Easter 2022

I always think of Easter as a holiday that is incredibly different among people, depending on their beliefs (and acknowledge that it may not be “Easter” at all). At Christmas a lot of people might attend some sort of service and the focus is on gift giving, feasts, the music and decorations, and Santa Claus. For Easter it seems to be concentrated on a weekend or day in the weekend and about the return of Spring, the Easter bunny, chocolate, a feast, and/or the Resurrection. If people feel a desire to attend a Christian service, it seems to be on Easter Sunday. I, as a Catholic, view Eastertime as far more than Easter Sunday and significantly more than a long weekend.

Whereas the Christmas season seems to last a month or so, with office and home parties, concerts, parades, and events throughout that time, and even into the celebration of the new calendar year, Easter seems to concentrate on the Sunday. (That’s a very general statement as Good Friday in Canada is a statutory holiday and certainly many people will attend a service that day.) For me, Easter encompasses Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter Sunday) and includes a number of trips to the church. I don’t think of Easter as being the “break” that a long weekend implies. I attend mass on Holy Thursday evening, which in the Catholic church is the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. On Good Friday, I go to the Stations of the Cross (please look this up, if you’re interested in knowing more), which follows Jesus’s path to crucifixion with prayers and solemn devotion, and then return to the church in the afternoon for our Good Friday service. This is the only day in the year in which mass is not celebrated. We receive the Eucharist, which was transformed the evening before at Holy Thursday mass. There is more to these days, as we have the opportunity for adoration of the Eucharist after mass on Thursday and during our Good Friday service we commemorate the wood of the cross upon which Jesus died. Good Friday is a very solemn occasion, as is appropriate given the event upon which we are focused (the death of God’s son).

Holy Saturday is the Easter Vigil, the first celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. It begins with the lighting of the Easter fire and the sharing of that light among the congregation. Years ago, I attended this mass at the cathedral of the archdiocese where I lived. It was incredible. The fire was lit outside and carried in. The cathedral was in darkness (and packed, I might add). Each parishioner was given a taper candle upon entering. From the entrance, the fire was shared, one taper to another until the whole church was alight. It was a truly memorable experience. There are seven readings, an Epistle, and then the Gospel. For churches that have people becoming Catholic there is a full rite of Christian Initiation. It is truly a night of light and joy. (In a past parish, this celebration would go on until midnight with a party of food and fellowship afterward and the opportunity to welcome the new Catholics!) This is what Easter is to me. It is light. Springtime is about the return of light and warmth to the world. It’s the perfect time to work toward healing. Given the topic and tone of last week’s blog, I think I am in need of healing. In fact, given the current state of the world, I think we could all use a little healing in our lives.

So, why am I sharing all this information about Easter in the Catholic Church? Well, I follow Mayim Bialik and I was thrilled when she shared her preparations for Passover and gave a brief overview of why. I think people are drawn to hate (a very strong word, I realize) from fear and I believe the majority of our fear comes from a lack of knowledge and understanding. During a meeting last Thursday afternoon of our work group, a colleague mentioned that his long weekend would be one of rest since they are in the middle of Ramadan. Here are three celebrations that take place in the Spring and that bring people to God and peace. I see nothing to fear from that and yet, some people find ways to hate based on religion. I bring this up because it’s important to me to share that while I am Catholic, I try to be unbiased against any other faith. I believe that we have one God, however we choose to celebrate Him. I’m also not against anyone who doesn’t believe. I hope those people will share in the wonder of the world, even if they don’t share in the belief of who created it. I hope that when people are open to sharing their own experiences and when people are willing to listen and learn, it helps break down the barriers that allow hate into the world.

I acknowledge that hatred exists, and I refuse to support or participate. [Within my own family, I have to work on acceptance and admit that it’s not easy. I’m willing to take that on to leave behind my judgements.] I don’t think hiding from the negative will make it go away. I think staring it down is how to embrace progress. Saying I choose to dismiss negativity (and ignoring it) is fine on a personal level, but it doesn’t diminish it from the bigger picture. It will continue to fester and grow unless I stand up to it, announce it as wrong, and refuse to back down. Know that I choose to not tolerate racism or religious hatred in my life. This Easter Sunday, I choose peace, reflection, light, joy, and love. I hope you and your families are able to celebrate the rebirth of our world, in whatever way you choose.

This is my kitchen island tiered tray dressed up for Easter. [Please note that in an attempt to be honest and authentic, I did not block out anything in the background. I don’t live in a showplace, I live in a world which includes doing dishes and sometimes leaving them to dry!]

A few years ago I found these bunnies and just had to have them. Each year when decorating for Easter, I bring them out. This year, I spruced up my basket with colourful blooms from a dollar store. A pretty addition doesn’t have to cost a lot!

I love adding decor to these open shelves. A new bunny gnome found its way home with me this year!

The view from my bedroom window this morning. What a beautiful start to my Easter Sunday!