Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

Resurrexit Sicut Dixit! Vere, Resurrexit!

ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!

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   "Glory to God in the highest! He is risen as He said! Truly, He is risen! Alleluia!" The celebration of Easter is the height of Christian solemnity. In reality, the solemn feast of Easter surpasses all other celebrations in the Church, for it commemorates the very reason for our Christian hope: Christ Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, is risen from the dead and lives forever!

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  Sadly, in practice, Easter is also the feast which is most underappreciated by Christians around the world, particularly in the West. Rather than allowing the Church's celebrations to shape the world (as they once did) we now allow the world to shape our Christian celebrations. Most would place Christmas as the most important Christian celebration of the year. After all, the birth of our Savior is no small matter! But, in fact, the Feast of the Annunciation of our Lord's birth (March 25) is the more important feast, for it marks the moment in which Mary's Yes allows the Holy Spirit of God to conceive the Son of God in her virginal womb! The Annunciation is the true feast of the Incarnation of the Word, and a poignant reminder to all that human life begins at conception.  More unfortunate is the observation that much of what we commonly associate with Christmas has very little to do with Christ or our faith.​ We can observe other occasions that have become caricatures of Christian feasts: St. Patrick's Day has become a modern hedonist's paradise of reckless drinking and obscenity that would surely draw condemnation from the saint himself. Ash Wednesday draws large crowds for the ashes, but little interest in penitential practices. The feast of Saint Francis is celebrated for the spectacle of annual 'pet blessings', rather than his radical poverty and witness to the hard truths of the gospel. The list goes on.

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   Of course, not only does Easter not receive the attention it deserves, but the days of Holy Week are also often overlooked!  Nevertheless, the days of Holy Week, which recall the Lord's suffering and sacrifice, prepare us for the great celebration of Easter - a celebration so solemn and so great that its Octave (8-days) is only the start of a 50-day season that leads us to the great feast of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

 

   Christ lives in the midst of His Church, and she celebrates His presence with great solemnity and joy! Christian joy! How can we celebrate this season with true Christian joy? At the Easter Vigil I shared an insightful prayer that leads us to the answer. In the ancient Roman Rite of the Church, after the priest consumed the Sacred Host, he would whisper these words derived from Psalm 116 (12-13): "What repayment shall I make to the Lord for everything He has given to me? I will take the chalice of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. Praising Him, I will call upon the Lord, and I will be saved from my enemies." The best way we can celebrate the Easter season with true Christian joy is to take up the "chalice of salvation" - full of our daily crosses and sorrows, but also true freedom and joy - and drink deeply with confidence, knowing that drinking from this chalice with Christ, we will be filled with the same life and joy of God's Holy Spirit! If we live the Christian life faithfully, come what may, we will experience true and lasting Holy Communion with God through Him Who lives and reigns forever and ever! Amen! Alleluia!

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May the Lord bless you with abundant joy in this Easter season!​​

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Oremvs Pro Invicem!

Father Albert Beltz, KHS, Pastor​​

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