Nice homily Father. It got me thinking. Hopefully my meandering thoughts will make sense.
This year Lent seemed to go on and on. However, the Triduum and Easter were splendid. After weeks of reciting the Sorrowful Mysteries during Lent, as is my habit, it was a great to “uncork” the Glorious Mysteries on Easter Sunday, shortly after catching up with the maryvcitrix.com happenings and enjoying a homily on Our Lady’s special place in Salvation history as Coredemptrix. Likely because of this, the Glorious Mysteries really seemed to “pop” that evening. Thank you, Father. Having a very complicated, and yet always ongoing, relationship with the mysterious rosary, I considered it another peak on a path that has wound also through valleys and even dark woods. (To your point, Father, the hardest things for us are often times the most rewarding in the end. Hence I pray on, sometimes obviously rewarded for it) In any event, just a few short days past this splendid Easter and exceptional rosary experience, I was struck by the realization that I was sliding back into “normalcy”… imperceptively till that very moment. I was trying to live as I should, in my typical, basic sense, but was missing that extra vim, and, overall vigilance that was with me on Sunday. Just a few days prior I had been marveling at the hope Our Lord’s Passion and Resurrection produced for mandkind, and here, that very morning, I was catching an explative on its way up to my larynx as a selfish motorist pulled in front of me quickly on my way to work… to a job I would also be grumbling about, rather than being grateful for, only a few hours later. I realized that I was not quite as cognizant of what it’s truly all about as I had been just a day or so ago. After the celebratory long weekend, the world and all its concerns had reached in and reclaimed a big chunk of my attention. I realized, too, that I was not alone. Many people seemed right back where they had been a week or so ago. I realized that most Christians, Catholics included, misunderstand Easter Sunday. It is not merely a single day, upon which the Church rejoices in The Resurrection and it’s promise, followed by a gloomy return to the regular realities of Monday morning, but rather it’s a whole season in which we rejoice, contemplate and also act in charity and gratitude. I wonder why it’s so hard for us… Lent we Catholics seem to “get”, but Easter? Beyond the triumph of exhuberantly celebrated Masses, not as much, I think. Of course, as Father pointed out in this homily, the apostles themselves didn’t always quite “get it” when they should have so I suppose I shouldn’t scratch my head for too long. (“it” merely meaning whatever it is we should be understanding from God at the moment) Only Our Lady understood. I think that’s telling. Though she experienced all, she was never in our fallen boat. She always knew the truth. Perhaps we, of fallen nature, are better at Lent because to observe Lent is to be seen as observing “the rules” and the Churches teachings about preparing for Easter. We all believe in rules. We all see a Church. Lent makes us look loyal to something we can touch. This is positive and even rational. But Easter and the truth? To be seen in exhuberance on and beyond Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection is actually where the rubber meets the road in terms of our faith. To be seen grateful, hopeful and expectant in the great mystery of the Resurrection of the Lord and our own eternal end is to be seen believing in something we cannot touch, and cannot paint with a strictly rational brush… most definately not to the satisfaction of the world’s idea of “rational”. Where the world just might consider us “loyal” for our Lenten practices, it may deem us foolish for our Easter ones if they saw us smiling, cheerfully celebrating amidst the grayness of everyday life. St Paul lays it out straight for us; If Christ didn’t rise, then we are fools. This is the faith. Do we believe? A hard question we must all answer, because all of the Lenten practice and orthodoxy cannot make up for a negative response to this foundational Easter question.
If we can say “yes”, let’s be more joyful about it. As Easter is still upon us, let’s all do what we can to keep our faith steady and the wind of the Resurrection’s Hope under our wings and in our sails, and also help others to do the same. Keep on “keeping on” Father Angelo, as your homilies and consistent commentary on Christ, Our Lady, the saints and “all things Catholic” can, and usually do, provide a little breeze towards both these worthy ends.
(just reread before sending… sorry so long!)
