Weekend Wisdom - April 7th, 2024
Have you been celebrating Easter for the past week? I hope so!
The holy season of Lent is behind us, and now we rejoice with 50 days of Easter as we journey with the Risen Lord toward Pentecost on Sunday May 19. For the past eight days, we’ve been celebrating the Octave of Easter. For those of you who pray Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, each day since the Resurrection of Jesus has been a re-celebration of Easter. Alleluia, Alleluia!
We were blessed to have some wonderful liturgies over the past two weeks focused on drawing us closer to Jesus in his Pascal Mystery; his suffering, dying, death, and resurrection. On Holy Thursday, our parishes received the Holy Oils that were blessed by Bishop Ricken at the Chrism Mass. These oils will be used throughout the coming year. We rejoiced in the Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper and gave thanks to our priests who carry on this ‘perpetual institution’. We were reminded how to serve one another as Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Later that evening, we were blessed to have Bishop Ricken, and about 40 other pilgrims from throughout our diocese, join us as we kept vigil with Jesus in the day chapel at St. Mary’s. On Good Friday, we re-lived the Passion of Jesus, according to John, lifted our prayers with the ten solemn intercessions, and venerated the cross. Finally, ‘all things were made new’ at the Easter Vigil Mass. The new fire was blessed, then the Easter Candle, then the water, then each of us, as we prepared to celebrate the glorious resurrection of Jesus, who conquered sin and death!
Although I enjoy all of the seasons of the liturgical year, the Triduum and Easter Season are especially meaningful and fulfilling. We are an Easter people! We live in joy, not sorrow! We live in hope, not despair! And we live with faith and trust in the Lord, knowing that in the end, love prevails!
There’s one other thing that I really look forward to this time of year… it’s saying the word that we don’t use throughout the Lenten season. It’s a word that sums up the joy of this Easter Season. And, hopefully, it’s a word that brings a smile to our face every time we say it…
That word is ALLELUIA!
Easter blessings to you and your family!
Deacon Mark Mullins