There is a significant contrast in how we follow up Christmas and how we follow up Easter. On December 26 in our Church calendar, we have the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The Church doesn’t seem to want us to linger with sentiment on Christmas with the child Jesus in the manger!
The focus changes to many other aspects of God’s salvation plan. With Easter, it is different. There is the eight day celebration of the Easter Sunday Solemnity taking us to Divine Mercy Sunday, mercy being a wonderful outcome of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
This Easter focus even extends for the fifty days that take us to Pentecost Sunday. It is obvious that the Church wants us to immerse ourselves into the Easter graces won for us by Jesus. These graces help us to change and to grow in our faith. It takes time for us to bring our fears, failures, addictive behaviors and sins to the Lord.
If your Lent time wasn’t too good spiritually, do not be discouraged. Easter season presents a grace filled time to know, to love and to serve Jesus, our Redeemer. It is good to pray for each other and for the world that we unite ourselves with Jesus and His work of sacrifice and loving service for the Glory of God and salvation of souls. Fr. Stanley Galvon
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