Here we are, 10 days into the Easter Season and I?d be willing to bet that many of us have already forgotten about the joy that should accompany the Resurrection of The Lord. It?s certainly understandable considering that the world tells us that Easter is long gone, as evidenced by the half-priced tables of candy that began appearing a week ago. The Church, on the other hand, teaches that the Easter Season lasts for 50 days, which means that we are just getting started. So how do we remedy this situation?
One thing we can do is to follow the Mass readings each day. They can be accessed online HERE. This allows The Church to guide us to those Biblical passages that emphasize the joy of the Easter season. Another thing we can do is to say the following prayer composed by Pope Saint Gregory the Great:
Easter Prayer
It is only right, with all the powers of our heart and mind, to praise You Father and Your Only-Begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Dear Father, by Your wondrous condescension of Loving-Kindness toward us, Your servants, You gave up Your Son. Dear Jesus You paid the debt of Adam for us to the Eternal Father by Your Blood poured forth in Loving-Kindness. You cleared away the darkness of sin by Your magnificent and radiant Resurrection. You broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave as a Conqueror. You reconciled Heaven and earth. Our life had no hope of Eternal Happiness before You redeemed us. Your Resurrection has washed away our sins, restored our innocence and brought us joy. How inestimable is the tenderness of Your Love! We pray You, Lord, to preserve Your servants in the peaceful enjoyment of this Easter happiness. We ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with God The Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Saying that prayer each day, for the remainder of the Easter season, can help us to focus on the monumental impact of Christ?s Resurrection. Additionally, Priests for Life has composed a prayer for life that is especially for use during the Easter season:
Easter Prayer for Life (courtesy of Priests For Life)
Lord Jesus, In rising from the dead,
You have conquered the entire kingdom of death.
Make me a voice for life,
Especially for children threatened by abortion.
Fill me with Easter joy,
For you live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
Let?s not allow the world to tell us that Easter means nothing more than colored eggs and candy. For the next 40 days, make an effort to meditate on the fact that Jesus Christ conquered death?s power over us by rising from the dead!
Alleluia ? He Is Risen!