Mary Victrix 
Nice homily Father. It got me thinking. Hopefully my meandering thoughts will make sense.
This year Lent seemed to go on and on. However, the Triduum and Easter were splendid. After weeks of reciting the Sorrowful Mysteries during Lent, as is my habit, it was a great to “uncork” the Glorious Mysteries on Easter Sunday, shortly after catching up with the maryvcitrix.com happenings and enjoying a homily on Our Lady’s special place in Salvation history as Coredemptrix. Likely because of this, the Glorious Mysteries really seemed to “pop” that evening. Thank you, Father. Having a very complicated, and yet always ongoing, relationship with the mysterious rosary, I considered it another peak on a path that has wound also through valleys and even dark woods. (To your point, Father, the hardest things for us are often times the most rewarding in the end. Hence I pray on, sometimes obviously rewarded for it) In any event, just a few short days past this splendid Easter and exceptional rosary experience, I was struck by the realization that I was sliding back into “normalcy”… imperceptively till that very moment. I was trying to live as I should, in my typical, basic sense, but was missing that extra vim, and, overall vigilance that was with me on Sunday. Just a few days prior I had been marveling at the hope Our Lord’s Passion and Resurrection produced for mandkind, and here, that very morning, I was catching an explative on its way up to my larynx as a selfish motorist pulled in front of me quickly on my way to work… to a job I would also be grumbling about, rather than being grateful for, only a few hours later. I realized that I was not quite as cognizant of what it’s truly all about as I had been just a day or so ago. After the celebratory long weekend, the world and all its concerns had reached in and reclaimed a big chunk of my attention. I realized, too, that I was not alone. Many people seemed right back where they had been a week or so ago. I realized that most Christians, Catholics included, misunderstand Easter Sunday. It is not merely a single day, upon which the Church rejoices in The Resurrection and it’s promise, followed by a gloomy return to the regular realities of Monday morning, but rather it’s a whole season in which we rejoice, contemplate and also act in charity and gratitude. I wonder why it’s so hard for us… Lent we Catholics seem to “get”, but Easter? Beyond the triumph of exhuberantly celebrated Masses, not as much, I think. Of course, as Father pointed out in this homily, the apostles themselves didn’t always quite “get it” when they should have so I suppose I shouldn’t scratch my head for too long. (“it” merely meaning whatever it is we should be understanding from God at the moment) Only Our Lady understood. I think that’s telling. Though she experienced all, she was never in our fallen boat. She always knew the truth. Perhaps we, of fallen nature, are better at Lent because to observe Lent is to be seen as observing “the rules” and the Churches teachings about preparing for Easter. We all believe in rules. We all see a Church. Lent makes us look loyal to something we can touch. This is positive and even rational. But Easter and the truth? To be seen in exhuberance on and beyond Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection is actually where the rubber meets the road in terms of our faith. To be seen grateful, hopeful and expectant in the great mystery of the Resurrection of the Lord and our own eternal end is to be seen believing in something we cannot touch, and cannot paint with a strictly rational brush… most definately not to the satisfaction of the world’s idea of “rational”. Where the world just might consider us “loyal” for our Lenten practices, it may deem us foolish for our Easter ones if they saw us smiling, cheerfully celebrating amidst the grayness of everyday life. St Paul lays it out straight for us; If Christ didn’t rise, then we are fools. This is the faith. Do we believe? A hard question we must all answer, because all of the Lenten practice and orthodoxy cannot make up for a negative response to this foundational Easter question.
If we can say “yes”, let’s be more joyful about it. As Easter is still upon us, let’s all do what we can to keep our faith steady and the wind of the Resurrection’s Hope under our wings and in our sails, and also help others to do the same. Keep on “keeping on” Father Angelo, as your homilies and consistent commentary on Christ, Our Lady, the saints and “all things Catholic” can, and usually do, provide a little breeze towards both these worthy ends.
(just reread before sending… sorry so long!)