest to control what is totally out our control? Do our family members, friends and neighbours know we are in the midst of rejoicing over the resurrection of our Saviour?
More than ever we need to be the Easter People that Sts. John Paul II and Augustine exhorted us to be. The world needs this hope. The world needs to know that the war is already won, and our joy is not dependent on what’s going on around us, even if that happens to be a pandemic. If we really are an Easter people, if our faith goes beyond the surface, it is up to us to be beacons to a world that is suffering. Our faith is designed to give meaning to suffering, as Christ showed us.
We know that Christ has conquered death and opened up the gates of heaven and that we have everything to look forward to after our earthly journey. There is nothing on this earth that can take that truth away from us, unless we allow it.
Yet being Catholic doesn’t make us immune to fear and worry. When the anxieties and fears start to creep in, whether those of parents or children, it’s time to focus on the victory of the Resurrection. Remind the family that “Alleluia” is our song and make it a common word in your house. Remember that Christ is in charge and he always fulfills his promises. “He has risen, just as he said” (Mt 28:6). Take “Alleluia action” and let your faith speak through acts of care and concern for the vulnerable in your community.
Lent was 40 days, but Easter lasts for 50. Try to make the rest of these Easter days each their own mini- Easter. Greet your spouse or children every morning with an “Alleluia!” or “Happy Easter!” If you don’t say it already, consider adding the traditional Easter prayer the Regina Coeli, to your daily family prayers. You can also keep a festive table, with candles, white tablecloth, and fresh flowers where possible, throughout the Easter season.
What better time to transform our families into Easter People than when we are homebound and may be in search of ways to enrich our time together? We have appreciated starting our day with livestreamed Mass projected on the living room wall. Daily Mass as a family is something we would not normally be able to attend and, though it saddens us not to be able to receive the Holy Eucharist, we do get to discuss the readings and homily and share in spiritual communion.
We have also been enjoying watching with our teenagers the series “Chosen” (download the app for free), which is a high-quality series on the life of Christ. There are so many good quality movies and shows that can spark great faith-based discussions – from the animated Prince of Egypt to the more intense The Robe and countless others. Search Catholicculture.org for their 50 best Catholic movies of all times. I can’t recommend highly enough a subscription to Formed.org, which has numerous faith-enriching resources, documentaries, movies, and cartoons, and Kendra Tierney at catholicallyear.com has great choices according to age appropriateness.
Being Easter People does not mean we will not suffer. On the contrary, our Saviour sanctified suffering and shows that it can be a gift that leads to eternal life. The key is to see this time as gift. God has called us all to be in this time for a reason and it is up to us what we will do with this opportunity. Will we be consumed with worry or sound the “Alleluia!” for all to hear?
As St. Augustine sums up the idea of being an Easter People: “Let us admire, congratulate, rejoice, love, praise, adore; because through the death of our Redeemer we are called from darkness to light, from death to life, from exile to home, from grief to everlasting joy.”
Lazzuri writes from her home in Nova Scotia, where she lives with her husband, six children and her mom.