Living Easter for Fifty Days

Beatum Pascha! Happy Easter! Forty days of Lent is now behind us. The alleluia is no longer buried, and our fasting, praying, and penance have given way to the Risen Christ. Let us now reflect on what Easter is and how we can continue celebrating it in our daily lives.

My Roman Catholic Daily Missal (1962) gives a great introductory of Easter, which sets the tone for the entire 50 day Eastertide Season:

“In many modern languages the name given to this feast comes from the Hebraic word Pasch or Passover, which means Passage through the Red Sea: Pascha in Latin, Pâques in French, Pasg in Welsh, Pasen in Dutch or Flemish. The English word Easter is derived from Eostre the name of a pagan Saxon goddess, and a spring festival in her honor was Christianized so that the word became the English equivalent of the Pasch. The Mass is full of allusions to the Resurrection of our Lord and to Baptism, which is a spiritual resurrection. The Sequence or Prose is a survival of a rich literature still preserved in old books. It is one of the most beautiful of all and contains in a few simple lines all the elements of the mystery: it gives the details of Jesus’ immolation; Jesus triumphs on the cross and He comes forth triumphant from the sepulcher. Alleluia!

“This is the day which the Lord had made; let us celebrate it with transports of joy.” (Office of the Church)

Jesus confounded all His enemies by clothing in glory and splendor that Body which had been the Victim of the cruelty of man. Christ’s triumph over Death is the most conclusive proof of His Divinity and the foundation of our faith. “If Christ be not risen again your faith is vain.” (I Cor. 15)

And “God hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ – He hath raised us up together with Christ and Hath made us sit together in the heavenly places.” (St. Paul)

It couldn’t be clearer that we are supposed to celebrate Easter, but how and for how long? Like Christmas, the secularism injected into Easter distorts is very meaning. Too many children were focused more on Easter eggs, jelly beans, and baskets, than celebrating the Risen Christ at Mass. To top it off, the celebration only lasted for one day. Perhaps this is because the very word Easter is derived from a pagan goddess. Needless to say, so much of what society thinks of Easter does not reflect its true Christian meaning of the Pascha.

As Catholics, we need to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ not only on Easter Sunday, but for the rest of the Eastertide season. This year, it begins on the Easter Vigil and ends on May 15^th, Pentecost Sunday. That’s right, fifty days of celebration.

On Easter Sunday, I came across some great suggestions on how we can make Easter a daily part of our lives during these fifty days:

Easter Daily Prayer*

Pray this prayer each day. Pray it on your own, or better yet, as a family:
“For the glorious resurrection of Christ,
And for His saving death,
Let all the world sing Alleluia!

For the magnificent Ascension of Christ,
And for the glad tidings of the gospel,
Let all the world sing Alleluia!

For the marvels of the Spirit sent by Christ,
And for the gift of our daily discipleship,
Let all the world sing Alleluia! Alleluia!

Prayer before Meals*

“This is the day the Lord has made, Alleluia!
This food is a sign of our generous love, O Lord,
A love shown most perfectly in your raising of Christ.
This is the day the Lord has made, Alleluia!
In breaking the bread and drinking the cup,
Your love strengthens and refreshes us.
This is the day the Lord has made, Alleluia!
May others come to know your love
through our charity and witness to justice.
This is the day the Lord has made, Alleluia!
You have made this day for blessing, O Lord.
Let us be blessed by your love at this table
and at the supper of the Lamb. Amen.

Works of Mercy

Review each of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and select a different one each week for the next seven weeks. For example, on week one, you may decide to feed the hungry by buying gift cards or meals for people who can’t afford a meal. Week two: shelter the homeless by buying several street newspapers, such as Streetwise (Chicago), knowing that they help those living on the street transition to non-shelter based housing. Week three: counsel the doubtful by sharing the Truth with someone who has doubts about God. Week four: pray for the living and the dead by offering up as many Masses for special intentions and the repose of souls in purgatory. Week five: visit the sick either at their home or in the hospital. Week six: instruct the ignorant by inviting someone to re-trace the Passion and Resurrection of Christ with you at what Pope Benedict XVI says is the Church’s “holiest and highest possession” – The Tridentine Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form Mass). Week seven: forgive injuries by letting go of grudges and partaking in the Sacrament of Penance.

Whichever ones you choose, keep them at the forefront of your mind throughout the entire week. If opportunities do not present themselves as the week comes to a close, go out of your way to perform that week’s act of mercy.

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” - Matthew 25:35-36

The Corporal Works of Mercy are:

• Feed the hungry
• Give drink to the thirsty
• Shelter the homeless
• Visit the sick
• Visit the prisoners
• Bury the dead
• Give alms to the poor

The Spiritual Works of Mercy are:

• Counseling the doubtful
• Instructing the ignorant
• Admonishing the sinner
• Comforting the sorrowful
• Forgiving injuries
• Bearing wrongs patiently
• Praying for the living and the dead

Easter Devotion to the Mother of God: The Glorious Mysteries*

When praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, recite these prayers:

Pray for us, Mother of God, that we may receive the gift of faith.
As you rejoiced at the resurrection of your son, may we be filled with joy as we celebrate his presence among us.
Ave Maria. Alleluia!

Pray for us, Mother of God, that we may receive the gift of hope.
As you faithfully followed Jesus, help us all to be faithful in our discipleship as we rejoice in his glorious ascension.
Ave, Maria. Alleluia!

Pray for us, Mother of God, that we may receive the gift of the Spirit.
As you prayed with Christ’s disciples to receive the Holy Spirit, may we continue to gather on the Lord ’s Day with the baptized.
Ave, Maria. Alleluia!

Pray for us, Mother of God, that we may receive the gift of life eternal.
As you were lifted to live with Christ in glory, so may we come one day to live with him in perpetual light.
Ave, Maria. Alleluia!

Pray for us, Mother of God, that we may wear the crown of heavenly glory.
Hail Mary, crown of the heavenly host, pray that we may join you one day to sing eternal praise at the throne of the Lamb.
Ave, Maria. Alleluia!

* Source: St. John Cantius Church handout. In accordance with c. 827, permission to publish is granted on November 16, 2015, by the Very Rev. Ronald A. Hicks, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Permission to publish is an official declaration of ecclesiastical authority that the material is free from doctrinal and moral error.