Stewardship Reflection: An Inner Easter Joy

Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen! On this glorious Easter morning – the Sunday of Sundays, the Solemnity of Solemnities – we are filled with the joy of the resurrection. 

However, how do we celebrate while foregoing liturgical traditions and Easter celebrations? Can it truly feel like Easter without the beauty of an Easter Vigil Mass, without the joy of welcoming the new catechumens into the Church or without the warmth of large family gatherings? 

This Easter, while we will feel the loss of our usual Easter traditions, it is an opportunity for us to develop a greater appreciation for what the disciples must have experienced that first Easter, over 2,000 years ago. The disciples were living in the knowledge of Jesus conquering death but, due to fear of persecution, remained locked up in their houses and were not able to celebrate. Despite their internal joy, their difficult external circumstances remained the same that Easter Morning. 

As Christians, we know that Jesus’ resurrection changed the lives of the disciples, the Church and the entire world. The disciples experienced a joy like no other when the Risen Lord appeared to them. They were given hope; and despite their bleak exterior conditions, they rejoiced. 

In these current times when our internal joy does not match our external reality, it is easy to lose faith. But now more than ever, the joy of Jesus’ resurrection should penetrate our hearts. 

As stewards, the greatest gift we can share with others is the love and hope that is rooted in the risen Christ. May we find strength in the beautiful words of St. John Paul II, “Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and alleluia is our song.”

Summary

This Easter, while we will feel the loss of our usual Easter traditions, we have an opportunity to develop a greater appreciation for what the disciples must have experienced that first Easter, over 2,000 years ago. They were living in the knowledge of Jesus conquering death but, due to fear of persecution, remained locked up in their houses and were not able to celebrate. In these current times, when our internal joy does not match our external reality, it is easy to lose faith, but now more than ever the joy of Jesus’ resurrection should penetrate our hearts. Let us ponder the words of St. John Paul II who says, “Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and alleluia is our song.”

Easter Sunday Readings

• First Reading: Acts 10.34a, 37-43
• Second Reading: Colossians 3.1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5.6b-8
• Gospel: John 20.1-18++ – The Resurrection of Jesus