Joy in the Easter Season

The secular culture loves to remind us that Christmas is a season of joy. Obviously this is a correct sentiment, for the birth of the Lord is a joyous occasion. Yet the truly joyous season is Easter. It's why Easter is a season for Catholics and Orthodox Christians while Protestants treat Easter like a 'festival.' In Easter we celebrate Christ's victory over death all the way until Pentecost.  This celebration hints at our Lord's coming final victory over a world that worships death.

Why do so many of us forget to live the life of joy, especially in this season? For many of us Easter comes in on Easter Sunday and then is quickly forgotten when Monday morning comes. We're reminded of it when we go to Mass the following several Sundays but we largely fail to internalize the joy of the season. Why? In my own life I'll be the first to admit that remembering that God loves me every day (not just on Sundays) is hard. That failure impacts my life through the joy, or lack thereof, that I experience.

On Facebook this morning I saw a friend post that they've decided to make an Easter resolution. Catholics typically make a Lenten sacrifice or resolution but she decided to make an Easter resolution. Why? Because as Mother Theresa said,“Peace begins with a smile,” which my friend posted. We are the vehicles for peace and joy in the world. The world cannot know the peace and joy of the love of Christ unless we are bringers of that joy in the world. “We are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor 5:20) St Paul tells us in Scripture.

That's easy enough but it starts with internalizing that joy ourselves. We cannot share the love of Christ and the joy of His resurrection without first feeling it ourselves. The only way that I understand how to internalize this joy and share it with others is through having an effective Lent. The Lenten season is meant to bring us closer to Christ through sacrifice and greater time spent in prayer. I don't think I had a particularly effective Lent myself, which I acknowledge as a tragedy. I suspect that I'm not alone in this either. So how do you spread that joy without having had a good Lent?

My old standby is confession and adoration. Yes, turn to the sacraments and prayer. It's cliché but ultimately we cannot come to know Christ without spending time with Him and restoring our relationship to Him in confession. Reading Scripture, a little a day, is essential as well. Again, I said this is cliché sounding but cliches have power because they have essential truths built into them. The sacraments have had staying power over the last 2000 years because they are a direct line to God and as such are our best bet to come to know God directly.

Finally, something more simple may work too. My friend pledged to smile at 5 people every day through Easter. Why? A simple smile from a stranger can brighten a person's day. A smile from a stranger can be one of those intangible things that happens to someone that changes the course of the day for them, so please don't be afraid to smile a little.