Living Easter daily

ordinary men as disciples, if there weren’t some element of joy in him –that deep, transforming quality that may not show itself in frivolity but lives root-deep in a person’s being.

I often imagine Jesus gathered with the Apostles around a fire, talking over the day’s events and their mission, while sharing a meal. I’m certain there was a lot of laughter and animated conversation, and maybe even dancing. They belonged with Jesus. The image encourages me to ask Jesus to share that experience of joy with me.

That image also brings to mind a good friend who shared with me her fond memories when, as a teen, she and her CYO friends went to Mass every morning of Holy Week. That immersion in their faith, their participation together, sharing breakfast afterward, reinforced her sense of Catholic identity and unity. There was an underlying joy in the experience of putting normal daily activities aside to practice their faith, bringing with it a sense of grace that is worth seeking daily.

St. Pope John Paul II stresses that “joy is demanding.” He proposes that we “are not looking for a shallow joy but rather a joy that comes from faith, that grows through unselfish love, that respects the ‘fundamental duty of love of neighbor, without which it would be unbecoming to speak of joy.’”

The days to come, the 50 days of the Easter season and beyond, provide us with the opportunity to be intentional in living the characteristics of Easter people, learned as we journeyed through Holy Week with Christ – courage, compassion, gratitude, generosity, prayer and sacrificial love – remembering Resurrection as the reason for accepting the demands of joy and singing our Alelluia’s throughout the year.